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Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig: ‘Our music has been political’

Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig has claimed the band's music has been political.

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Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig has claimed the band’s music has been political.

Speaking to the Guardian, the singer discussed being “politically engaged” and the different ways to be political in modern music.

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“I think our music has been political, especially this last album,” said Koenig. “It doesn’t necessarily give somebody a clearcut direction, but maybe that’s OK. Maybe music sometimes has to exist in a vibier world.”

Asked about the group’s latest album, ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’, and how it is political, he responded by stating its theme focused on the individual, saying: “But it’s not a Rage Against The Machine album. I think there are different ways to be political in music, but in your personal life maybe there aren’t. Either you give a fuck and you work towards it in some obvious way or you don’t.”

Talking about how openly political musicians are perceived, he continued: “You’ve got to be careful about coming across as a dumbass. Whether it’s someone running for office or some Kony 2012 type shit, you’re constantly getting offers to sign a guitar for this or do a show for that.”

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Koenig also discussed the follow-up to ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’, explaining: “Sometimes I feel like starting on it really quickly, sometimes it feels like we should take more time. It’s like people say when you’re solving a problem, you think about it really hard, and then you stop thinking about it with your conscious mind. You’re watching TV and walking the dog, and suddenly the answer comes to you. I think the music just kind of guides you.”

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