Interview with USERS (2/2)

With their debut album “Welcome to Civilization,” USERS make it clear right from the start where they’re headed. Singer Sean Flaherty continues our conversation, which is being published in two parts. Did you miss the first part? You can read it here.

Punk with a Message

The music of these four Copenhageners has a similarly sudden, overwhelming impact. Here, relentless punk collides with groovy, bass-driven elements and plunges headlong into all the issues that USERS have identified for themselves. They sing and shout about issues like gentrification, financial injustice, and police violence without compromise. “The main idea behind the album was to highlight various problems and struggles that we see around us. And we want to portray that without rose-colored glasses,” explains the frontman. He particularly recommends their live shows. When asked what makes them so special, he replies: “I think we manage to create as many memorable moments as possible; we break down the barrier between the band and the audience. We create that collective feeling that, in that moment, we’re all one—no ‘you’ and ‘me,’ just ‘us.’”

The Price of Freedom

USERS are a do-it-yourself band; they handle everything on their own. Of course, this has its pros and cons, as Flaherty openly admits: “The advantages are clearly complete creative freedom and the freedom to express our opinions without being accountable to anyone. The downside is that it’s pretty expensive to keep this dream going.” Even though they’re currently happy with this setup, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way forever. “Ideally, we’ll eventually find a team with the same moral compass and values that will help us continue to spread our message through our music.”

Michael Schille

Lineup:
Sean Michael Seldorf Flaherty – vocals
Esbjørn Hannibal Hermansson – guitar
Sune Weisberg Danger – bass
Oskar Lauritzen Meyer – drums

You can also find USERS in our July/August issue:

Listen to USERS on our “Current Issue” playlist on Spotify: