Lead singer John Cooper says the decision to part ways with their longtime label was a difficult but necessary step to fully express their artistic vision.

“It just felt like it was time to spread our wings, as you would say, and just go for it,” he said.

Cooper explained that Skillet had been considering the independent route since 2016, after the success of their album “Unleashed.” While they had a positive relationship with Atlantic, the band felt restricted by the bureaucracy of a major label.

“Now we don’t have to have all the fingers in the pie,” Cooper said. “I think we’ve released a really, really good record. It’s catchy. The songs are good. It’s so Skillet, and I think the fans are going to love it.”

One of the standout tracks is the lead single “Unpopular,” which Cooper describes as a “swaggy” and “tongue-in-cheek” departure from Skillet’s typical sound.

“It’s kind of a fun song to play live,” he said. “I think people are digging it.”

The album’s title track, “Revolution,” is where Cooper’s passion really shines through. He explains that the song is not about a political revolution, but rather a “revolution of love” and a “spiritual awakening.”

“We have a culture that is drowning in depression, suicide, the highest rates of teen suicide in American history,” Cooper said. “They’re looking for hope, and that’s why I say this is not about politics. This is a very hopeful album.”

The album cover features a Skillet-branded flag with a scripture reference from 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Cooper wanted to make it clear that the “Revolution” he’s singing about is not one of violence or destruction, but rather a call to stand up for one’s beliefs without hatred toward those who disagree.

“If I am called crazy because I believe something different than you, then today is a good day to be unpopular,” he said. “If I’m crazy because I believe that there is a God who rules over the world and he tells us how to live, if that makes me a maniac, then I will be a maniac. No problem.”

This unapologetic stance has earned Cooper both praise and criticism, but he remains steadfast in his convictions.

“I meet a lot of people that say, thank you so much for speaking out, you know, and I know, I know how they feel because I feel the same way when someone else does,” he said. “You will take a hit. There’s no question you will be hated by some people. That’s just the way it is.”

However, Cooper has also seen Skillet’s fanbase grow, even among those who may not agree with his political views.

“We’re getting a lot of people that love Skillet now that are saying, ‘I love that you stand for freedom of speech,’ even if they don’t really agree with me,” he said.

The independent route has also given Skillet more flexibility to release music on their own timeline, rather than adhering to a major label’s schedule.

“If, all of a sudden, I go, ‘Man, I got this idea. I don’t want to wait for three years until we have the full record. Let’s just release a couple songs,’ that’s it,” he said. “I think that that’s really cool. It’s very freeing.”

On a spiritual level, Cooper says that striking while the creative iron is hot hearkens to the idea of a message meant “for such a time as this.”

“As it relates to my personal experience as a Christian, I sometimes feel like God is leading me to say something about a song right now,” he said. “And I’m not trying to say that in a year or two years, that message is completely irrelevant. Of course not. It’s still going to be relevant, but it might not be super-duper-relevant. It may be a song for such a time as this. It may be a song for right now that needs to come out now, not next year.”

As Skillet embarks on their new chapter, Cooper is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, both creatively and in reaching their global fanbase.

“Skillet has a lot of Spotify listeners now and half of our Spotify listeners are international because we’re a very international band now. And so that’s nice because it gives us more access to that.”

As “Revolution” is unleashed, Skillet is poised to inspire a new generation of listeners seeking hope and authenticity in a world that often feels divided.