It’s been a little while since I
wrote about the Philly based reggae band Steppin’ Razor. I figured it was time to change that,
so I called the guys up to do one of those interview things we seemed to do
from time to time. We talk about
their beginnings, their musical directions, and the new album. But don’t take my word for it the
interview is right at the end of this paragraph!
How'd
you guys come up with the name Steppin' Razor? (The Sublime Song?)
It’s a peculiar name for us because in Jamaican vernacular, a steppin’ razor is someone who is dangerous or threatening, and that’s not us at all. But we’d like to think our music is a threat to Babylon, to mainstream monotony, or to negativity in general. The song was actually written by Joe Higgs in 1967, then later covered by Peter Tosh and others including Sublime. The Tosh version is the one that was the inspiration for the band’s name.
What's the story of how you guys started playing together?
Johnny, James and Mark were part of a Wailers tribute band in 2004/05 with Steppin Razor’s old bass player Scott Holloman. There was a bit too much drama behind the scenes with that group and it eventually dissolved. During that time, Johnny and Mark had recorded a few Marley tunes and one original. Mark called Johnny a couple of months after the tribute broke up and asked, “Hey, we’ve got these tunes recorded; why don’t we put together a group and try to get some gigs?” At the time, Mark was working a day job with keyboardist Jim Wuest (now with The Heavy Pets), and he said he was down. Johnny, Scott, Wuest and Mark, along with guitarist Matt “Risky Business” Chambers started playing some shows. Over the next few months, Risky left to continue his higher education, and Ben Bean was brought in for is vocal prowess and multi-instrumental capability. James also came on board to fill the lead guitar role as well. Fast-forward a bit more and Scott left to be an awesome daddy and Wuest joined the Pets. The 4 of us have been keeping it burnin’ ever since.
Did you guys always think reggae is the direction you wanted to go, or did that change a bit to what you have today?
We’ve all played in bands of other genres, but this group was founded on the idea that we were going to play Roots Reggae. Naturally our influences have been incorporated into the sound, but our inspiration has been primarily Roots.
The normal layperson can probably only name the Wailers if they were asked to name a reggae band. Do you guys have some other favorite reggae acts you draw from?
Mark: Oh man, this could be a very long list, haha! Yes, the Wailers are a huge influence, but so are so many other groups and artists. Sly & Robbie, Burning Spear, The Abyssinians, Jacob Miller, Gregory Isaacs, Horsemouth Wallace, Luciano, Steel Pulse, Midnite, Groundation, Katchafire, Ooklah the Moc, Capleton, Sizzla, Gentleman, Barrington Levy, pretty much all of Marley’s sons especially Stephen and Damian, John Brown’s Body, so many others. We’ll just stop here because it’s really quite difficult to recall them all.
Does anyone in the band have another major genre they love or all you all die hard reggae guys?
We all listen to a lot of music besides Reggae, except for most modern pop and country.
I really like the theme you guys chose for your album. Do you guys want to elaborate on that a bit?
I think the theme to all of our music really comes from the heart of the Nyabinghi: Do Good. And good is not always easy to do. That’s where the title track came from: especially for introspective artists like us, it can be difficult to persevere with positive messages and roots riddims, things that aren’t exactly popular. But we feel that what we’re making is good music, so we push on.
When it comes to song writing is it more of one person coming up with the idea or a group dynamic?
It’s a little of everything. Ben and Johnny both bring a lot of complete pieces, music and lyrics, individually to the table. Final arrangements are usually a collaborative. James has brought a few tunes and riffs, and Mark has contributed a little lyrically.
You guys are from this area, but have a real strong Jamaican influence. How do you combine the two?
SR: We didn’t live the lives of the ones who are the originators of this music. Our interpretation, hopefully, is one of sympathy and respect. We don’t think of Jamaican music as something that is very hard to adopt or adapt, though. Reggae, especially roots reggae, is a universal sound. The heartbeat comes from the Nyahbinghi; the spirit of the lyrics comes from the Rasta struggle, and the Rastas use a lot of imagery from the Bible; the instrumentation is basically rock n roll; there’s a lot of influence from soul, R&B, and Motown that was popular in Jamaica throughout the 20th century. All music is in constant evolution, but I think that reggae is one of the best examples of how diverse sounds can come together and have such wide appeal.
Being in a band is pretty cool for a lot of reasons. What's your favorite aspect?
It’s amazing how two or more musicians can come together and create something greater than the sum of the parts. It takes a lot of serious listening, so it can be a very humbling thing. Playing in a band reminds us that our individual voices are not the only ones that matter. We don’t play because we want to, it’s because we have
It’s a peculiar name for us because in Jamaican vernacular, a steppin’ razor is someone who is dangerous or threatening, and that’s not us at all. But we’d like to think our music is a threat to Babylon, to mainstream monotony, or to negativity in general. The song was actually written by Joe Higgs in 1967, then later covered by Peter Tosh and others including Sublime. The Tosh version is the one that was the inspiration for the band’s name.
What's the story of how you guys started playing together?
Johnny, James and Mark were part of a Wailers tribute band in 2004/05 with Steppin Razor’s old bass player Scott Holloman. There was a bit too much drama behind the scenes with that group and it eventually dissolved. During that time, Johnny and Mark had recorded a few Marley tunes and one original. Mark called Johnny a couple of months after the tribute broke up and asked, “Hey, we’ve got these tunes recorded; why don’t we put together a group and try to get some gigs?” At the time, Mark was working a day job with keyboardist Jim Wuest (now with The Heavy Pets), and he said he was down. Johnny, Scott, Wuest and Mark, along with guitarist Matt “Risky Business” Chambers started playing some shows. Over the next few months, Risky left to continue his higher education, and Ben Bean was brought in for is vocal prowess and multi-instrumental capability. James also came on board to fill the lead guitar role as well. Fast-forward a bit more and Scott left to be an awesome daddy and Wuest joined the Pets. The 4 of us have been keeping it burnin’ ever since.
Did you guys always think reggae is the direction you wanted to go, or did that change a bit to what you have today?
We’ve all played in bands of other genres, but this group was founded on the idea that we were going to play Roots Reggae. Naturally our influences have been incorporated into the sound, but our inspiration has been primarily Roots.
The normal layperson can probably only name the Wailers if they were asked to name a reggae band. Do you guys have some other favorite reggae acts you draw from?
Mark: Oh man, this could be a very long list, haha! Yes, the Wailers are a huge influence, but so are so many other groups and artists. Sly & Robbie, Burning Spear, The Abyssinians, Jacob Miller, Gregory Isaacs, Horsemouth Wallace, Luciano, Steel Pulse, Midnite, Groundation, Katchafire, Ooklah the Moc, Capleton, Sizzla, Gentleman, Barrington Levy, pretty much all of Marley’s sons especially Stephen and Damian, John Brown’s Body, so many others. We’ll just stop here because it’s really quite difficult to recall them all.
Does anyone in the band have another major genre they love or all you all die hard reggae guys?
We all listen to a lot of music besides Reggae, except for most modern pop and country.
I really like the theme you guys chose for your album. Do you guys want to elaborate on that a bit?
I think the theme to all of our music really comes from the heart of the Nyabinghi: Do Good. And good is not always easy to do. That’s where the title track came from: especially for introspective artists like us, it can be difficult to persevere with positive messages and roots riddims, things that aren’t exactly popular. But we feel that what we’re making is good music, so we push on.
When it comes to song writing is it more of one person coming up with the idea or a group dynamic?
It’s a little of everything. Ben and Johnny both bring a lot of complete pieces, music and lyrics, individually to the table. Final arrangements are usually a collaborative. James has brought a few tunes and riffs, and Mark has contributed a little lyrically.
You guys are from this area, but have a real strong Jamaican influence. How do you combine the two?
SR: We didn’t live the lives of the ones who are the originators of this music. Our interpretation, hopefully, is one of sympathy and respect. We don’t think of Jamaican music as something that is very hard to adopt or adapt, though. Reggae, especially roots reggae, is a universal sound. The heartbeat comes from the Nyahbinghi; the spirit of the lyrics comes from the Rasta struggle, and the Rastas use a lot of imagery from the Bible; the instrumentation is basically rock n roll; there’s a lot of influence from soul, R&B, and Motown that was popular in Jamaica throughout the 20th century. All music is in constant evolution, but I think that reggae is one of the best examples of how diverse sounds can come together and have such wide appeal.
Being in a band is pretty cool for a lot of reasons. What's your favorite aspect?
It’s amazing how two or more musicians can come together and create something greater than the sum of the parts. It takes a lot of serious listening, so it can be a very humbling thing. Playing in a band reminds us that our individual voices are not the only ones that matter. We don’t play because we want to, it’s because we have
Your
music does seem to have a bit of social commentary in it. Is there
anything you guys are trying to do with your music?
Hopefully we’re contributing to others good times, but if it moves someone to consider something in a way they didn’t before, well that’s pretty sweet. We’re all rather balanced in our views – social, political, spiritual. We’re not trying to rally behind any one cause, except for the cause of good. Do good, love all, give thanks.
When you guys picture your music being played do you have a specific situation in mind? (A beach, In the car, Dorm Room?)
We know a lot of people who think of reggae as a beach thing, or summertime music. We think it’s a year-round, universal thing, but reggae has a lot of laid-back riddims, cool timbres, uplifting melodies – so we can see how people might appreciate it most on those hot days when they need to cool off. The thing is, most people need that cooling vibe throughout the hustle of everyday life. Many Rastas we’ve met say the music carries a positive vibration, and these vibrations are most effective when combined with a certain herbal influence. There’s obviously a time and place for everything, but in my opinion, reggae is fitting for any occasion.
New Music! When can we be expecting it?
We just released our 2nd CD, Against the Current, in March of this year. Since this isn’t a full time job, it’s hard to say when the next one will be done. We’ve been rehearsing some new tunes, so we’ll see. The wheel keeps turning…
Hopefully we’re contributing to others good times, but if it moves someone to consider something in a way they didn’t before, well that’s pretty sweet. We’re all rather balanced in our views – social, political, spiritual. We’re not trying to rally behind any one cause, except for the cause of good. Do good, love all, give thanks.
When you guys picture your music being played do you have a specific situation in mind? (A beach, In the car, Dorm Room?)
We know a lot of people who think of reggae as a beach thing, or summertime music. We think it’s a year-round, universal thing, but reggae has a lot of laid-back riddims, cool timbres, uplifting melodies – so we can see how people might appreciate it most on those hot days when they need to cool off. The thing is, most people need that cooling vibe throughout the hustle of everyday life. Many Rastas we’ve met say the music carries a positive vibration, and these vibrations are most effective when combined with a certain herbal influence. There’s obviously a time and place for everything, but in my opinion, reggae is fitting for any occasion.
New Music! When can we be expecting it?
We just released our 2nd CD, Against the Current, in March of this year. Since this isn’t a full time job, it’s hard to say when the next one will be done. We’ve been rehearsing some new tunes, so we’ll see. The wheel keeps turning…
I
wanted to thank the guys again for taking the time to answer our
questions. If you’re looking for a
bit more Steppin’ Razor you can follow them on facebook, and their
website. I’ll leave you with one
of the tracks from their new release.
Check out our other interviews with Onboard Balloons and Diablo Swing Orchestra also like the blog's facebook for concert photos, and articles, and other music stuff!
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