A Chat with Motihari Brigade (23.08.22)
If George Orwell had a band it would probably be Motihari Brigade. Critically acclaimed for its provocative music, the US-based project is turning heads across the globe. We speak with Motihari Brigade about their new album ‘Algorithm & Blues’, musical inspiration, good advice and much more!
OSR: Motihari Brigade is a one-man band, so what are the benefits and challenges of having a solo project?
Motihari Brigade: Eric Winston is the guitar player, singer, songwriter and creative force behind Motihari Brigade’s concept of Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime. Without someone taking on that role, the band would not have happened. But it’s not quite a solo project. Some incredibly talented musician friends also made it happen because they supported that idea for a concept band. That group has been consistent for two albums now. So a real bass player, drummer, and keyboard player got together and rehearsed, worked out the arrangements and then all came in and played together as a live band for the basic tracks in the studio. We looked each other in the eyes and played something bigger than the sum of those individual parts. You might say it sounded like two plus two equals five. You couldn’t have done that with a completely solo project. On this album, you can feel the energy from the band spill over in the right places. Additional tracks such as horns and backup vocals were added later. But essentially the core of the album was a live band performance.
OSR: What and/or who inspires you to make music?
Motihari Brigade: The musical theme is Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime – inspired by George Orwell – who has become more relevant than ever in this age of big-tech-dominated algorithm censors. You could say that both British rock music and literary influences are well represented here. It answers the question: What if George Orwell had a rock band? That would be Motihari Brigade.
OSR: What and/or who inspired the new album Algorithm & Blues?
Motihari Brigade: There is a lot of polarisation out there. People are divided into different tribal camps. Instead of trying to write yet another article about that phenomenon, I wanted to try and reach out and communicate to real human beings through music that elicits an emotional response. Words can trigger people’s defence mechanisms and close down communication. Then people can more easily tune out ideas that don’t check the correct ideological boxes within their own bubbles. Somehow it’s possible for music to be a different experience. Hopefully, we can overcome some of that divisive tribalism and find common shared humanity through the experience of music. Maybe rediscovering that possibility is how we figure out how to move forward together in the future because it sure seems like we are bogged down by the same old tired institutional ideas of the past, so there’s no use flogging them on endlessly again and again and just continuing to hate each other for thinking differently. Maybe we need to actually communicate on a human level outside the curated choices and then think something unpredictably new – not just settle for received Orwellian “Newspeak” and then give the algorithm something unpredicted to think about.
OSR: Do you feel Algorithm & Blues is an accumulation of diverse genres or are you sticking to a specific theme or sound on this one?
Motihari Brigade: I think of Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime as both a theme and a genre that reflects the current techno-dystopian moment we are now experiencing in the world. The sound is high-energy rock that comes from drinking a lot of coffee and then vibrating the strings and banging the instruments with enough intensity that you can feel the heartbeats of the band thumping collectively. That heartbeat is saying “We are human. We are not machines.” The vibrato of the electric guitar is the instantly recognisable signature element of that Motihari sound that wakes you up and gets your attention. The jazz-rock drumming also gives it that feel of Keith Moon on stimulants with eight arms flailing about all at once like an octopus.
OSR: What do you hope people take from Algorithm & Blues?
Motihari Brigade: It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I hope it will find its niche audience who are looking for an independent breakout tribe. I have to believe there are more of us out there than meet the eye of what’s reflected in the mainstream. I hope we can find each other and develop a mutual support network if for no other reason than to just to keep our sanity in these strange times.
OSR: If you could change anything about the album, what would it be and why?
Motihari Brigade: I just didn’t want it to end. I would have liked to just keep going writing and recording more songs. I think there are more songs that will come in the future for another album if this one works out. I would be happy if something new rose up from the ashes of this project. We’ll see if it finds an appreciative audience and that happens. I hope so.
OSR: What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Motihari Brigade: Someone once told me, if you can’t do anything else then at least pay attention you may not be able to change things, but just paying attention is the least you can do. I think that was good advice. I would also say to try as much as possible to pay attention to the thing that you are missing – to the thing that you are not aware of, to the thing that people are not talking about inside of your own bubble.
OSR: If you had to listen to one song every day for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Motihari Brigade: ‘Hip Hug Her’ by Booker T. and the MGs. It’s a cool instrumental that I think would make a good background soundtrack for my life. I could imagine it as a kind of movie with music playing in the background as I go about doing daily things. I could be walking down the street like James Bond with that music emanating from nowhere and following me wherever I went – “Bond’s the name. Vagabond.” Okay, it might be more like Austin Powers. I would hope it wouldn’t become too intrusive over time if you could control the volume level, but you never know. It would be a bit of an unusual situation that I’ve never actually experienced.
OSR: What is your greatest life achievement?
Motihari Brigade: Coming up with this Orwell-inspired rock band concept was a pretty good idea and then making the first album was an achievement, but this second album takes it to a new level. I like it better than the first one. It doesn’t just beat you over the head with simplistic revolutionary slogans like the first one. The ideas are more subtle. It’s less easy to put into a box and categorise politically – and that may be a dangerous thing to attempt these days. The topics are timely for the current dystopian moment. It’s funny how people are always quoting little tidbits of wisdom from songs but ironically these songs might actually have something meaningful and even useful to say.
OSR: What are the future plans for Motihari Brigade?
Motihari Brigade: Ideally we will find an audience who is interested in Rock-n-Roll Thoughtcrime for independent minds. I imagine that niche is out there somewhere. It could take time to grow into a mutually supportive network. If it finds its audience, I would like to keep making music.
Many thanks to Motihari Brigade for speaking with us. For more from Motihari Brigade check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
