Peace Punk Revival: An Interview with Vancouver’s The Moor

In the last few years there has been a revival in the punk scene, with a magnitude of subgenres keeping things moving. Peace punk remains among the most cryptic and elusive of these scenes, far from the public eye even for some of the most passionate punk listeners and underground publications.

Vancouver, Canada’s The Moor came onto the scene with an excellent 2019 debut, but they really nailed it for me with their near-perfect From Smoke and Sorrow LP in 2021. The six-track album has a solid foundation of good old fashioned early ‘80s peace-punk. It reveals a subtly unnerving truth about the state of the world through riotous anarcho-punk with dark, post-punk hooks, drawing influence from a time when “post-punk” still referred to a form of music that had come directly out of anarchist squats and community centers. 

There’s been plenty of other peace punk bands, who have released outstanding records more recently than The Moor, but I’ve been listening to From Smoke and Sorrow on repeat for such a long time now that it’s been a must to feature them on the site. In a time when the world turns black day by day, bands like The Moor continue to keep the punk values and ethics alive!

Please give us a background on how The Moor got started?

Tyler: For quite some time before The Moor began officially, myself and Tommy jammed a lot of different styles with a couple different people. After many partially written songs in different genres we decided we wanted to do an Anarcho-influenced project. We got our good buddy Robin to do drums, and Tom was originally on vocals as well as bass. We decided to get Lauren on vocals to round things out a bit more, and this has been the lineup ever since.

The band has an amazing sound that blends the classic anarcho/peace punk with new wave and post punk. What are your main influences? Did you have any sort of a blueprint for how you wanted the band to sound like?

Tyler: We never had a specific idea of what we wanted for a sound.

We just started jamming and it just sounded the way it did. For myself on guitar I take inspiration from a range of bands; from UK82 bands like Peter and the Test Tube Babies and Chron-Gen to classic rock bands like Rush.

Tommy: New Model Army and Alternative.

Lauren: On vocals, bands like Oi Polloi, Amebix and The Violators. 

Robin: For drumming, I take a lot of inspiration from Joy Division, New Order and Killing Joke.

Your demo tape came out in May 2019, From Smoke And Sorrow LP followed two years later in 2021. What are your lyrics and message about? Did the pandemic make it difficult for The Moor to get more recognition within the scene?

Lauren: I wrote a lot of lyrics that are influenced by my surroundings such as pollution, depression, living in an unaffordable city, and feeling trapped in an unacceptable hell.

Tommy: No, when everything shutdown we never really worried about recognition. Everything just froze. When shows kicked in again it was better than ever.

How many shows have you played since releasing From Smoke And Sorrow? Do you see any difference in gig attendance and festival organizing after two years of pandemic-induced hiatus?

Lauren: Festivals are a little smaller, but local shows have been great.

Tyler: We have done maybe ten shows since the album release. Mostly local and also at Varning Fest in Montreal.

How important is it for punk music, arts or whatever to go hand in hand with radical political ideas and spaces? Are there any projects outside of playing music that you support?

Tommy: I feel like it’s an important aspect to practice what you preach. Otherwise your words feel gutless and untrue. I support DULF and the Fairy Creek Blockades, protecting old growth forest.

Tyler: There are some local DIY venues and collectives that do a lot of positive things for the community. It is very important to me to support these places and keep them operating. 

What do you think about the reunions of 1980s punk bands and Steve Ignorant playing Crass songs in 2022? Do they have anything to offer to the current scene?

Tyler: It is always fun seeing bands you grew up listening to and are heavily influenced by. It could be good exposure for newer bands to play alongside classic bands that have a big draw. 

Lauren: If they are still playing gigs and young people who haven’t had a chance to hear them yet and are inspired then that’s cool.

Robin: I love seeing classic bands if they have all the same members. When they have a generic younger drummer or if it’s just the original singer and all new members it’s hard for me to really grasp the authenticity that they may have had. Either way though it’s usually a fun time.

Can you give us a rundown of the scene in Vancouver?

Tyler: The scene in Vancouver is maybe not as big as some other cities, but it’s tight knit with a bunch of  friendly and talented people, also a lot of killer bands. We have also been seeing alot more younger kids coming out since things opened up again, which is nice to see. 

Robin: In my opinion, the scene in Vancouver is lacking in a lot of the music I enjoy. I would love to see more anarcho and post-punk bands here in Vancouver. 

Do you follow any other modern day anarcho/peace punk bands worldwide? What are your favorite releases of 2022?

Tyler: Dogma is one of the best current bands for the genre, they really nail that classic anarcho sound and are great people. Their PIL sessions release is especially great. 

Tommy: Strawman Army.

Lauren: I enjoyed the Conscripts demo and Dead Cells.

Robin: I really enjoy DA’AT and Defektors live.

Source: diyconspiracy.net