X-Files: We Knew Nothing — John Backer, Punk Rock, and Questioning Power

John Backer of WeKnewNothing.
Punk rock, politics, and songs like “CIA” that refuse to play nice.
On CommonX, Backer breaks down why punk still matters — and why questioning power has never been optional.

Punk rock was never supposed to be polite.

It was born from frustration, fueled by distrust, and sharpened by a refusal to accept official narratives at face value. That spirit is alive and well in WeKnewNothing, the band fronted by John Backer, where distorted guitars collide with political skepticism and unapologetic truth-seeking.

Songs like “CIA” don’t exist to comfort listeners. They exist to provoke them.

Punk as a Political Language

For Backer, punk rock isn’t nostalgia — it’s a tool. A way to cut through the noise and speak plainly about power, corruption, and the systems people are told not to question.

WeKnewNothing doesn’t posture as revolutionary heroes. Instead, the band leans into the uncomfortable reality that most people inherit beliefs without consent — shaped by media, institutions, and narratives designed to feel inevitable.

The music pushes back against that inevitability.

When Music Refuses to Behave

Tracks like “CIA” tap directly into punk’s original function: calling out authority, exposing hypocrisy, and giving voice to the suspicion many people feel but rarely articulate. The band’s sound is raw, stripped-down, and intentional — a reminder that rebellion doesn’t need polish to be effective.

This isn’t protest music built for algorithms.
It’s confrontation built for ears that still want to listen.

Politics Without Permission

During his conversation on the CommonX Podcast, Backer didn’t dodge politics — he challenged them. The discussion moved fluidly between punk rock, government power, cultural manipulation, and the danger of blind loyalty to any ideology.

What emerged wasn’t a sermon, but a mindset: question first, conform never.

That ethos sits squarely in the Gen-X lineage — a generation raised on broken promises, latchkey independence, and music that taught us to think for ourselves.

Why WeKnewNothing Fits the Moment

In a time when politics feels staged and rebellion is often branded, WeKnewNothing feels authentic because it doesn’t ask to be trusted — it asks to be challenged.

The band’s name itself is a quiet confession and a warning: certainty is fragile, and power prefers obedience over curiosity.

John Backer on CommonX

John Backer’s appearance on CommonX wasn’t about selling records. It was about tracing the line between punk rock and political awareness — and why both still matter.

Because sometimes the most honest thing you can say in a system built on control is exactly what punk has always screamed:

We knew nothing — and we’re not done asking questions.