About this artist
Born in Columbia, South Carolina but later based out of Philadelphia and then San Diego, the Movement established themselves as one of the leading alternative reggae-rock outfits of the 2000s with a hardcore fan base and several well-received independent releases, particularly in 2008′s Set Sail. Enduring a handful of lineup and geographical shifts, they mounted a strong comeback first with 2013′s Side by Side, then three years later with Golden, hitting number two and number one, respectively, on the reggae charts, which increased their audience significantly.
The band was formed around childhood friends, Josh Swain and Jordan Miller, who later enlisted John Ruff aka DJ Riggles into their mix. Taking cues from acts like Sublime and Pixies, along with a slew of other reggae and rock influences, Swain, Miller, and Ruff launched the Movement in 2004 with their “alternative reggae” debut, On Your Feet. The album was well-received and the band spent the next few years on tour, landing support slots for acts like 311, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Blues Traveler.
By 2008, Riggles left the band, but Swain and Miller soon met Chris DiBeneditto, a Philadelphia-based producer who had worked with like-minded acts like Slightly Stoopid and G. Love & Special Sauce. Relocating to Philadelphia, the duo recorded 2008′s Set Sail at DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios and it served as a breakout release for them. Gary Jackson joined the group on drums and Jay Schmidt joined on bass, but in 2012, Jordan Miller left the group. This trio version of the Movement released the album One More Night in 2012 before moving to San Diego to record a fourth effort. The results, Side by Side, landed in 2013 and debuted on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart at number two. Following the surprise release of a 2014 digital-only acoustic album, Beneath the Palms, the Movement became the inaugural band on the Rootfire Cooperative label with 2016′s Golden, which topped the Billboard Reggae chart. By this point, the band also included keyboard and horn man, Matt Goodwin. They remained a hard-touring act and festival mainstay, returning in 2019 with the shimmering, pseudo-psychedelia of Ways of the World. ~ David Jeffries