Interview: Jord from Propagandhi @ Harvest of Hope!

 

As the band has not been to Florida in 8 years, it was the off chance that Under The Gun met with the drummer of Propagandhi to discuss their new album, Supporting Caste.

[UTG] Billy T: Tell me your name and your band’s name!

Jord from Propagandhi: My name is Jord, and I try to play drums with Propagandhi.

[UTG]: I hear you have a new album coming out called Supporting Caste, could you tell me what the name means?

Jord: In a nutshell, it’s about identifying where you sit as the listener or consumer of the product in the global order of things. If we live in a system that is relative to the caste system globally, I think we live under an established set of myths, and some mythology in general, that comes down from the people on top of us that rule us and I think that demystifying the reality that is thrust upon us by the prevailing order who have been victors of wars of conquest is one intent of the theme of the album, and that reality and history is represented by people who have been on top. Another theme is that we’re actors in this play of history – what is your role and obligation to keep these rules that regenerate in the system, and as you become aware of that false reality and you being a functionary for that system, what can you do to work against it.

[UTG]: Tell me about the album art.

Jord: It’s by a man named Kent Munkman who is a artist in Canada, and we’re really happy that he agreed to let us use it. I think its a tremendous piece of art.

[UTG]: I was told you haven’t been here in Florida in 8 years?

Jord: This is only our second time to Florida ever and the first time was in 2001 with a band from the bay area called Fabulous Disaster. Everybody we met has been super friendly and we got to open for the Bad Brains the other night, which was really great to have a chance to see them play, and they were an inspirational band for me when I was getting into this type of music as a teenager. We are happy to be out on the road as a four piece band rejuvenated with the new line up and new set of labels backing us and we are having fun with it.

[UTG]: Why did you chose to come to Harvest of Hope?

Jord: In terms of this festival, we don’t do many and we were kind of drawn to it because most festivals are kind of overrun with saturation style advertising, which I see a little bit here today but that is a rule, that we don’t participate in that kind of stuff for our band, and the idea of Harvest of Hope supporting migrant workers is something we back. Back home I previously did some work with an organization called No One Is Illegal for a few years, that fell apart around 2004 but in 2005 I got involved with the Canada Haiti Action Network which exposes the role of Canada in Haiti. Along with the Bush administration in 2004 and the French government overthrew the democratically elected government over there and instituted and continued severe repression thats been going on for years. I don’t know if anyone is looking for inspiration to get involved in something, but being a white middle class male from a privileged background in Canada and being around a lot of people who do not want to get involved because they don’t have the time, or they have the opinion that its all pretty bleak so who cares and I’m going to enjoy my life in a hedonistic fashion, I can’t throw in the towel. I think that the experience of the people of Haiti is analogous to the struggles of Canada and the U.S. which have been going on for centuries, those people are not willing to throw in the towel and they are fighting tooth and nail for minimal gains that our government throw out whenever they try to increase their minimum wage from $1 to $2 a day, thats unacceptable to our political and business leaders which makes me sick to my stomach, and I am not a proud Canadian. With Harvest of Hope and where Florida is situated in this country I think many migrant workers are not here out of choice but out of necessity and more power to them for traveling to a new land where they don’t know the language or the culture. Todd has done a lot of work in our city back in Winnipeg and he’s a huge advocate for new comers to our city and that is something we support whole heartedly.

[UTG]: We are glad you take an interest in what this festival is about and that you are aware of the issues that the foundation is based on. I appreciate the time to talk to me.

*Written By: Billy T*
James Shotwell
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