Veteran Songwriter Garry Manuel Returns with Defiant Protest Anthem “Stand For Good”

06 March 2026

With “Stand For Good,” longtime independent artist Garry Manuel delivers one of the most uncompromising protest songs of his career, confronting injustice head-on through driving guitars and unflinching lyricism.

FAIRPORT, NY (March 6, 2026) - After more than four decades as a songwriter, producer, educator, and independent label founder, Garry Manuel delivers one of the most urgent recordings of his career. His new single, “Stand For Good,” out March 6, 2026, stands firmly in the lineage of American protest music - channeling grief, outrage, and moral conviction into a powerful rock statement that transforms tragedy into a call for unity, accountability, and moral courage.

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Built on industrial-leaning percussion, driving electric guitars, and emotionally charged vocals, “Stand For Good” directly addresses the fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a protest against ICE in Minneapolis, grounding the song in real events and human experience. The track fuses rock with folk and folk-rock undertones, pairing a cinematic production with documentary-style lyricism that feels immediate and purposeful. Rather than speaking in broad abstractions, Manuel names the victims directly - a deliberate choice that amplifies their stories and honors their memory. The refrain, “It’s understood - Let’s stand for Good,” turns remembrance into resolve and gives the song its unifying, rallying core.

“Watching the videos of the shots being fired at point-blank range into the bodies of Renee Good and Alex Pretti were sickening and appalling....There has been no accountability for their deaths. That should be troubling to every American.”

Garry Manuel, on what inspired his song "Stand For Good"

Cover art for "Stand For Good"

Sonically, “Stand For Good” balances analog grit with modern clarity. Manuel oversees the composition and production, delivering vocals, electric guitars, and fretless bass, while Marshall Manuel brings precision through recording engineering, co-production, acoustic guitar, digital editing, and mastering. The arrangement weaves atmospheric textures with driving, conventional instrumentation, creating what Manuel describes as “a news story as it’s happening, with the lyrics laying out the facts and the music holding the grief, anger, and weight that words alone can’t carry.” The result is a track that feels both grassroots and expansive - intimate in its detail, yet powerful in its emotional and sonic impact.

Marshall Manuel

At a time when protest music is once again surging into the cultural conversation, Garry Manuel’s “Stand For Good” reinforces a truth that has echoed through American songwriting history: music remains one of the most potent vehicles for conscience.

“Typically I don’t boast about my songs, however, after hearing this tune hundreds of times, I still feel my blood pressure rise. The music’s driving force, the production and lyrics combine into a powerful emotional experience. It speaks volumes and packs a punch.”

Garry Manuel on his song "Stand For Good"

Manuel is no stranger to politically conscious songwriting. In the early 1970s, with the band Sunup, he recorded “Attica,” reflecting on the Attica prison uprising, and “Old Wooden Barns,” an environmental warning issued before the band ever performed live. He later wrote and performed “Open Up,” continuing his engagement with civic themes. “Stand For Good” represents a continuation - not a departure - from a lifetime of socially reflective work.

Garry Manuel

Unlike many artists entering political discourse for the first time, Manuel brings decades of independent industry experience to the table. As founder of Sunflare Records, he has maintained creative control over his catalog. He spent over 40 years mentoring musicians through Manuel’s Music Studio and the Rochester Area Music Project (RAMP), while also leading Project URGE, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on collaborative solutions to poverty and racism in Rochester, New York.

The single arrives ahead of Manuel’s forthcoming album, Acoustically Speaking, a largely acoustic project slated for spring release. If that album explores reflection and restraint, “Stand For Good” is its counterpoint - immediate, forceful, and unwilling to let listeners look away.