Alternative rock band Motorcycle Display Team (MDT) have released a remastered version of their stomping single ‘Mexicans 2024‘ ahead of their highly anticipated compilation album.
The legendary band, which consists of Dublin drummer Morgan Condon, singer Steve Hinds and bass player Brad Larroquette, are back with an updated version of their song which tackles US immigration and was produced by David Holmes and recorded at Lightship 95.
The single is a call for compassion and humanity, offering a glimpse at life for the unseen thousands, forced from their homelands and enduring daily turmoil in transit.
Speaking about the song Mexicans, Dublin born drummer Morgan Condon said it’s about migrants being forced to leave their homes, he said: “‘Mexicans’ is a simmering potboiler exploring the necessity for migrants forced from their homes in search of a better life and, crucially, what they might find at their destination. Stevoknievo’s lyrics are a poignant narrative of resilience and hope, with a chorus that pays homage to Heinlein’s sci-fi classic Stranger In A Strange Land, echoing its themes of mutual alienation with unfamiliar territories and cultures.”
He added: “Opening with a deliberate guitar stomp and a raucous chain gang chant, the growling sub bass drops the listener as though into the shoes of the migrants as they grind over inhospitable terrain. We hope it will resonate with all those who flee for a better life. If it draws a spotlight to the cause of those suffering in their homelands, it might create a better understanding as to why people flee their home . Empathy and understanding is what we’re hoping to achieve. And when it comes to the video for the single, which will appear on a compilation by the band later this year, Morgan said: “The music video for ‘Mexicans 2024’ features the striking photographs of American anthropologist Levi Vonk, who traveled alongside a migrant caravan in Mexico. The evocative images capture the minutiae of the journey, providing the complement of realism.”
And when it comes to the compilation, Morgan said it has a distinctive undertone, he concluded: “The compilation is a bunch of tracks with a political theme. These are mainly re-mixes of previously released songs that have emotions that still ring true. We feel the messages within those songs might strike a chord with those who are frustrated by today’s world. “
The single is available now on all music platforms including iTunes.
The video for ‘Mexicans’ can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-of4r0q_7zM
Motorcycle Display Team (MDT) are an alt-rock band that have carved their own niche, self-releasing a collection of idiosyncratic records, and never taking themselves too seriously. Bringing a fun sensibility to their candid live act at hundreds of shows across Europe, their songs tackle themes from the personal to the political with a wry and self-deprecating humour. With the 2024 release of the Heartbeaten EP, the lineup expanded to keys, flute, backing singers and string quartet ,arranged by Nick Squires (London Philharmonic Orchestra, Pet Shop Boys, Girls Aloud) which received notably positive reviews in magazines such as CLASH, VENTS and BACKSEAT MAFIA and the selected Single of the Week by both City Sound FM & Radio Wigwam.