All Reggae/Neo-Reggae Episodes

For the uninitiated Chadwick or Chad Stokes is a member of neo-reggae folk band Dispatch but last week he released his third solo album with the Pintos, his backing band. Chad has always been a prolific writer, who is socially and political conscious. This album though is not only politically motivated, but many of the songs show a more tender side too. So it’s with that we got in touch with Chad for a really great conversation. You can learn about Chadwick and the Pistols upcoming tour dates and more at chadwickstokes.com.

We’ve been big fans of Dispatch, since 1997’s “The General”. Wow, it just hit me, that was over 20 years ago. Their sound blends folk and reggae, and this trio, who are back at it in earnest after a tumultuous break, have never sounded better. We caught up with Chad who has many different pseudonyms to talk about Location 13, their political and social discourse and much more.

While Rebelution’s sound is true to its reggae roots, they have expanded their sonics horizons even further on theri new record Free Rein, blending all kinds of styles. After 14 years of doing the rock/reggae thing its only natural that the sound becomes fuller as Eric Rachmany explores the music that inspires him. We caught up with Eric ahead of the band’s stop at the Bonnaroo to talk about Free Rein, specific songs on the record and a whole lot more.

If you aren’t familiar with Roots of Creation they are a reggae rock outfit in the vein of Sublime or Dirty Heads, so indeed a Grateful Dead tribute, while a reggae one is a touch far fetched for the genre, this one sounds really terrific. I recently caught up with Brett Wilson frontman of Roots of Creation to talk about the project and it’s inspiration. I mean you can’t ask for a more genuine discussion around the motivation to pay homage to the Grateful Dead than that. It’s clear that this project was born organically and carried out with with a ton of love, a love and authenticity that continues as Roots of Creation take the package on the road. For tour dates and more visit rootsofcreation.com.

I first came across SOJA, a reggae infused 8 piece outfit, back in 2009, when their third record Born in Babylon was released. Since that time, they have grown substantially and are a mainstay now on many festival dates, and continue to tour extensively. Poetry in Motion is actually their eighth record, and front man Jake Hemphill continues to deliver genuine, socially motivated lyrics in keeping with reggae’s tradition of thoughtful messaging. We caught up with Trevor Young, who has a unique story on how he became a full time member of the band.