Music | CaliRoots Part 3 of 3: Interview with Josh Swain of The Movement

Q- How is the current tour going?

A- We’ve been on tour just actually for like the last week. We did a couple runs, a couple Florida dates and we also did the St. Patty’s Day festival in Columbia, S.C.

Q- The band is from Columbia, SC, correct?

A- Yeah, I’m actually from Columbia and the band was kind of started in Columbia. The other guys in the band are from like the Philly area.

Q- Who have you been on tour with recently?

A- We did like a Tribal Seeds tour recently. We did an Iration tour and a Pepper tour as well. That’s like the past year I think, those three tours.

Q- The new album is being released soon, how is that album different from previous albums?

A- It’s the first time we worked with a producer instead of just an engineer. He really kind of helped bring the album to life. He’s done work with Beck and Ben Harper so, he really helped us put the album together and it’s really the first time that we were really serious about hunkering down, really making like a serious record. We went to the studio for like ten days and actually lived in the studio and you know we were just kind of hunkered down and really thought about it a lot and it was well produced and turned out to be what I think is going to be probably the best record to date. I’m really proud of it.

Q- Did the April 8 release date have anything to do with California Roots Carolina Sessions being held on April 9 or was that by chance?

A- It’s actually, it timed just right. It takes a while to get the marketing campaign going and to get the artwork finalized and everything actually done. We had planned an earlier release but like a lot of things, it just doesn’t happen the way you want it to happen so, the April 8 thing, it was kind of by chance. I’m sure we could’ve done like a, maybe a later release so, it actually worked out to do the day before Cali Roots. It kind of worked out really well.

Q- What does performing in a festival like Cali Roots mean to you? How is it different from a normal show?

A- It’s really great. Dan Sheehan has really put together a festival that I think defines the genre. This kind of roots, reggae, rock culture that has been blowing up for a while. It’s, I think the definitive event when you talk about this kind of music so, you know, Cali Roots out in California is like a three day event and we’ve done that and you know, it’s huge, it’s massive and they always have the best of the best come play. We’re really fourtunate that they put together one out here. We did the one two years ago, so we played it before but the great thing about it is the lineups you know, to be able to play kind of you know a festival with 311, Soja, Tribal Seeds, really the big names all together in one spot it brings a lot of people out and it makes the event really something special, you know? But yeah, it’s real cool. We’ve been fortunate enough to really kind of become friends with a lot of these guys over the years and it’s insane when you come to one place and it’s got every band, all your favorite bands and all your friends there and putting it together, all the fans all in one place too. It’s just really something unique and cool.

Q- What are your plans after the festival?

A- That’s actually the first show on our upcoming tour, The Golden Hearts tour, to promote the new record. So that will be our first show and I think right after that show we head out to Missouri. Kansas City is our next show on tour and so we’ll be out for four weeks doing shows all over the country to promote the album.

Q- What’s your favorite part of touring?

A- Are there any good parts? No, just kidding. My favorite part, I don’t know. I think that it’s got to be just like really kind of, how can I describe it? Finally like realizing your dream. You know, it’s like when you’re on tour, I’ve been doing this for a long time but I’ve been dreaming about it for even longer, since I was little and as hard as touring is and as weird and uncomfortable as touring can be there’s always this, like in the back of your mind, the purpose of it and the reason that you’re doing it is to really realize your dream that you always had an you’re actually doing it so I think that’s kind of the drive and the motivating force behind every musician that tours.

Q- How do you feel about the festival being in Myrtle Beach for the first time?

A- Well, I was born in Myrtle Beach so it’s really cool. It’s like going back home, you know? To me it’s like, it’s right there where the pavilion used to be. That’s like I grew up going there, you know? So, to have the festival be there it’s like you know, I’m playing at home and it’s really cool because I’m going home to play this cool festival that started out in California and it’s all the way back in my hometown now so, it’s cool.

Q- Is there anything about The Movement that you want your fans to know?

A- I would just say that we’re just really beyond excited about the new record. I don’t think that anybody really anticipated loving this new record as much, like before we started recording it. We didn’t really think that we were going to have something that we were all so proud of and now that it’s like final, I think it just got printed yesterday or something, so I haven’t actually seen the copy of it yet, but now that it’s out and we’ve heard like the final mixes and everything I think I guess that I’d want fans to know that you know, it’s not just another release.We’re probaby more excited about it than any fan would be and that says something because you know, of course your excited about other releases like when you do them but you know it’s like you’ve heard the song so many times that it gets super old and you don’t necessarily care as much but this one we’re really stoked about and we think it’s something special for the fans. I don’t know if many fans will know how excited we are about that.

-Upcoming: The Movement’s new album Golden will be released on April 8.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Music | CaliRoots Part 3 of 3: Interview with Josh Swain of The Movement."