Irie Sol

Irie Sol on stage at the State Theater, March 2010

Band History

Irie Sol's founder, Junior Williams, moved to America from Kingston, Jamaica, with the dream of starting a band that would fuse the genres (reggae, dancehall, ska, and dub) indigenous to his native island with traditional American music forms (hip hop, funk, soul, rock, and jazz). He's "dubbed" (pun intended) the resulting music "Alternative World" to acknowledge its roots and routes in World and Alternative music and to conjure an alternative world of global unity. Erupting out of the Twin Cities with a musical blend that reflects diverse band members--who hail from Kingston, Jamaica; Nova Scotia, Canada; Providence, RI; Detroit, MI; New York City; Minneapolis and Winona, MN; Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, WI

Irie Sol delivers authentic Jamaican chat/DJing and soaring, soulful melodies backed by blazing bebop horns, wailing guitar, and tight drum and bass. Irie Sol has played shows with Natty Nation, Dred I Dread, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and too many other talented musicians to name. Irie Sol's music can be enjoyed at live shows throughout the midwest, on many radio programs, and by downloading the new CD, Solstice, on iTunes.

Genre

Hometown

Minneapolis, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota

Contact

Members

Irie Sol's setlist for the Volume One Backstage show in March of 2010

Joel Pace -- lead vocals, trumpet, beat box
Chris Williams -- bass, vocals
Lars Nelson -- vocals
Jon Lanctin -- trumpet
Angelo Williamson -- keyboards, bass, trombone
Matt Rongstad -- saxophone, flute
Pat Olson -- guitar
Michael Dawald -- guitar
Kyle Engedal -- drums
Mario Dawson -- drums

Former Members

Discography

Influences

Irie Sol's new CD, Solstice "is a perfect mix of the bands influences, amazingly enough without muddying up or dumbing down any of the original sources. It’s something that is so easy to write, and yet so hard to pull off – to be more than the sum of your parts." "One song can range from a protest reggae march to a smooth jam to a towering inferno of funk." "Hardened groove-thang shakers the world over, rejoice: your band just arrived!" Ian Jacoby, Volume One Magazine, Eau Claire

Awards

Press

"Irie Sol is comprised of eight musicians who play guitar, bass, sax, trumpet, flute, drumset, djembe, and conga. This allows the band to bring in a variety of styles and influences, including the diverse vocal renderings of three singers (Junior, JP, and Lars Nelson). There is everything here from island music to soaring Spanish trumpet and guitar solos, and everything in between. Irie Sol writes original music and has a new CD, Solstice, out now." Janie Franz, Skope Magazine, Boston

Freak & Geek Reviews

http://www.freaksandgeeks.org/bands-reviewed/220-irie-sol-and-duncan-ninja-backstage-at-the-state
http://www.freaksandgeeks.org/bands-reviewed/183-irie-sol-at-the-snout-saloon

Web Sites

http://www.myspace.com/iriesolreggae