The Movement is
a find of a band. On one hand, they are a throwback to the Brighton Beach days
of Mods vs Rockers, while clearly playing for the Mod side. On the other hand
they are a sociopolitical, pro union, anti-fascist band that stands firm in
their message while wearing dapper looking Merc suits. So if Billy Bragg were
in a band together with Bruce Foxton playing bass and looked like the classic
Jam will give you an idea. Melodic, mod, power-pop influenced music waiting for
willing ears that feels right at home on a This
Is Mod compilation.
Interview by Ed
Stuart
Who’s answering the questions?
Lukas Sherfey.
Where is the band from?
Copenhagen /
Denmark
Who is in the band and what instrument do
they play?
Kasper Rasmussen
/ Drums
Sebastian Page /
Bass
Lukas Sherfey /
Guitar and Vocal
How did the band start?
I started the
band years ago! I wanted to make a band with cool style, a good message, a band
for the people, and that’s why I called it The Movement.
Can you talk about Fools Like You LP? What has the reception been so far?
Pretty good! The
LP is released by a small label in Berlin and the CD is released by us The
Movement Rec. I think people like the album, and it’s the first album since
after the small break we had, I guess we know the direction for a new album
now, straightforward with full power!
Do you think music can still be a vital
force in such a disposable age?
Sure! That’s all
we got! There’s just too much bad music at the moment. We are still here!
How is the Copenhagen/Denmark music
scene? Is there a big mod scene there?
No there’s not a
Mod scene here. We have a scooter club and some punk concerts now and then, but
it’s small. We never really play in Denmark any more, only for some very
important political stuff.
50 years ago people used to buy music and
get their water for free, now people pay for water and get their music for
free. How do you think this affects music in any way?
To be honest I
like the whole piracy idea. We played in Russia last year and I never think
that we have sold an album there, but hundreds of people were singing along and
knew all the lyrics, and that’s great! Spread and share the music, we see
ourselves as musicians from older times, we come to a new city get something to
eat, we play and we drink and sleep, and we get a little money for that, that’s
our life style. About the water thing, then I also think it absurd! They should
put water fountains in every train station and every square, like how it used
to be.
If The Movement had decided to add a
second guitar player and your choices were Mick Jones, Pete Townshend and Paul
Weller. Who would you choose? Why?
Well today it
would be Paul Weller, because he’s living in the present and he’s still going
strong!
In an interview with Oi! Oi! Music, Lukas stated “We still want to be political band,
but we want to bring the political stuff into a more mainstream audience.
Otherwise it’s just preaching for the converted.” Can you explain a little further on this comment? A lot of
bands are happy just playing to their core audience without moving on. Why the
difference for The Movement?
We also wanna
play for our crowd of cause, but when it comes down to a message that you feel
for then you want to spread it as far as possible! I don’t expect or want the
whole world to listen to mod music, but I want everybody to join a message of
solidarity with the oppressed.
Also on Fools Like You, The Movement has filled the LP with half of the
songs lyrics about politics and the other half of the song lyrics about love.
It seems like by not having every song about politics would help the band reach
a wider, especially a non-political, audience by doing this. Was this part of
the game plan or did the music just fit love songs better?
I like Motown
and Northern Soul and all those old 60’s love songs, which are our influence,
and then also The Jam and The Clash etc. I thought it was a good mix to have
half of the songs like that, on the next record it will properly be more
political, because the left and the antifascist scene really needs it.
I know The Movement tours around Europe,
mostly Germany, has there been any desire for the band to tour US or Canada?
No not really! I
know all bands want to go to the USA, but it’s not my big goal. I wanna go to
South America or Asia. But let’s see, some Red Skins groups in the US sometimes
contact me; who want us to play solidarity shows for them, and it could be
something interesting to do!
Where can people hear the band?
In this fall
there are some shows around Germany!
www.themovement.dk/live
What’s next for The Movement?
Start to work at a new album and play as much as
possible!!
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