James Fraser of The Symptoms

Allston Pudding: When did you first find out about Bernie Sanders and how?

James Fraser: I heard about Bernie a long time ago when he was a senator. Just knowing that he was one of the longest standing independent senators in the United States,  when he started running for president I was intrigued. I started following him on Facebook. So that’s kind of when I started getting really into Bernie.

AP: What parts of his campaign resonate with you personally?

JF: His fight against income inequality and racial injustice are really important. A lot of the issues that he is for are important, but those two are probably my favorite that he’s raised.

He’s a really great speaker- a lot of energy a lot of passion. When I saw him, he talked about all the issues on his website in more depth. He talked for about an hour. There was a fairly diverse crowd there.

I think he definitely has the potential to win. I don’t think the media has been covering him as much as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump because he’s kind of the outsider candidate. I think this is because there isn’t a lot of middle ground. He stays so true to his ideals and doesn’t flip flop on issues just to appease voters and lobbyists.

AP: How can artists stay involved in the political process?

JF: The Symptoms don’t like to represent political ideals or political candidates because we’re more about aesthetics and music, but as an individual I believe that Bernie Sanders is a great candidate and I believe that us as individuals should all be involved in the political process.  

So even though the band isn’t for the political process, I think it’s really important to vote. I think staying involved at some point in the political process gives you a chance to have your opinion heard, and that way it isn’t just a political oligarchy. I think that will help get big money out of politics, and bring it back to the democratic ideals that this country was founded on.