Although they are considered mainstays of the US Midwest reggae scene, Dred I Dread would not mind shedding their regional tag. Which they hope to do with "Mount Zion", their fourth album.
Released July 1 through VPAL Music on their Rapid Fire Records, the Minnesota band worked with some of Jamaica's top musicians on the Saunjay Kerr-produced project.
"Yes, we are tired of the label of Midwest band. We just want to be labeled a reggae band, that’s it, and hopefully this album will help us realize that goal," said drummer/percussionist Neville "Rawle G" Gopie.
A Jamaican, Rawle G is one of three original members in Dred I Dread which formed in 1998. The others are lead vocalist Peewee Dread and guitarist/vocalist Serdar Guvenc.
Teddy Longbar (drums), bassist Paul Kammeyer and keyboardist Alex Cole Jr. complete the lineup.
Two songs have been released from the six-song album ---- "Mount Zion" and "Lara". The Firehouse Crew, bassist Flabba Holt and drummer Kirk Bennett are some of the Jamaican musicians Dred I Dread worked with on the set.
Rawle G believes "Mount Zion" is their most ambitious work to date in terms of spreading their wings.
"Our strongest market has been the US but we hope to change that with the new project as we have been marketing the album in Jamaica, Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America. With social media it’s been easier to connect with fans as well as measure different markets all from your fingertips on your phones," he said.
Written By Howard Campbell