Movements are a band that came quite literally out of nowhere. Comprised of four longtime friends, the Californian quartet were signed after playing one live show. Fearless Records evidently saw something serious in them, and as it turns out, they were right to.

Ahead of their upcoming Australian tour with Eat Your Heart Out, I spoke with vocalist Patrick Miranda as he hung out with his dog at his home in Huntington Beach, California.

Jump-start

The band began their takeover with Outgrown Things in 2016. The emotional 6-track EP showed the music community that although they hadn’t had the most traditional come-up, they bloody well deserved a place at the table. Their debut record Feel Something then became one of the best releases of 2017. It’s a shot straight through the heart, sonically punching you right in the feels with it’s raw lyrics and inviting musicality.

Being signed so early on is unusual for any band, let alone one that has only existed for three months. When I ask about the effect it had on the band as a whole, he responded “I think there’s a certain degree of us being looked at as though we had everything handed to us. But I think it’s important for people to know that we worked our asses off every single day since we got signed. It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of touring, and not glamorous touring in any way. We were playing to rooms where nobody knew us, being paid very very little, and barely scraping by. It was still definitely a grind and working hard, but just working hard on a bigger scale”.

The result of their touring schedule has essentially been the same as any other band. Miranda says that the opportunity taught them to fine-tune their skills as musicians, touring artists, in supporting one another. Movements have become a very well-oiled machine.

Appeal & advocacy

After listening to even just a few songs, Movements’ appeal is very clear; Patrick Miranda’s lyrics hit home for a lot of people. The honest nature in which he writes about his experiences means each song is bound to be relatable to someone.“Ultimately, I write the music that I write because it’s therapeutic for me and it’s how I choose to deal with my problems and emotions” Miranda responds when asked about the inspiration for his music.

Because of his emotionally charged songwriting, the 21-year old is now seen as an advocate for mental health in the music scene . It’s a tough position to be in for anyone, let alone when one is still dealing with their own issues. And although he is extremely grateful that he can use his platform for a good cause, he says his newfound status has been overwhelming at times .

“ […] It’s really difficult for me to be that person who’s meant to give advice to these people who are looking up to us because of the music that we write. I don’t know how to help other people, because I don’t really know how to help myself. What I do know is that I care very deeply about mental health and making it a priority. I know that growing up, the music that was more depressing or dealt with the more heavy aspects of life, made me feel the happiest; like I was less alone. And I know that’s what I want to accomplish with our music. To let them know that maybe I can’t give all the answers or guide you through exactly what you’re going through, but at least you know that you’re not alone in that struggle. There’s somebody else out there who knows what you’re dealing with”.

Across the ocean

August will see Movements’ first visit to Australia, supported by their new label-mates Eat Your Heart Out. When the tour was announced, their choice of support came as no surprise. The Newcastle-based quintet dropped their debut EP ‘Mind Games’ last year, featuring a track with Miranda laying down some ripper vocals in the bridge of ‘Conscience’. He says he found out about EYHO yonks before being picked up by Fearless Records. “I found them on Dreambound around the same time Movements started. We’d put out our first single on their channel and that’s where we got a little bit of our start. I was looking through the other videos and one of [Eat Your Heart Out]’s videos came up, and I thought “Damn, that was really good”.

[….] As soon as I heard them I knew that I wanted to do something with that band. Whether it be touring or being a feature or whatever – even just writing with them would be cool. […] They’ve become almost like our ‘best friend band’ even though we haven’t met them in person yet. We’re really excited to be going out with them on this tour, and it’ll be good to just finally have it all happen – it’s been what like, two, three years in the making”.

WATCH: ‘Colourblind’ by Movements

You can as Patrick Miranda about his cute dog on Twitter, and you should also listen to Movements on Spotify.