When we saw the Last Internationale make their network TV debut on ‘Letterman’ last year, we were floored. Their performance of ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Indian Blood’ left the late night host speechless -- and us, too. As we’ve tracked their growth -- the band is comprised of frontwoman Delila Paz, guitarist Edgey Pires and drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine -- one thing has remained certain: The Last Internationale are poised for much more than mere rock stardom.

So it shouldn't as a surprise that today (Jan. 19), the band has put together a riveting musical statement in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Diffuser is beyond ecstatic to premiere the Last Internationale’s powerful cover of Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’ -- check it out below:

"Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come' is not only one of the greatest songs ever written, but it is also one of the most important anthems of the civil rights era," the band explains to us, with an obvious passion and vigor in their voices. "The song is still very much relevant today and we sing it in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., to inspire a new generation of activists who will courageously stand up to power by ushering in the biggest Civil Rights Movement the world has ever seen."

Making a social or political statement with their music isn’t something the Last Internationale decided to do just for today’s holiday. In fact, from the very beginning, Wilk’s friend and bandmate, Tom Morello, summed up the band like this: “The Last Internationale are one of my favorites in the next wave of rebel rockers. They’re raw and real and mix East Village rock sensibilities with Battleship Potemkin firepower.”

Bill Ayers, a political activist who co-founded the Weather Underground in the ‘60s, equates the Last Internationale’s work to Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and other musical activists. “[I’m] ecstatic to meet the newest phoenix rising from the old and laying down a powerful soundtrack for what lies ahead,” he says.

If this is your first introduction to the Last Internationale, make sure to pick up their debut studio album, 'We Will Reign,' out now via Epic Records. While their 2015 tour schedule is still taking shape, they are gearing up for an appearance at the Bottlerock Napa Valley music festival in California. You can find ticket information for the fest -- and stay up-to-date with everything happening in the Last Internationale's world -- at their official website here.

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