Track By Track: We Have Band on Movements

To unpick the complex formula behind Movements, we asked the band themselves for their own personal thoughts on the record’s creation. Don’t miss the below stream of the record, or our review.

“Modulate”

This is a song about change, moving forward, dusting yourself off and going again. Getting hit and getting back up. It loosely documents the rebuilding of a relationship, of giving it another shot. We liked the energy of the track as an introduction to the album and it felt like a natural opener. - Dede

“You Only”

The music for this was written during one of the really hot weeks in summer 2012. In our cool basement studio the synth part felt really exciting and the upright white piano, which my mum donated to the studio, sat nicely over the beats. Darren recorded some vocal ideas which I first listened to by the Olympic Park and it is a vivid memory of that summer. - Thomas

“Look The Way We Are”

Not something that I would recommend and it’s particularly forbidden by my band mates, but I wrote the melody and lyrics for the verses listening to the music on headphones while cycling home from East to West London at night. Darren’s choruses came a bit later and as a more “anthemic” moment on the record on early playbacks - it always got people out of their seat. The spoken word section is a quote from George Orwell’s 1984, a book that retains huge relevance to this day. - Thomas

“Someone”

We loved the bouncy tom drums on the early idea for this and the melody and words came quite quickly once a chorus section had been created. It has been quite a challenge to work out how to play this live as there are so many layered synths working in delicate balance, and the falsetto chorus is pretty high, but we are getting there. - Darren

“Save Myself”

This was one of the first pieces of music that the 3 of us listened to together after Thomas had put together the initial laptop sketches for the record. It reminded us of when we first started making music together in 2007 as the “Save Myself” lyric just came out of someone’s mouth spontaneously, it was recorded right away as a room shout and made it all the way to the final version. - Dede

“No More Time”

This is the only potential “baggy” moment on the record, perhaps reflecting Dede’s Manchester roots! Tim Goldsworthy suggested a choral type final chorus and if you listen really carefully you can hear a collection of our friends and family singing at the end of the track. - Darren

“Burning On My Lips”

When Darren first heard this loop he thought it had a Kanye West vibe, which felt like a good reason to pursue the idea. We tried to write words and melody for a long time on this one and lots of versions exist. What finally made the record was simplified further when Tim stripped out the entire middle 8 section. We loved the result and having played it on stage now it feels like it will be a real live favourite which is perfect as Dede’s words are all about the escapism of the club. - Thomas

“Heart Jump”

This one is a bit of a companion to “Burning On My Lips”. The protagonist is revelling in the anonymity of the night. She tasted the freedom and is now moving through the club inhabiting the cracks and taking it down while her heart jumps. - Dede

“Please”

A bit like “You Only”, this track was led by the Moog synthesiser we have and the white piano’s lovely dead tone. It was the first near complete track and is a slightly darker moment on the record. The constant 16 beat on the drums lends a lovely momentum. We can’t wait to play this on tour as we think it will take on a more joyous feel live. - Thomas

“Every Stone”

This song is quite a meditative moment. It came together towards the end of the writing process and offers a bit of calm after the excitement that has gone before. The repetitive guitar line and Marc Pell’s (Micachu & the Shapes) drum part allow the synths to move around and swell and fall. - Thomas

“Blue”

This was the first track we received back from Tim Goldsworthy after he had got his hands on it. It’s possibly the track that most has his stamp - it left our studio a more sedate and reflective affair and came back with the drums sounding like they had been injected with steroids! This gave the foundation for the synth in the wordless chorus to soar. It’s classic We Have Band song construction in that none of the words or melody Thomas sings were written by him, but Dede and I refused to help him out on singing the vocal! - Darren