Motorcycle Display Team have been around long enough to know the odds, and yet here they are, still writing songs that mix wry humour with a righteous kick. Their latest move? A remastered version of ‘Mexicans’, a track that punches as hard politically as it does musically. And they’re not stopping there, a new compilation is on the horizon, proof that rock music still has a role in raising both fists and eyebrows. In this interview, they talk about their songwriting ethos, unexpected fan moments, and why maintaining a TikTok account might be the ultimate rock ‘n’ roll sacrifice.
Let’s start with ‘Mexicans 2024.’ A song about migration, resilience, and human struggle, but also a fine rock track. How do you balance the weight of political themes with the need to make something people will still want to crank up on a Friday night?
Morgan: I don’t think we look at it that way. You could argue the themes of a lot of our songs don’t suit our music. ‘Hipshaker’ being one that comes to mind. Musically, it’s dark with an aggressive tone whereas the subject is about wanting to be the focus of a dancefloor at the weekends. With ‘Mexicans’ the melody and music all came pretty quickly. I was just looking for a working title and called it ‘Mexicans’ as I had the TV on in the background and Trump was mouthing off. I was sick of hearing him belittle them and thought they needed a voice and support. I passed it onto Steve and he wrote the lyrics, keeping ‘Mexicans’ as the theme, where I was expecting it to change. Plus, I don’t think we consciously set out to write with a political ideal.
You’re releasing a compilation of politically charged songs. In an era where “shut up and sing” still gets thrown around, what drives you to lean into social commentary rather than just, say, another song about doomed romance?
Morgan: I think it’s fair to say we’ve covered both romance and politics in many songs. Our masterpiece will be a political love story. In all seriousness, I guess we’re as frustrated as the next person with the political climate and feel it’s necessary to express our feelings. To not address what’s going on is like being tone deaf to what’s going on in the world. The political decisions of the last 10 years have had such an impact on everyone, to not have an opinion or to just write songs about getting drunk or whatever would feel like we’re completely tuned out into our own world.
Steve: The songs in this collection I was writing what I felt was important to me in the moment. More recently those concerns have been on the deteriorating political situation. But still, without a good tune the message has no vehicle.
The video for ‘Mexicans 2024’ pairs your music with Levi Vonk’s striking photography. Do you see your music as a kind of sonic documentary? What’s the most unexpected reaction you’ve had to one of your songs?
Morgan: I see each song as a snapshot of where we were both musically and mentally at the time we wrote it. If you look at our album Yours Probably, a lot of the songs on that are very personal to Steve and what he was living at that time, along with the very political song ‘Oh Country, My Country’. I guess, from our point of view, it could be a documentary of what was going on in our personal lives, the wider world and how we reacted to it. The most unexpected reaction we got to one of our songs was a young girl in Brazil who learnt one of our very early songs, ‘Worry Wings’, for her school work. She videoed the performance with her schoolmates and sent it to us. That was beyond flattering and unexpected.
Steve: The story in ‘Mexicans 2024’ is a bare platitude for what actually occurs. Levi’s photos in the video are the real deal.
The Heartbeaten EP expanded the MDT sound with flute, strings, backing singers. You could’ve just plugged in and played louder, but you went orchestral. What led you there?
Morgan: From day one of writing ‘To The Endless’ I could always hear strings and extra vocals etc. It was never an option to record that song as just a three piece rock band. Also, while we are a three piece, I never think of us as being limited to that. I still have this idea of MDT taking on many different forms and sizes at different times, but my ambition is way beyond the reality of what’s in my grasp. But this time around, I really wanted to make it happen. We started planning for that pre-Covid, just getting the piano arrangement and vocals in order. Once Covid hit, we all know what happened. Post Covid we recorded our album Wereman, putting ‘To the Endless’ on the backburner. Once the Wereman cycle had passed and we were in a more secure place as a band, we managed to pull it together. That EP is a real sense of achievement.
Self-releasing records and carving out your own niche, It’s a noble, uphill battle. In a world of algorithmic playlists and fleeting attention spans, what keeps you pushing forward? Have you ever been tempted by the siren song of a major label deal?
Morgan: MDT has been going since 2007. Since then, there’s been many knockbacks, members come and go and it’s normally at that stage, I start to think , ok, is it now time to call a curtain on this and move on. It’s been great and we’ve written songs I’m really proud of etc and then with that something happens that keeps us going. This could be a random email from someone telling us how much they love our music, a sold out gig, a new member joining, getting unexpected coverage, a new song, lots of things. At those times, I feel like ‘ok, there’s still life in the old dog, let’s go for a few more rounds and see what happens’. Plus, we are always writing new music and songs. That really keeps it fresh and defines why we do it. In terms of major labels, they have no interest in a band like ours. We’re useless at social media and the thoughts of maintaining a Tiktok account are beyond cringy and it seems that’s all the majors want these days.
Steve: If there’s a siren song of major labels we’ve never heard it. Probably just as well as we’d be drowned. I’m really not sure what a major could do for us. Well, aside from the plethora of distribution channels, the enormous marketing budget, and the power to smother the populace with their content producers.
Brad: There are hardly any bands in the charts these days, why would a major label even look at us?
Your music jumps between the personal and the political, often with a wry, self-deprecating twist. Do you find humour a necessary weapon in the songwriter’s arsenal, or is it just part of the MDT DNA?
Steve: The latter. Self deprecation is the middlest form of wit. It helps in the balancing act when you’re addressing a serious subject, to give it due gravity, not too preachy, with some light at the end of the tunnel.
Brad: There was a time in the 90’s when it felt to me like a revolution was occurring.. and Alt Rock/Punk & Hardcore was leading the way. Spread by Independent record labels like Sub Pop, Alternative Tentacles, Touch & Go, Fat Wreck Chords, Epitaph, Revelation, Man’s Ruin & Dischord as well as bands like Primus, NOFX, RATM, Fugazi, Beastie Boys, Clutch & Faith No More to name a few. These were just my teenage years, and although I expanded musically since then, I guess I just stayed tuned in to that mindset and always valued music with a higher purpose and/or a sense of humour. Although we all have diverse tastes, I think Steve and Morgan share that DNA so it’s been an awesome experience joining them.
You’ve played hundreds of shows across Europe. Give us a story, what’s the most chaotic, bizarre, or unexpectedly moving moment you’ve experienced on stage?
Steve: Winning best song at the Wigwam Awards for ‘To The Endless’ was a totally unexpected trip.
Morgan: The first time we played in Italy we got the full on rock-star treatment. It was completely unexpected. I only brought 2 t-shirts and one pair of shorts to wear and we were getting treated like A-list celebrities. We played in a cinema with one of the most responsive audiences ever. There was a proper stage invasion and they all kept clapping me hard on my very sweaty back as I drummed. I think it’s fair to say Italians are known for being tactile.
Nick Squires, who’s arranged for the London Philharmonic and Pet Shop Boys, worked on your latest record. How did that collaboration come about, and what did it bring to the MDT sound?
Steve: Nick is one of Brad’s old school friends. We had a chat and we all got on. Arranging such parts is his bread and butter so pretty much his first draft was spot on.
Brad: I knew Nick was always a talented cello player and a great guy from our school days together. I’d been impressed with recordings he’d posted online over the years so he was an obvious choice for me. I hadn’t realised how many top tier artists he’d worked with (the list is far too long to mention) and how good he was as an arranger until we started talking through the project. If we decide to use strings again I don’t think we’d find a better collaborator.
There’s an argument that rock music is no longer the prime vehicle for protest. Do you agree, or is it just that people aren’t listening hard enough?
Steve: With the exception of RATM I feel like most rock has been disinterested or too subtle since punk and hardcore when protest was more overt. I get the sense there is a lot more discontent these days, but as we age we grow farther from the younger generations so we’ll see what arises.
Morgan: I would agree with both those statements. There’s definitely a lot of bands addressing the injustices, but I don’t think people are looking to musicians to fight the fight like they looked to The Clash in the late 70s or Public Enemy in the 80s. Going back to major record labels, I think they’re afraid of acts with a political voice and opinion for fear of losing part of the market. In terms of the prime vehicle for protest, social media has that tied up.
Brad: I’m not sure if rock was ever ‘the’ primary vehicle for protest. The wider tradition of protest music goes back earlier than the 1930’s. If the majority of Folk artists were trying to bring people together and inspire uprisings, then I think the majority of rock bands were just providing social commentary by comparison. I mean bands like the MC5, for example, who really blurred the line between music and activism, playing at political events, such as marches and strikes etc; were still a minority in rock. I think there’s still plenty of protest music out there, it’s just evolved into multiple genres and music is probably no longer the primary vehicle for protest anymore. Technology has brought people together but also isolated us from one another, and created highly toxic areas online where nothing is what it seems. Look at twitter… If the idea is to unite people for a common cause through a good song then it should appeal to as many different people as possible. Genre is limiting and punk still seems to be evolving.
You don’t take yourselves too seriously, but your songs hit real emotional and political nerves. What’s the secret to making music that matters without falling into the trap of self-importance?
Steve: If the tune is good enough you can get away with all manner of indulgences. And it’s always subjective of course so you just write it as best you can and hope everyone who listens to it feels the same way you do.
Morgan: I really don’t know how to answer that without sounding like a right self-important dick. I don’t hold any secrets. In fact, I’m the worst person in the world to share anything sensitive with. I love good gossip.
Brad: I couldn’t possibly answer that but I’ll leave you with the words of the great Norm Macdonald: “I wouldn’t call myself a fan of Steampunk. But I will say, it’s the healthiest way to prepare punk.”
