Following on from Staunch Moderates‘ newest launch, ‘Bigfoot’s Soccer Reside‘, we spoke with the collective concerning the observe and the message behind all the things they do.
‘Bigfoot’s Soccer Reside’ is an element sports activities anthem, half cultural message. When did you first notice soccer was the correct stage for this story?
Let’s return to how and why we created Bigfoot’s Soccer within the first place. You see, first, a Bigfoot named “Staunch” grew to become our Staunch Moderates Mental Motion mascot. (Just like the Bigfoot of the nation, all moderates!) It form of simply occurred to us, coming from a taxidermy Bigfoot masks on the market off a restaurant wall. I purchased the masks. It made it onto my podcast set and have become our mascot. After creating and manufacturing a Bigfoot costume round mentioned masks, which took about six months, we used mentioned costume in our marches, concert events & productions. We discovered we had been in Bigfoot’s enterprise. Being NFL soccer followers, why not Bigfoot’s Soccer for an NFL growth staff or rebranding staff? Wouldn’t this be residing the dream?! Dwelling within the period of cancel tradition, some staff names usually are not regarded as being politically appropriate, for causes x, y, or z. Nicely, Bigfoot’s Soccer is politically appropriate, the place we turned essentially the most terrifying folklore character into the good being on the planet, Bigfoot DJ, Soccer & Baseball, Staunch. Being a band, we needed to make a Bigfoot’s Soccer theme track. We did so: all of the pomp & circumstance from a soccer recreation, Bigfoot growls, Jeff Skunk Baxter lead guitar, cheerleaders crowd noise & all. In fact, we would have liked to make an accompanying music video. We’re within the Mental Motion for Peace enterprise. We felt our Bigfoots Soccer & Baseball tracks had been a smart, enjoyable & different strategy to attain audiences with our Staunch Moderates model via the U.S.’s two favourite sports activities, Soccer & Baseball. To reply your query, it was fairly a course of!
Kyle Knight, Casanova Ace, and DJ Staunch every convey a special taste. How did you land on that lineup for this observe?
First off, Casanova Ace & I wrote the ‘Bigfoot’s Soccer Reside’ observe. He was all the time our major Staunch Moderates rapper, being essentially the most superb poet and bringing us a Biggie Smalls-like sound. My half, apart from being Govt Producer, is that I grew up going to many video games because of my Dad, so I’d inform Cas what the story was that we had been telling, after which he’d put his poetry to it. I’d decide the beat, and we’d have a rap track. Now, DJ Staunch, he’s not solely the mascot for our motion but additionally the moniker of our band, “DJ Staunch & the Bigfoots. That’s normally me because the actor within the costume in our concert events and movies. Kyle Knight’s place got here to fruition as a result of Cas acquired sick with throat most cancers, needed to undergo chemotherapy & radiation, and went via large Chemo fog. We thought we misplaced him! He misplaced 2/3 of his physique weight and have become handicapped, not having the ability to transfer round or rap like he used to. I’ll word, although, that he nonetheless writes poetry for us and does some rapping, one observe we’re first poll nominated for Music of the Yr within the 2026 Grammys, Staunch Moderates Information 3′. Man, that Cas is a miracle, I inform yah! In any case, Kyle stepped in, principally bodily appearing for Cas in our ”Staunch Moderates Expertise Reside’ Live performance Film. Kyle does rap in a single very significant observe in our album & film, although, ‘Inspirations’.
Your songs usually trip the road between parody and sincerity. With this one, how intentional was it to make folks chortle whereas nonetheless pumping them up?
Attention-grabbing query! After we initially designed our Bigfoot, “Staunch,” costume and all, after which later produced Bigfoot’s Soccer, the music video(s), our intention was not essentially to be comedic. As soon as we did produce the observe, all of the above, after which minimize our music movies collectively, our Bigfoot(s) did find yourself having some comedic parts.
The video seems like a halftime present crossed with a hip-hop live performance. What moments from filming stick to you most?
Nicely, we ceremonially shot Bigfoot’s Soccer Music Video on MLK Day, 2022. The yr earlier than, we recorded our primary observe, ‘Peace’, on MLK Day at Chicago Recording Firm. MLK Days have been fairly significant to us, which fits together with our theme of who and what we’re, and mental motion for peace! Moreover, to shoot Bigfoot’s Soccer Music Movies, we arrange the largest inexperienced display screen set we had ever labored with earlier than. The precise shoot was a lot enjoyable, as a result of it was a bit like being a child once more, enjoying a pickup soccer recreation. Our job was to seize all the weather in a recreation. Appearing them out, whether or not they be: blocking, QB taking a snap, again to go, making a hand off, kick off, operating down the sphere, it was like being within the recreation, nice enjoyable!
DJ Staunch has change into a personality in his personal proper. How did he evolve into such a central a part of the Moderates’ identification?
Truthfully, it was fairly the method, the place the start story is instructed in our Documentary Movie, ‘Mission Peace’, accessible on your viewing pleasure by way of Amazon & Apple. The story of Bigfoot, “Staunch,” who performs soccer & baseball on his Bigfoots Soccer® & Baseball Groups, and DJ Staunch who’s the moniker for our band, “DJ Staunch & the Bigfoots (4 multi-genre hip hop albums in 5 years),” continues to develop on our “Staunch Moderates Information YouTube Channel and in our further function size movies: “Staunch Moderates Expertise,” “Staunch moderates Expertise Reside” & “Mission Peace 2” which all have signed distribution offers on and are coming to you quickly.
Earlier tasks like ‘The First Realm’ and ‘Mission Peace’ tackled unity and big-picture points. Do you see this track as a continuation of that mission, simply via a extra playful lens?
Truly, not a lot. It’s simply all enjoyable, Bigfoot’s Soccer. It’s a part of our Sports activities Web page, so to talk, together with our Bigfoot Baseball & Olympics & Peace tracks, to assist lure extra viewers into the Staunch Moderates realm via sports activities.
The Moderates don’t simply make music – you dive into movie, sports activities, dwell efficiency, even cultural dialogue. How do you resolve what course to take subsequent?
Nicely, we’re presently pushing for Schooling as our subsequent course, hoping to de-escalate the temperature of the Divide via frequent sense philosophy & debate, and attempt to assist our nation from going right into a Civil Battle. How will we resolve what’s subsequent? It all the time appears to be the commonsense subsequent proper transfer. That’s how we resolve what’s subsequent.
Followers appear to deal with ‘Bigfoot’s Soccer Reside’ as each a parody and a real rallying anthem. Did that response shock you in any respect?
Nothing would shock me on this enterprise! So far as an anthem is worried, it most actually was written as a theme track for “Bigfoot’s Soccer,” a proposed NFL Enlargement or rebranded staff. For those who ask me, it’s the most effective soccer theme track I’ve ever heard, capturing: the stadium pomp & circumstance, an awesome beat, rock n roll vibe, Bigfoots Soccer story, Bigfoot growls, crowd noise, Skunk Baxter lead guitar, sports activities announcer, cheerleaders, Kick off, huddle, snap, 1st down, 2nd down, 3rd down, landing & endzone celebration. Go Bigfoots!
Trying forward, how do you think about the subsequent chapter of the Staunch Moderates motion unfolding?
As talked about above, Schooling seems to be the correct subsequent step for our motion, Schooling via Leisure with main character, Bigfoot Soccer’s & DJ Staunch!
You possibly can watch the music video for ‘Bigfoot’s Soccer Reside’ under. Discover out extra about Staunch Moderates and their music on-line on their official web site, YouTube, Fb, and Instagram.
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