SunDub centered in reggae’s musical heartbeat
Photo courtesy of Easy Star Records. Photo credit: Kiki Vassilikas.
Daily Reggae caught up with SunDub’s Joanna Teters (lead vocals) and Ben Teters (vocals and drums) to discuss the band’s creative process, inspiration, and upcoming album. The album, “Spirits Eat Music” will be released by Easy Star Records and was recorded at Lydgate Sound in Kauai, Hawaii.
We are loving SunDub’s new music! Tell us about your experience recording your upcoming album at Lydgate Sound in Kauai, HI. Did the band write and record all of the new music there?
Glad you are enjoying the new music. If you like the first two singles, the new album has some heat, so get ready!
Recording at Lydgate Sound was a pretty dream like situation. Going to Hawaii is pretty special in itself, and to have access to an amazing recording studio located on an active cacao farm, built to spec to record roots reggae, (among other things) really made this record unique and enabled us to reach what we think is a very high level with the music, recording process, etc. Huge shout out to Will Lydgate and Lydgate Sound in Kapa’a, Hi for having us at the studio and farm.
We can’t forget to mention Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse, Sting, Barrington Levy) engineer, producer, mentor and good friend who joined us in Hawaii for the project. Sidney is the secret sixth member of SunDub and has been a part of every SunDub studio production thus far.
The majority of the new album was written during COVID 2020 and early 2021; the subject matter is definitely reflective of the times. There were a couple of songs that were largely written or completed in the studio, and all of the basic tracking was done at Lydgate Sound. Additional recording was done in New York, NY at Mercy Sound Studios and the bands in-house studio/label Jackson Yard Records.
Joanna - over the years, you’ve been part of multiple bands. What is your favorite part of reggae music and SunDub’s growth over the years?
As I’ve grown older, I’ve felt more drawn towards reggae music because of the space for social and political commentary. Reggae is music centered by a musical heartbeat, it’s pattern similar to the human heartbeat. It feels good, it sounds good, but it also has such power and space for truth in the lyrics. Being a part of SunDub’s growth has been a gift — I think we bring something really different and fresh to the scene.
Ben - drumming and singing at the same time is no easy task! What are some of the tricks of the trade that you’ve learned over the years?
Drumming and singing at the same time has always come naturally to me, and really started out of necessity, when there was no one else to sing lead. Good posture is the most important thing for me when playing drums; it also enables me to sing better and easier. I think SunDubs three-part harmonies are our secret weapon - I love when Joanna, Eric (Toussaint), and myself lock in those three parts. That’s when the music flows best to me.
What was it like collaborating with Lutan Fyah on the fun new single, “Jump & Dance”?
Lutan Fyah is a formidable artist, and one of our favorites. It was a pleasure and an honor to work with him on this song. He squeezes so much in a relatively short verse, his flow and harmonies are on point and creative. We couldn’t think of a better feature for this track and we look forward to working with him in the future.
Can you tell fans about some of the messages SunDub wanted to get across in the new record?
We tried to make SPIRITS EAT MUSIC an album that has something for everyone. We touch on themes of love, spirituality, grief, and revolution, balancing all theses fairly complex ideas with a heavy dose of party, and good vibes, as people come to expect from reggae music.
We also aim to display the immense talent that contributed to make this project a reality. From Joanna’s powerful vocals, to the tightness of the band and creativity of the arrangements, to the masterful engineering, mixing and mastering, we feel this album is one of the best and most unique representations of the new reggae sound.
