On The Verge

Rebelution

Santa Barbara, Calif.
Peace Rebels
www.rebelutionmusic.com

Santa Barbara-based Rebelution is certainly not complaining about music’s digital revolution. A half-year after its debut, Courage to Grow, dropped in June 2007, the band was awarded the iTunes Editor’s Choice for Best Reggae Album. “We had no idea that was going to happen,” says lead singer and guitarist Eric Rachmany, shortly after the release of the band’s new album, Bright Side of Life. “All of a sudden, people started catching on.” This was no overnight success, however. The band had three years of continuous touring behind it. Rachmany first met his band mates—keyboardist Rory Carey, bassist Marley D Williams and bassist Wesley Finley —during college and they found themselves always playing reggae, though that was never their intention. “When all four of us get together,” Rahmany comments, “it comes out as reggae.” First inspired after seeing founding Black Uhuru vocalist Don Carlos perform, Rachmany was hooked. The positive vibrations spread to the band’s name, which the quartet carefully contemplated. “The word ‘rebel’ has a negative connotation, and there’s ways to get across messages in a peaceful manner,” he says. “One of the best ways is through your words. We were in a great position to be positive role models, and we knew we could accomplish that by keeping people happy and motivated.”