From the very first song I was taken back down memory lane to my childhood growing up listening to The Wailers, UB40, Herbs, and Bob Marley.
But there’s something else going on here, something very different and very fresh that you don’t get with that old school reggae sound.
There’s a very big island influence in this sound, and a bunch of synth thrown in for good measure.
It’s pouring down outside but I feel like I’ve been transported to a beach with a beer and a “smoke” in hand, their self described “sunshine reggae with an island breeze” could not be more on the mark.
The soulful vocals rain heavy throughout, with a range of both vocal styles and vocalists and a lot of lyrical references to the reggae of old that we all grew up listening to.
Halfway through the album I’ve found it easy to see how Tomorrow People have managed to play the likes of Raggamuffin and Exodus festivals, and I can see a lot more on the horizon.
If you love that reggae skank or just need something to get you away from the bad weather in your life I highly suggest this new breed of NZ reggae, IRIE!
Out of the 100+ reggae bands currently active in NZ, not one of them has moved up the ranks faster than Wellington band Tomorrow People. From their humble garage to an award winning debut album, the band has gone from strength to strength and showing no signs of slowing down.
A studio project turned live stage show, the 7-piece band are purveyors of what they describe as ‘sunshine reggae’. Focused on providing a mid-tempo sound that, while clearly reggae-centric, adds touches of dancehall ragga to its colour. It is a sound built around strong vocals, soothing harmonies, catchy hooks, aggressive ragga raps, and feel good riddims (rhythms).
Together, the members of mixed descent (NZ/Maori/Pacific Island) have decades of experience in the music industry, citing previous careers in hip-hop, R&B, gospel, funk and soul. Taking their name from a Ziggy Marley song, Tomorrow People live up to the futuristic allusions it casts, having built their fan base via social media (www.facebook.com/tomorrow.ppl) and demo tracks uploaded to YouTube. While they gather their musical influences from Jamaican and Hawaiian artists alike, once combined with their roots in NZ music, they bring a sound that is clean, laid-back and easy on the eardrums.