The Responsables

The Band:
Over our 3+ years, we have undergone a constant progression and evolution in terms of our line-up, and sound. We started as a 3-piece that blended in more elements of rock and blues to the reggae, but eventually added keyboards and a full-time drummer. This change inspired us to focus in on the reggae sound, and as we developed that, our instrumentation changed to reflect it. We have since added percussion, steel pan, horns, and 4-part vocal harmonies.
The developed sound gave us the opportunity to work with the 2-time Juno Award winning reggae artist Exco Levi, collaborating on several live shows. And we have continued to immerse ourselves into the Toronto reggae scene, working closely with bands like Friendlyness and the Human Rights, and the House of David Gang, two legendary bands in this area.

The Music:
We have a deep love and affinity for real old school reggae roots. Anything from Studio One, Trojan, and Tuff Gong records is golden. Some of our favourite dub sounds came from Coxsone Dodd and King Tubby, which we are always trying to incorporate into our live set.
There is also a great modern scene in LA with bands like The Aggrolites, and The Lions. We, like them, respect the roots, but put our own funky touches on that sound.
As well, our rhythm section has a long affinity with progressive rock, and bring the mentality of constant improvising, deeply locked-in lines, and spontaneous creation often found in that genre.