The Movement has garnered critical acclaim and earned a dedicated fanbase for its infectious and distinct reggae throughout their decade long career. The trio’s last two studio albums have debuted in the top two spots of the Billboard reggae chart. After a gift of gratitude to its fans in the form of a free acoustic album (Beneath The Palms), The Movement has returned with the gorgeously reflective album, Golden, to be released April 8 as the first release on the not-for-profit “artist first” record label Rootfire Cooperative.
“The real inspiration came from cultivating a different state of mind,” reveals the Columbia, South Carolina-based group’s guitarist/vocalist Joshua Swain. “It's all about that clean mind-state and making a conscious choice to embrace life on your own terms. We all have our own personal dilemmas and many of the songs on Golden speak about the process of accepting and overcoming or living with them.”
The balmy 12-song album explores the interconnectedness between human DNA and the galaxy. “I really started to like the idea behind the Fibonacci Code, the Golden Ratio, Golden Mean, Golden Spiral,” reveals Swain. “I liked the idea of searching for order and commonality in the chaos. Add to that the idea of requiring a "heart of gold" to inject beauty and goodness into the order and using the word golden as a synonym for perfect... It just made sense to me.”
The album’s first single—the buoyantly soulful “Dancehall”—drops February 23. Other highlights from Golden include the sun-kissed emotive roots reggae of “Blinded,” the rousing title track, and stately acoustic “Wild Time” which gorgeously floats away with soaring horns and harmony vocals. “Wild Time” represents one of many personal and reflective moments on the album. “That track is almost an apology letter to my loved ones,” Swain reveals. “The song looks back at the special people in my life and the insanity and amazing adventures we experienced with fondness and a desire for more.” “Habit 2016” is not an updated take on The Movement’s popular feel good track, but a complete reworking both musically and lyrically featuring Collie Buddz and Bobby Hustle. The title track “Golden” is a drum & bass infused song that takes inspiration from a Robert Frost poem with themes of hearts, souls, emotions, and energy.
The album was produced and engineered by Danny Kalb (Beck, Ben Harper, Karen O) and, in addition to Buddz and Hustle, it features guest vocalists Elliot Martin (John Brown’s Body), Leilani Wolfgramm, Mr. Williamz, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Goodwin on keys, horns, and percussion. A close listen to the album reveals intriguing sonic elements of nature. “A lot of the sounds you hear throughout the record are sounds we recorded outside of the studio in the forest. You can even hear the clink from the bells the goats wore on their collars,” says Swain.
Golden is the inaugural release through Rootfire Cooperative which is a not-for-profit label with a refreshing artist friendly platform. The label is a cooperative whose mission is to positively contribute and participate in the progressive roots, reggae, and dub community by providing resources to artists for production, marketing, and manufacturing of recorded music through interest free micro loans. Rootfire founder Seth Herman passionately states, “I hope the Rootfire Cooperative can provide micro-financing with the effect of boosting the artists business; and make a positive effect on an entire genre of music.”
The album also boasts breathtakingly thematic artwork that the band has recently revealed through an innovative, fan-driven campaign leveraging The Movement’s devoted social media audience. The album art displays golden spirals, etched over a vertical view of an ocean horizon. The spirals are a visual interpretation of the golden ratio, whose proportions are found in nature and works of art. Swain explains that “the lines come together, forming a ‘golden heart.’ Having a pure heart and good intentions are the key to finding your place in the largeness.” He expands, “in the artwork, the world is tilted on its side, telling the viewer to try and see things from a new perspective.” The band uniquely revealed the cover through two huge posters of the finished artwork, which were printed and cut by hand into 1,780 2×2” squares and then individually numbered 1 through 890. The pieces were then distributed to fans across the U.S. who signed up to receive an elusive “free sticker” on the band’s website. Fans then shared a picture of their piece of the artwork on social media using the hashtag #GoldenMvmt and mentioning @TheMovementVibe (https://youtu.be/ZwxIDCkUq4c)
Formed in 2004 by a trio of Sublime and Pixies fans, Joshua Swain, Jordan Miller, and John Ruff, aka DJ Riggles, launched The Movement with their debut album, On Your Feet. In 2008, the group met Chris DiBeneditto, a Philadelphia-based producer who had worked with like-minded acts such as Slightly Stoopid and G. Love & Special Sauce. Relocating to Philadelphia, they recorded Set Sail at DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios. The Movement expanded with the addition of Jason "Smiles" Schmidt on bass and Gary Jackson on drums. In 2012, Miller left the group, and the trio, now fronted by Swain, released their fourth album Side By Side, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Chart.
Reflecting on their latest release, Swain confides: “Golden is a representation of The Movement at the top of their game. We are so proud of this release and can't wait to share it with the world. This is a record of many firsts. It was the first time we really did it the right way. We had the best producer and engineer, the best studio and creative environment, and we were sober and 100% focused. Being so clear-headed allowed us to put out the best ideas. I feel like it is our strongest record to date.”
Golden Hearts Tour
March 19 @ St. Pat’s in Five Points – Columbia, SC
March 23 @ Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
March 24 @ Propaganda – Lake Worth, FL
March 25 @ Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL
March 26 @ Hooked On Music Festival – Fort Pierce, FL
April 09 @ California Roots: The Carolina Sessions – Myrtle Beach, SC
April 13 @ Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
April 14 @ The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE
April 15 @ Cervantes Other Side – Denver, CO
April 16 @ Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
April 18 @ Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
April 20 @ The Reef – Boise, ID
April 21 @ The Goodfoot – Portland, OR
April 22 @ Wild Buffalo – Bellingham, WA
April 23 @ WOW Hall – Eugene, OR
April 24 @ Nectar Lounge – Seattle, WA
April 27 @ Humbrews – Arcata, CA
April 28 @ The Boardwalk – Sacramento, CA
April 29 @ Slims – San Francisco, CA
April 30 @ The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
May 03 @ Winston’s – San Diego, CA
May 04 @ Saint Rocke – Hermosa Beach, CA
May 05 @ Velvet Jones – Santa Barbara, CA
May 07 @ Reggae On The Block – Orlando, FL
July 09 @ Levitate Music Festival – Marshfield, MA
