9 Mile Roots is a Baltimore based reggae band that will change the way you look at reggae forever. The reggae-rock band—which includes an amazing horn section—has performed throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. and is set to perform in Arlington, VA and in Philadelphia. I had the opportunity to speak with them just a few nights ago and it was a memorable experience.
Are there any artists you would like to work with, reggae or otherwise?
Josh Behun (bass): For us, for the band within our genre, some of our biggest influences are John Brown’s Body, a band called Passafire, Tribal Seeds out of San Diego, and you probably know Soja. They’re out of DC, but they’re pretty big. They’re in Europe right now.
What advice would you give to an up and coming artist?
JB: Hmm…I would say to write your music and play your music and be yourself. A lot of bands try to mimic what some other band they like is doing and they try too hard in fitting in and it’s important to be you and do you.
What inspired you to get into the music business?
JB: I think most of us have been playing music in some fashion or another since we were kids. You know, two of our horn players have a degree in music. A lot of us dabbled in guitar since we were old enough to hold it. But speaking on my own, I haven’t listened to the radio or mainstream music media in years. There are so many other outlets now to find music you like. And it helps to like the music you make. The Internet is such a useful tool to find good music. It’s great to take advantage and find music that moves you, rather than always accepting what the radio wants you to like.
Your songs are thought provoking and amazing, but “Wake Up” and “Believe” stood out to me. What was the inspiration behind them?
JB: Our lead singer wrote that.
Jay Randell (Lead Vocals, Trumpet, Percussion): I think Wake up for the most part is look at your surroundings and do what you want to do.
JB: Believe is just a song of feeling good positive vibes.
I read your greatest musical influences are Bob Marley, 311, Sublime, Damian Marley, etc. In what ways did they influence you?
JB: There are things from Damian Marley and 311 we love. We love multiple things from various circles I guess. Our influences are not strictly reggae. They’re spread out around multiple sources and multiple genres.
How did 9 Mile Roots get together?
JB: Craigslist. Yep. You know, the majority of this band is not from here. I grew up in Pittsburgh. I looked for a new band and Craigslist is a great place to look for that. Most of the time, we put out an ad. We’re a very large band. When we’re on stage, the stagehands are always quite perplexed as to how many of us there are. Plus we can’t play a lot of places because they don’t have a big enough stage to fit us, so we have to be choosy about our stage locations. We’ve got a big horn section—two sections—and some people who will sit in, add another sax or trombone player, so it gets intense.
Since Damian Marley is one of your influences, are you excited that you get to perform with him?
JB: Yeah, it’s super cool. We’re going to play hours before him. We have a gig that same night in Ocean City. We’ll play our set and then pack up and head to Ocean City. It’s a bummer, but part of the deal. Life on the road.
It’s definitely worth it, isn’t it?
Josh: Oh yeah, it’s worth it. It’s great exposure too. We haven’t played Philly yet. I’d say it’s pretty good. I hope it opens our door to a few more outlets in Philly.
Do you perform in all parts of Maryland or certain areas?
Josh: We perform all through Maryland. We come to D.C. every once in awhile. We have a show in Arlington (Whitlows on Wilson – August 9th). The hardest problem is there are eight of us. We need a big open space with a huge stage.
What other venues are you looking into?
Josh: Much of what we are looking forward to is more traveling outside of our normal range, getting into more cities and furthering our reach and music to more fans.
9 Mile Roots made this interview so much fun and they are truly amazing gentlemen. Not only are they talented, they are humble and that is something I admire about them. I’m excited to see what the future holds for these amazing musicians.
For tickets to their Arlington, VA show on August 9th – click here. If you can’t wait, they will be at the Artscape in Baltimore on July 19th – click here for more information.
You can find these amazing musicians at
- Official website – http://www.9mileroots.com
- Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/9mileroots?ref=ts
- and follow them on Twitter – @9MileRoots
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