History Lesson: an Interview with author Eric Doumerc
It’s back-to-school time here in New York so it’s a perfect time to crack open Jamaican Music in England: From …
Interviews
“I live in a different world” — an interview with Coolie Ranx
Writing a song is easy. Writing a song that combines infectious riffs with sharp, insightful lyrics that stay relevant 20 …
So much love – Adam Flymo Birch and The Vershon’s
Adam Birch strolled by the merch tent wearing a T-shirt, baggy cargo shorts and an ear-to-ear grin. It was 30 …
Supernova Ska Fest 2018: 4-question interviews
The 2018 Supernova International Ska Fest brought some of the best ska bands on the continent to the 1781 Brewery …
Continuity: An interview with Skatalites guitarist Natty Frenchy
My favorite Skatalites show? Every one I’ve ever seen. And that’s true for the recent show at The Haunt in …
Producer Mitch Girio on his work with Jamaican singer Susan Cadogan
Prior to the upcoming shows that Susan Cadogan will be playing in Europe in 2018, we shot a few questions at a man who has helped the singer come up with exciting new tunes so that she needn’t solely rely on her (nonetheless impressive) back catalogue. Canadian producer Mitch Girio talks about how they worked together without ever meeting in person.
An interview with Chuck Wren of Jump Up Records
It will be hard to find a more passionate and out-spoken person in the worldwide ska scene than Chuck Wren. Unfortunately, …
Burning questions for Phoenix City All-Stars
Sean Flowerdew is a busy man. In January, he released Pama International Meets Manasseh, putting the band’s amazing Trojan Sessions …
Getting schooled—an interview with the authors behind Alpha Boy’s School: Cradle of Jamaican Music
As of this post, Adam and Heather have never been in the same room. Heather lives near Chicago and Adam …
Interviews
“I feel so lucky” – Backstage with The Big Takeover
Jamaica meets Motown. That’s the spot-on way The Big Takeover describe their soulful ska sound. Jamaican-born lead singer Nee Nee …
“You adjust. You Move on.” A conversation with The Pandemics
Bosstones-esque vocals, Pietaster-ish lyrics, Slackers-level musicianship and Reel Big Fish energy. You could make a solid case that The Pandemics …
Interview Mixtape from SuperNova Ska Fest: Part one
Back-to-school sale ads have taken over the airwaves so I suppose that the summer of 2017 is winding down to …
Reggae On The Menu – The Don Letts interview
Have you heard about the new podcast series “Reggae 45”? Well, you should. The number one reason being that Don …
Spicy graphic pop: an interview with CHema
Thick, black outlines, bold colors, quirky characters and stray ink spots. CHema’s style is instantly recognizable. If you like your …
Alive and dancing: An interview with Death of Guitar Pop
A good hunk of my spare time is spent to listening to debut releases from just-getting-started ska bands. These formative …
Take Two: In the studio with The Skamanians
You can hear hints of mento, jazz, blues, and/or R&B in just about any ska song, and if that song …
“Jamaicans and Greeks have a lot of things in common”: An interview with Les Skartoi!
If you’ve been to Greece, you’ve got a thousand reasons why you want to go back. Let me add one …
Freedom Sounds Festival 2017 – A Chat With Organiser Peter
Five years ago, three ska and reggae fans based in Cologne with no experience in the matter set out to …
Monique Powell is an open book: Checking in with Save Ferris
You never forget your first time. And for thousands of ska fans, that first time was back in 1998 at …
“I love the hard jam” – A conversation with drummer Fred Campbell
I can usually tell how a phone interview is going to go by the first question. Sometimes there’s a long, …