With a reputation as the best live band in London, and a gig list longer than The Old Testament, Thee MVPS are preparing to uncage their indefatigable garage-rock sound through the release of single American Dreamin’, available to stream and download now via Big Indie Records.
Fusing the raw 60’s Detroit rock sound made famous by the likes of MC5 with the sweaty, three chord punk-inspired deftness associated with The Mooney Suzuki, American Dreamin sees Thee MVPS snarl and prowl with a skittishness usually reserved for rockstars from a bygone era. Indeed, American Dreamin’s raucous, in-your-face style should be a marker for every rock band across the country, as Thee MVPS proudly drag good old fashioned rock and/or roll kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Thee MVPS about music consumption preferences, motivations, challenges, the latest project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
THE RAW POWER!!! But really, this music just seems like some of the more true expressions of humans in recent history. Now life is getting more and more automated it’s important to be able to remember what got people stimulated before getting a ton of likes on a picture was an activity.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
When we all started playing we were just trying to be cool like every other kid coming of age. Though we love playing to a lot of people our performance doesn’t change if we are playing to two people in a basement somewhere. We would never want to feel like we pushed someone in to liking us. If the band makes music we like to listen to then it’s a success.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
Tastes definitely change over time, and they should, so as to avoid becoming a stagnant person. But you never forget the first things that tore your head off when you were growing up. We’re influenced by any people around us that chase their own pursuits to the best of their abilities.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
Joel wrote the song when he found out his American Visa was getting revoked after living there for most of his life. We were just trying to take the feeling of being on the road in America and channel it into a song that was written about getting kicked out of it. Also we recorded this tune with our friend Matt Rendon from The Resonars (GREAT BAND). It was the first time he’d recorded a British band so we wanted to do right by him too.
What was the last song you listened to?
Bomber by Motorhead (twice)
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
We always have vinyl playing in our house, between us all we’ve got a sweet record collection…
#bringback8track
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Spotify has that discover weekly thing that we all really dig. Bandcamp is good for being in a band. If we really like someone we make an effort to pick up a physical copy either at a show or online because we know how much it helps. We have no digital preference so long as we can listen to Bomber on repeat.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
There are a lot of great bands kicking out killer tunes right now, we’ve had some trouble with show clashes in the past.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
All of our handles will be some version of /theemvps or @theemvps // FB | Twitter | Bandcamp
Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly. – Albert Einstein
Don’t get bored and become a boring person. Amber IS the colour of your energy.
