In late 2014 MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD released the police-and-community-themed video for their powerful song "Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)," with RollingStone.com noting that "the lyrics to the song call for change and a better understanding between police and communities." As events have worsened since then with tragic outcomes in the United States, MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD yesterday (7/21) released a new version of the video, adding the lyrics onscreen to further illuminate the song's sentiments and urgency for change. FRANTI recently (7/15), spoke with Billboard Live about his inspiration to create the video and acoustically performed the song live (watch here).

Click here to watch the "Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)" video.

Notably, a group of fourth graders at Roberto Clemente School No. 8 in Rochester, New York joined together last year--with the help of their teacher Josh Cornue and colleague Dominic Pickard who helped with audio and visual--to movingly create their own video of "Same As It Ever Was (It Starts Today)" with them singing all the words (watch here). The original post of video noted that the students "decided to apply it [the song] to their own lives in an attempt to spread messages of justice and peace with their school community, as well as the world beyond."

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD are now touring behind their new album SOULROCKER--their ninth and first for Fantasy Records.

Here are the in-progress dates for MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD on tour.

DATE                         CITY                                       VENUE

* w/ G. Love & Special Sauce

** w/ Zella Day

~ w/ Iration

~~ w/ Marc Scibilia

! w/ Lila Downs