It's time to RISE!!! Texas Hippie Coalition are on their way back with the new album, Dark Side of Black, and they're teaming up with Loudwire to bring you the exclusive first listen to their new song "Rise."

As you can hear in the player above, Texas Hippie Coalition have a kick-your-ass-into-action anthem on their hands. We had a chance to chat with frontman Big Dad Ritch ahead of the premiere and you can check out our chat about "Rise," the Dark Side of Black album and more below:

Thank you for premiering your new song "Rise" here at Loudwire. Love that dark, chugging guitar tone on the song, and your vocals just have a darker, deeper feel that cuts through. You probably could feel you had an anthem on your hands, but how enjoyable was that to track and hear back through the speakers in its full glory for the first time?

It was incredible!!! It felt good to get it all off my chest and out into the world.

The song seems tailor made for those who will stand up and fight for our country though it feels like it could fit for any era defender. What inspired the lyrical content for the track? Also, do you have any personal history of hearing from or performing for military personnel?

We hear from military folks stationed all over the world, they love their RED DIRT METAL! We take every opportunity we get to tell them thank you, and let them know we’re behind them.

As for "Rise," I wanted the song to feel like it was a call to arms, a call to defend all that you, as the listener, hold dear. It was meant to be a broad shot hitting on all causes present and past. No matter your cause, this song should make you want to see your flag fly. Whether it’s the hated Patriots fighting for the 13 colonies against the British Empire, or the brave Americans and Texans fighting at the Alamo -- they all deserve to be honored. They were all Americans, they were all our brothers, fathers, and sons. Now let our flag Rise!!!

You worked with producer Sterling Winfield, who has a history with some other hard rocking Texas bands (Pantera, Hellyeah, Damageplan). Given his reputation in the industry, let alone with Texas bands, was this a no brainer to work with him and what was the experience like?

Winfield was absolutely hand-picked to produce. I really wanted to make this album in Texas and by Texans. And Winfield is a champ. If I was making an album or picking a team for dodgeball, Winfield would be my first pick.

Did you have an idea of what you wanted from the album going into the recording sessions and how much did things either meet that vision or change by the time you were finished?

This album has been a concept of mine for some time. Everyone, even Spinal Tap, needs a black album. No matter how bright a person’s light is, if pushed the DARKNESS will eventually shine through.

We understand that Timmy was a real trooper during recording of this album, powering through some health issues before finishing the disc. Given the difficulty getting through the recording process, does the journey you go through in completing the album resonate with you more if things don't necessarily come easy along the way?

I’ll put it this way: the music business is like sailing a pirate ship. The seas are rough, the people are rougher and land is never in sight. Yet if you can battle the rough waters, keep your men from mutiny and weather the storms, in the end there is Booty. Yes, booty.

Off the new album, there are a lot of songs we can't wait to hear within a Texas Hippie Coalition set list, but do you have songs off this album you can't wait to see what the reaction will be live?

To be honest, any and all of them. We get such a huge reaction from the fans when we play live. I'm like a bull in the stall. I can't wait to get out of the gate to throw this cowboy to the Red Dirt.

Later this month, you'll be hitting the road with Sons of Texas and getting into promotion of the new album. What can fans look for from the upcoming dates and what history do you have with Sons of Texas?

Well, being at a THC show is like going to watch a UFC fight where all of the sudden your name is being called to enter the octagon. You’re gonna get your ass whipped! As for the Sons, they’re from Texas -- they used to be horse thieves down in the southern parts near the border. I've bought a couple of nice horses from them in the past. It was said that they met their death in Juarez, so you can imagine my surprise to find out they were still alive.

Many thanks for your time. Just to wrap up, aside from the Dark Side of Black album release on April 22, anything else we should keep an eye on from the band?

We’ll have a big fall tour announcement coming later this year, jumping on with a big hitter. It’s gonna be Hella Fun. "Black" Personified!

Our thanks to Big Dad Ritch for the interview and check out "Rise" in the player above. The Dark Side of Black album is currently available to pre-order in a variety of options at this location. You can also pre-order through online services like iTunes, Amazon and Google Play. Be sure to catch Texas Hippie Coalition out on the road, playing headlining dates and also sharing stages with Sons of Texas. Their current itinerary can be found here.

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