tha t’s m or e of our c ritique. T he s y s t e m it s e lf is r ig ge d a nd it ’ s go nna s e r v e the inter ests of alr eady we a lt hy a nd t he t r a ns na t io na l p o w e r s, t he r e a l p o w e r, and they just use gover nm e nt s t o m a k e l a w s t o a llo w t he m t o m a k e m o ney a t the exp ense of the planet a nd t he r e s t o f us. T ha t ’ s o bv io us ly ly r ic s w e ha v e in our songs, that’s how we f e e l. B ut o n a no t he r le v e l, o n a n e qua lly im p o r t a nt le vel, (look at) the w ay tha t t ha t e le c t io n m a d e e v e r yo ne ha p py a nd b e l ie v e in so me thing. Vir ginia did some t hing ! And no t jus t in t he p a s t – s o m e t hing ho r rible in the past – but some t hing r e a l in t he p r e s e nt . T he s p o nt a ne o us m a r c he s and e ver ything, ther e might no t b e a ny t hing lik e t h a t a g a in in my lif e t im e . I t ’ s almost like the positi ve num b e r o p p o s it e Se p t e m b e r 1 1 t h in t he m a s s p s yc hic consciousness. T he w ay e v e r yo ne f e lt e m b e d d e d , is o la t e d , f r ight e ne d a nd a l most in t ellec tually attac ked by yo ur o w n c o unt r y a nd yo ur o w n r e a c t io ns t o Se p te mber 11th. T his w as a w a v e o f p ublic joy a nd e nlig ht e nm e nt . I d o n’ t ha v e a gr eat deal of f aith in the a b ilit y o f o ne p r e s i d e n t t o r e v e r s e , r e c o ns t r uc t a nd r e vita l ize the things that m ig ht s t ill b e s a lie nt a nd t r ue a b o ut Am e r ic a n lif e a nd the Ame ric an dr eam . I think B a r a c k Ob a m a a nd his f a m ily, he m ay m e a n m o r e o f w ha t h e say s than any other p o lit ic ia n I ’ v e e v e n k no w n, but p e o ple ha v e t o s t ay e ng a ge d and people hav e t o ho ld p o lit ic ia ns a c c o unt a ble a nd no t jus t w a it fo r the o ne v ote e v er y four ye a r s t o f e e l lik e t hey ha v e p o w e r. T ha t ’ s t he c r it iq ue of the elector al system tha t I t hink is t he t r ut h b e hi nd it a ll. I d o t hink s o m a ny mor e people car ed. So many m illio ns o f p e o p le r e g is t e r e d t o v o t e , go t e ng a ge d , followed the tedious insanit y o f t he m a s s m e d ia p e r c e p t io n o f t he e le c t io n. T hey still car ed and these people , w e ’ r e no t a ll go ing t o go a w ay, a nd t he r e ’ s a w ho l e ne w consciousness with folk s w ho ne v e r f e l t inc lud e d in t he p r o c e s s. Wo r k ing c lass folks of all gr oups, w ho a r e go ing t o b e p ay ing a t t e nt io n a nd w a nt ing ans wer s w hen things go wr o ng. T ha t ’ s a huge t hing a nd t ha t ’ s s o m e t hing t ha t should not be under stated o r fo r go t t e n. We w e r e r ig ht t he r e o n M a r s ha ll St r e e t dedicating our last song to M a g g i e Wa l k e r a nd t he n t hr e e m in ut e s la t e r, C ur t is to ok the m ic and said Vir ginia p us he d it ov e r fo r Ob a m a . A m ov ie a b o ut it c o uld no t ha ve been m or e dr am at ic , o r ha d b e t t e r b e a t s.
t he a nt i- f a s c is t c ir c le f r o m . T hey w e r e a g r o up o f p e o ple t r ying t o s peak t r ut h t o p o w e r in G e r m a ny ; t r y ing t o s ay, lo o k , t his b r own-shir ted gr oup t ha t ’ s ge t t i ng p e o p le hy p e d up in t he b e e r ha l ls i s f ille d with hate and it’s go nna go b a d ly fo r a ll o f us a n d w e h a v e t o t a lk a b o u t it. T hey wer e one o f t he b ig ge s t a nd m o s t unif ie d v o ic e s fo r c e s a g a ins t the rise to power o f t he N a z is. So, t his a nt i- f a s c is t c ir c le ha s b e e n a par t of ant i-r acis t a n d a nt i- na t io na lis t m ov e m e nt s s inc e t he n. So, w e ’ r e calling the r ecor d t ha t a nd t he r e ’ s s o ng s a b o ut im m ig r a t io n, a nd t he f ir st song we’ ve e ver w r it t e n a b o ut t he a p o c a ly p s e – but t he g lo b a l w a r m ing a pocalypse w her e o ur s p e c ie s jus t fo ld s b a c k int o t he p la ne t . T h e r e ’ s a s ong that’s kind of a m e m o r ia l t o f r i e nd s w ho ha v e f a lle n, p e o p le t a k e n f r o m this life too soon. T h e r e ’ s s o m e he a v ie r t o p ic s, b e c a us e it ’ s b e e n a ha r d year for a lot of R ic hm o nd k id s. B ut , t he r e ’ s a ls o s t uf f a b o ut t he le v e li ng out of r eality in t he f a c e o f a ll t his m e d ia a nd ho w s e p a r a t e d o ur c o nsciousness can get a nd ho w d is t r a c t e d w e c a n a ll ge t . So m e t im e s it ’ s go o d t o jus t go out and a c t ua lly s ha k e s o m e b o dy ’ s ha nd a nd ha v e a r e a l c o nver sation and not b e o nline a nd no t b e o n yo ur p ho ne . T he r e ’ s s o m e t hing a bout losing our hum a nit y w it h a ll o f o u r t oy s. T he r e ’ s s o m e ne w t o p ics. We have a song a b o ut t he c h ild s o ld i e r is s ue in Af r ic a . B e c a us e w e ’ v e been tr aveling a lo t a n d t a lk ing t o s o m a ny p e o p le , t he r e ’ s s o m a ny s t o ries and nar r at i ves t ha t info r m us. T he m o r e w e lis t e n, t he m o r e s o n g s w e have t o w rit e.
T his inter vie w originally air ed November 8th, 2008 on Ri ver City Limits, the local-only show that air s Satur days 5 to 7 p.m. on WRIR 97.3 Ric h mond Inde pendent R adio. For mor e infor mation, lo g on to wrir.or g. To kee p up with Strike Anyw her e, you can visit strikeanyw her e.or g.
M R What ar e som e of the ly r ic a l t o p ic s yo u a r e go ing t o t a c k le o n t he ne w a lbum? T B We ll, the wor king title o f t he a lbum is Ir on Fr ont , w hic h is t he g r o up w e go t 33