Flobots: Our Patriotism Is Future-Facing
by Gabe Allen
As footage of the capitol riots circulated online, James Laurie, aka Jonny 5, watched with a unique kind of discomfort. A discomfort that stemmed from familiarity. Some of the rioters looked like they could have been at a Flobots concert circa 2008 — an era where the band’s merch was decorated with stars and stripes and their music was the soundtrack to protests against the Iraq war.
Not one to stay silent during trying times, Laurie took to the band’s blog.
“When we put on flag bandanas and declare ourselves new American insurgents, we are appealing to a very specific American lineage – to a path paved by abolitionists, suffragettes, freedom riders, labor unions, and movements of marginalized peoples building solidarity based in compassion.”
Flobots’ music has always been political, but it’s not divisive. Instead of didactically dissecting a specific issue, the band taps into the emotional experiences that come along with it — shared trauma, competition, love.
Take their platinum-selling single, “Handlebars.” The song that started it all, at its core, is a meditation on human potential.
“I can lead a nation with a microphone… and I can split the atom of a molecule.”
But, in this political moment, Laurie felt that he needed to clarify something: Flobots did NOT stand for this. What do they stand for? When BandWagon caught up with the band, Stephen Brackett, aka Brer Rabbit, laid out the band’s most fundamental shared values.
“Brass tax – everybody is human. Everybody should have access to love,” Brackett said. “If you’re going to insist on the humanity of all people then you will most likely make sure that you’re advocating for the people who’ve been excluded.”