High Hopes Band

With their roots steeped deep in the tradition of the classic 70's period of conscious reggae, the High Hopes Band (HHB) is considered one of New England’s premiere reggae bands. High Hopes combines influences of roots reggae, dub and R&B into its own style and sound.
The band has opened for international acts Midnite, Luciano, & Morgan Heritage. Guitarist and vocalist Jason Dick has backed Fanton Mojah, Yami Bolo, & Judah Eskender Tafari. At a High Hopes performance, audiences hear a wide range of reggae styles, and thanks to Bassist Julie Feola, HHB keeps its foundation in a heavy roots sound. Sebastian Franks has brought a new R&B influence to HHB. Hailing from St. Croix, USVI, Franks has a soulful vibe to his writing, while providing very catchy melody hooks. Franks has lead a handful of bands and projects in the VI's as well as the Boston area. Keyboardist Paddy McDonnell has that old soul vibe and quickly adds his own style and runs to many of the songs created by HHB. He is now starting to venture into rhythm producing and has been one of the rocks of the HHB foundation. Drummer AJ Maynard has been the newest addition to HHB. AJ grew up in a musical household and has been playing in front of crowds from a very young age. AJ's musical influences are wide and can be heard in his playing. Percussionist Papa Zekes rounds out the line-up with the "glue" in the sound. Traditionally a drummer, Zeke provides the intricate sounds floating in between all sounds.