In a recent interview with Romania's Press One, Five Finger Death Punch's frontman Ivan Moody discussed whether musicians should address current tensions in the United States in their music or steer clear of such topics.
When asked, Moody remarked: "It comes down to the individual. There are bands like System Of A Down and Rage Against The Machine that that's what they do and that's what they are and that's who they are. The numbers are saying it all. They've got millions and millions of followers who feel the same way."
Moody elaborated on his approach, stating: "I have certain political songs, but I try to be very vague and open about it. I'm not going to answer for my whole country, because that in itself is stupid. I can't control every person nor do I want to even know what the fuck they're thinking half of the time. But America has our own issues and we will deal with them. For a fact. I mean, nothing can stay that shitty forever, right? And when it comes to our politics and whatnot, we're very aware of what's going on. Just like in any country, the people are always separated from the government. And that is something I think, in a new world, that we will find a way to get around, all of us."
Addressing the ongoing efforts to tackle these issues, Moody commented: "I think it's being addressed daily. I think generations like yours and mine were woken and I don't mean that in the cliché way. We're awoken. And I'm not going to put up with the same thing my grandparents did. I'm not going to go through what my mom did. My mother was in the '60s when they were burning bras because women weren't allowed to walk around without them. It goes so far back and each generation has a time to do it. Unfortunately, the old methods don't fucking work and we've seen that, people like you and I, so there will come a time when our time is going to come."
On whether music should engage with these themes, he added: "If you're talking about music, again, it comes down to the singer. The idea, of course, the band supports it. But at the end of the day, is it an opinion? Is it true fact? I tend to try to write stuff that is bigger than one moment because I think if you embrace a moment you get lost in it and you become stagnant. You're a part of that moment, instead of looking behind or beyond it."
Reflecting on a line from a new song, Moody said, "There's a line in a new song I just did, called 'Ferryman', and it says, 'You got to look past the rubble', notice you have to foresee that it's going to shake and rattle and roll, but you've got to see that there's also an end to it, that will be better.
"Especially having kids and living in America. I couldn't imagine what it's like to be a child right now, growing up through COVID and going through what they're going through over there. I have a young daughter who deals with this stuff every day. I've had to adapt to my platform because it absolutely reflects on them. I don't want them going to school and having other parents or other kids hate them for what I stand for.
"So for me, it's become more about being very delicate with my platform and understanding that music affects everyone differently and, at the end of the day, that's why I'm here. It's not about making an agenda. If I can help relate, then so be it, but I'm not here to tell you how to think."
