If you venture out into another one of our backyards – Washington, DC – you likely don’t think of it as being home to some essential roots reggae… but boy would you be surprised. I’ve heard my share of great roots acts between Baltimore and Washington, but none may be more talented than Dub City Renegades, a collection of artists loyal to true roots reggae; studying it, appreciating it and sharing it.

The 7-piece unit includes attention grabbing vocalist Akshan, Matt "Roots" Craig on the keys, Justin Pietro (Guitar), Kevin Cherry (Guitar/Trumpet/Vocals), John "Big L" Larsen (Bass), Andy "Dr. Dub" Myers (Drums) and Stephen Mensah rounding it out on percussion. They talk about their dedication: “There are a lot of pop rock reggae bands that have no clue what true roots reggae is.  We're here as renegades, redefining for a new generation while at the same time bringing the genre back to where it should be.  Back to its musical roots.” The fella’s are busy playing Costa Rica this month, including a show at Rainforest Aid 09 – an event being captured and released as a live DVD/CD package once the Renegades come home. They’ll be bringing their unique mix of old school roots combined with their new brand of east coast reggae completely live – the way it’s supposed to be heard.

If you find yourself at a Dub City Renegades show, you’ll be feeling the bass, and your feet will be feeling the dance floor. They’ll playing all kinds of shows along the east coast later this summer, so keep an eye out. There’s much more to learn below, so dive into the XXQ’s.

XXQs: Dub City Renegades

PensEyeView.com (PEV): Having been together as Dub City Renegades for quite some time, was it an instant connection for the band when you first came together? How have you evolved since your first days together?

DCR: The core three members of the band, Justin (guitar), John (bass), and Andy (drums) have been playing together for about a year now.  We've recently added Akshan (vocals), Kevin (trumpet/guitar/backup vocals), Steve (percussion), and Roots (keys) over the past six months which has been an amazing process.  The core three clicked immediately and the same has been true for each new member coming in.  There is just something about playing with these guys where we can all grab an instrument and start playing and everything just vibes.  Since the early days of DCR we've grown a lot.  We've matured a lot in our songwriting and composition and by adding new pieces to the band we've filled out the sound tremendously.

PEV: Hailing from Washington, DC what kind of music were each of the members listening to growing up?  Do you guys argue on different kinds of music? What was the first concert you attended?

DCR:  We come from a wide background of musical influence; ranging from hip hop to jazz and funk to rock, R&B and of course Reggae.  While the background is all different, we all came to love reggae on our own before finding one another.  We have some real reggae historians in the band which is why you can hear so much of a roots influence in our music; we spend time listening to the beginnings of reggae, studying it, and then applying it to our sound.  Israel Vibrations, Peter Tosh, Toots, Yellowman, Junior Reed, and of course Bob Marley are just a few artists regularly playing in our home studio.   At the same time we also love Dancehall reggae and other contemporary forms of the genre. Everything from Sizzla Kalonji, Slightly Stoopid to the Expendables to Long Beach Dub Allstars can also be heard at Dub City Records on any given day.

PEV: Tell us about your creative process… What kind of environment do you have to be in to make music?

DCR:  We can be literally anywhere and write so long as we have at least one guitar or a melodica with us.  The great thing about DCR is that we have guys that come up with new material non-stop.  Four of the members can play guitar which also makes coming up with new material easier.  It's not uncommon for us to just come up with a riddim on stage and have Akshan flow over it.  So long as there are instruments where we are, we'll make some good musical vibes for you.

 
PEV: Known for fantastic live performances, what can fans expect from a live Dub City Renegades show?

DCR: Fans can expect to move their feet!  We play music that will make you forget everything else, get you caught up in the moment, and before you know it you find yourself swaying to the beat.  Fans are also going to hear plenty of bass to help get their feet get going.  Akshan is a phenomenal front man and gets the crowd hyped.  Fans will leave with a true sense of what real roots reggae is and wanting more.

 
PEV: Tell us about your first live performance as a band. How have you changed since that first show to where you are now?

DCR:  Our first live show was a little bar across from George Mason University (where some of the guys in the band attended) called Fat Tuesday's.  The guys that went to GMU spent a few solid years in the bar and the chance to perform there was awesome.  It was just the original three at the time playing instrumental and we were nervous as hell.  The second that first riddim dropped though we were all hooked and haven't stopped since.  We still consider Fat's to be one of our home bars and love playing there.

PEV: What can fans expect from your latest release?

DCR:  Because the band is so young overall we haven't had the time to record our first LP.  We spend a lot of time recording in our home studio or at the Art Institute of Washington and are planning on getting into a new studio to record our first studio LP sometime in the Fall or Winter of 2009.  In the meantime we are doing a quick three show mini-tour of Costa Rica in June, during which we'll be playing at Rainforest Aid 09, an international music festival raising awareness about deforestation and sustainable development in the region.  We'll be releasing a live DVD/CD package of the performances after we get back.

PEV: How is this different from other albums out right now? 

DCR: To start, it'll be live from Costa Rica!  There aren't a lot of other reggae bands in the US that have spent a lot of time in Central America, namely the rainforest, so we're psyched to be releasing a DVD to document the journey.  The other big thing setting this album apart from others right now is that it'll showcase the band uncut, raw, and live.  What you hear on the DVD/CD will be what you heard coming from the mixing board if you were there.  We hope this shows our dedication, our talent, and our passion for reggae music.

 
PEV: How would you describe the sound of Dub City Renegades? And what do you think it is about the band that has made you so successful?

DCR:  We have a really unique mix of old school roots reggae and a new modern east coast reggae sound.  The west coast has been blowing up for years with the likes of Sublime, Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, etc and we're ready to show that the east coast produces great musicians that put their own spin on where reggae is headed that can rival the west (but no worries, we got nothin but love for you guys!).

 
PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about the members of Dub City Renegades?

DCR:  Most of us can play at least two instruments.  Always makes for a good time when someone misses a practice!

PEV: Was there a certain point in your life when you knew that music was going to be a career for you?

DCR:  Well we come from very different backgrounds so we all knew at different points.  For John, Justin, and Andy it was shortly after they linked up to start DCR.  Akshan, Roots, and Kevin on the other hand have been in the music business for quite a while.  Steve, like the core three, is newer to the business but has approached it with such a high level of dedication and passion we're convinced he's lying and has been doing this for years.

PEV: What one word best describes Dub City Renegades?

DCR: ROOTS!

 
PEV: As musicians, you live a lot of your life on the road. How is life on the road for you? Best and worst parts? Any fun stories?

DCR: We absolutely love playing out.  It is our favorite thing to do.  Sure we love the studio but there will never be anything that can replace a live show.  We're a pretty young band but we've played a pretty good amount of shows thus far.  By the time we get back from Costa Rica we'll have played nearly 30 shows in less than 8 months which is a pretty good pace for any local band.  No one enjoys loading and unloading gear at 3 or 4am but everyone loves the experiences and stories that come with it.  One of our first shows we were playing at a bar in Fairfax on Justin's birthday and basically had no idea what we were doing.  We were supposed to collect our portion of the pay at the end of the night but since we opened and had 3 or 4 hours to drink afterwards.  Needless to say we never collected any money that night and the next day we went out and hired Tony or manager to basically do all the stuff that we get too drunk to take care of at shows. (Love ya Tony!)

 
PEV: Do you find yourself often going back to one theme in your songwriting over another?

DCR:  We usually find ourselves going back to roots reggae music for inspiration.  Sure we add our own style and vibe to it but it really helps us establish a solid foundation for writing and reminds us where the music we're writing is coming from.

PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your success? What’s it like when you get to play at your hometown?

DCR:  Our friends and family have been amazing. From buying t-shirts to helping sell merch to bringing people out to shows they've just been great.  Playing at home in front of our friends is always a blast and usually ends up with most of us having a not so pleasant morning the next day!  

PEV: What can we find the each of you doing in your spare time, aside from playing/writing music?

DCR:  There's things outside of playing/writing music?! We come from really varying backgrounds but we all seem to enjoy the some of the same things such as basketball, skating, supporting other local music, and even golf, anything that relaxes us really.

 
PEV: Having played with many great acts in music is there still one artist or group that would be your dream collaboration? Why?

DCR:  There are so many amazing musicians out there we'd love to collaborate with it's hard to narrow it down to one.  But if you're a reggae musician and you don't say that you would want to work with Bob Marley then you have something loose in your head.  Bob was just an amazing artist not only for his music, but also because of his message and who he was.  Just getting a sit-down with him to have heard his stories would be amazing.

 
PEV:  Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?

DCR: Check out our boys the I-Ternals ( http://www.myspace.com/theiternals ) also from DC.  Roots plays keys for them as well and they are an awesome dub reggae group.  They've played with some amazing reggae artists from all over and are just really talented guys.

PEV: If you weren’t playing music, what would each of you most likely be doing for a career?

DCR:  We'd probably all be hobos within 2-3 days...

 
PEV: What is the meaning behind the name Dub City Renegades?

DCR: The name came from the genre of music we play as well as making a statement about that genre.  Dub City is our concept of our musical foundation.  It's the idea that everything we do whether via the band or the record label is based around the idea of Dub City, a place where true roots reggae and dub are appreciated and flourish.  The name “Renegades” comes from our ability to “break with established standards” When you come to a DCR show you should expect to hear something you have not heard before, “you can call us the rebels of dub”... that is what a Dub City Renegade are. There are a lot of pop rock reggae bands that have no clue what true roots reggae is.  We're here as renegades, redefining for a new generation while at the same time bringing the genre back to where it should be.  Back to its musical roots.

PEV: So, what is next for Dub City Renegades?

DCR: We're heading to Costa Rica soon and are stoked!  We're also in the process of booking a huge amount of shows for the late summer/fall when we get back so make sure you catch us on the road up and down the east coast!  Be on the lookout for the live CD/DVD combo coming out late summer as well! Peace, love, and DUB! DCR.