The Movement is a South Carolina-based reggae group that pairs purposeful musical elements with motivating lyrics to provide a surprisingly authentic sound.
After their late afternoon set opening for Slightly Stoopid in St Augustine, Florida, I got to catch up with founding member Josh Swain. He was surprisingly candid and down-to-earth as we discussed The Movement’s journey, its message, and its future.
We agreed that late arrivers to the show had missed out on a great set from The Movement. It was a night of bands who are all headliners in their own right: Slightly Stoopid, Iration, and The Green all followed The Movement’s early doors performance. Swain explained that The Movement had been playing some of their own headlining shows around Florida over the previous few days while the other bands surfed and relaxed. This is typical of a band who have put in over ten years of strenuous work to get where they are today. They are still rising in the reggae scene and since 2004 have been grinding to earn their place in the genre, as Swain explained.
The Movement is from South Carolina – not California, and not Hawaii. Swain confirmed that they did not grow up with the kind of music they now make – there is not a huge amount of support for reggae in the south. Swain says The Movement is all about a strong message. It became clear during the course of our chat that social awareness is important to the band – they realize that a lot of messed-up things are happening in the world and people are struggling. They encourage others to do whatever it takes to survive. If their music helps anyone get through the day, even if it’s only the band themselves, then it’s worth doing.
The dedication he has to his band is evident. It was clear from talking to Josh Swain that The Movement does not make music just for fun but also to create the change their band name implies. It was a pleasure to speak with him and we look forward to seeing their progression continue.
