An Interview with Stylie on the Release of Their Debut EP “Flying High.”

So, let’s start with the basics. How long have you guys been playing together? 
A few of us previously played in a group called Dub Haiku, where we learned the ropes of playing shows and starting to record our own music. That group eventually disbanded though, and Stylie was born one year ago in April of 2019. Our current lineup is G. Blazer on lead vocals and guitar, Garrison James on vocals and keys, Alex Bullen on bass, and Matthew Meloney on drums. 

What was your first gig like?
Pretty sure our first gig was a house party in the mountains outside of Lyons. We set up a stage in the garage, and there was a keg, and all of our local crew was there. Our first “official” gig was opening for Dubbest at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom last spring, and we had a blast! The guys from Dubbest were really cool, and we hope to play more shows with them one day for sure.

Where did the name Stylie come from? 
The word Stylie comes from those Jamaican reggae pioneers, and was most popularized by 90s bands like Sublime (wicked Stylie!) and toasters like Half Pint. Stylie represents that feeling you get when you’re snowboarding a powder day, and you huck a big cliff and stick the landing. We always keep it Stylie, whether on the slopes, in the surf, or at the skatepark… its a vibe, haha!

Was everyone in the group already into reggae when you first started?  
We all come from different musical backgrounds. Matthew grew up playing drums in metal bands in Cali, Alex played classical jazz, and was in marching band, Garrett has been shredding guitar since he was like 12, and Garrison has always loved reggae and hip-hop.  Most of us got into reggae when we were young though, listening to artists like Bob Marley (of course).  It’s not the most popular genre, so it definitely took a while to find a group that was all on the same page, musically speaking. 

Who in Stylie has a weird musical guilty pleasure that you would like to expose?
Ha, all of us are weirdos in our own way. You should hear some of the music we listen to when we’re chillin together, it gets ridiculous sometimes. G. Blazer is learning banjo currently, haha. 

Someone in the band brings a 6-pack for rehearsal. What kind of beer is it? 
It’s way more likely to be a jar of homegrown weed and some papers, honestly. None of us are really into drinking that much. I guess it goes with what the Rastafarians would call the ital way of life, though nobody here is claiming Rasta. We’re just trying to pursue livity, live our best life and that means being healthy and conscious. 

I’ve heard some great covers from Stylie. What are some of your favorites to play? 
We love turning classic rock covers into reggae, Pink Floyd is a big favorite. Always into playing roots covers from classic artists like Culture, Peter Tosh, and the Mighty Diamonds. We’re even dropping an Avicii cover this summer as a single, so look out for that! 

What’s a cover you wouldn’t normally admit you guys have done, even just for fun?
We can’t deny our audience a little Shaggy once in a while… It Wasn’t Me!

Tell me about these weekly videos? 
Dub Harvests are a creative outlet for the band.  Since we all live together in the same house, we are constantly jamming and recording music. So we decided, why not film it and produce some dope content! The videos have been so much fun, and we can’t wait to release more. 

Who’s making all of these sweet videos? 
Our drummer, Matthew is usually the guy behind the camera and he edits the footage. Garrison’s brother went to film school, and he lives in the house as well, so he’s always down to help out with video production. But all of us contribute in some way or another, its totally grassroots.

Tell us about Dub Farm Records? 
Dub Farm Records is the name of our studio, which is located on an organic farm in Lyons. We built the studio in the basement of our house, which is this super funky log cabin built back in the 30s. The studio has a rehearsal space for a full band, production room, vocal booth, gear storage, video production desk, and more. We’re up to our eyeballs in recording equipment, and it’s constantly evolving. On any given night of the week, you come down to the studio and there’s at least 3 of us working. G Blazer is mixing a tune, Matthew is editing a video, Garrison is working on the website. We’re putting in a ton of sweat equity, and hopefully it’s starting to pay off. 

Did anyone in Stylie come from an audio mastering background or are you self-taught? 
It’s funny, because when we formed the band we all came in with demos we had self produced individually. Turns out, everybody had been really into self-taught music production and combining forces just made us double down on our DIY ethic even more. Currently, G Blazer is heading up most of the audio production at Dub Farm Records, and we all play a role in the process of cranking out new tunes. 

Do you guys read the instruction manuals on all that Dub Farm equipment? 
Dude, of course we read the instructions!  We’re trying to be the best at what we do, and understanding the tools of the trade is crucial to getting a really good sound. Our current setup combines modern digital tools with old school analog equipment, like our new (used) Tascam 388 tape machine. 

The quality of your recordings is top-notch. I don’t think anyone would ever guess you are doing this yourselves. Without getting too technical, what’s the secret? 
If we told you, we’d have to kill you. Just kidding, haha. There’s no real secret, honestly it’s just all about hard work. You’ve gotta have a solid work ethic to practice your instrument everyday, and a good understanding of the technical aspects of production. This is like a second job for most of us guys in the band, and we spend long hours and late nights in the studio because we love what we do and we want to get to that next level. 

Do you think Dub Farm Records will eventually be a label for other artists to work with? 
Yes, 100%. We are just starting out recording Stylie tunes, but we are planning on branching out and having more artists into the studio in the future. Theres a wealth of local talent in the Colorado reggae scene, and if you build it, they will come. 

Let’s talk about the new album. How many songs are on it and how long has this been in the works?
Flyin’ High is our debut EP with 6 original songs. This has been in the works for quite a while, some of these songs were among the first we wrote and finally they’re going to get released. We are playing around with a few different styles on the album, because we want to see what works and how people react. I guess you could say we are still finding our unique sound.

Will the album include some of the singles you have released recently? 
Yep, it will contain revamped versions of the 2 singles we’ve dropped, Up In Smoke and Sweet Reggae Music. 

What was the hardest part about getting this album finished? 
Knowing when to call a track finished is always hard. Things can only sit on the shelf for so long before you gotta just get it out into the world. 

The album art is really cool, can you tell us about the artist? 
The artist we’ve been working with is our homie Nata, who lives in Bali. He has worked with Oakley and Quiksilver in the past, and we dig his unique style that just oozes good tropical vibes. We’ll definitely be linking up with him again in the future. See his work on Instagram, his handle is @hook_hope

The title of the album is called “Flying High” I don’t think that needs much explaining does it?
Ha, well you’re gonna have to listen to the title track Flyin’ High for that answer! 

I’m sure you had some other people involved with this album. Are there any names you would like to mention who helped you get there? 
We produced the album ourselves at Dub Farm Records, and we’re very proud of that fact. But yea, of course we couldn’t do anything without the support of our friends and family, especially the Colorado reggae community. Shout outs to key players like Ras Marcus Benjamin, DJ BloodPreshah, and Mile High Reggae of course 😉

Any particular creative influences for this album? That could be other artists, current events, people, certain plants, etc.? 
We would be nothing without the legacy left by all the reggae artists who came before us. Our biggest influences are bands like Slightly Stoopid, The Expanders, Peter Tosh, John Browns Body, too many to name really. In general, we try to write songs about staying positive and living up when life gives you trouble. Reggae music is a deep source of strength and resilience in trying times, and we’re so grateful to have found it.

Is it safe to say that there will be some super dub heavy songs on the album? You know, the kind “with the bass so low, it’s a rockin on the floor (Stylie lyric)” ?
There’s a lot of different styles that make up this album, and all the tracks all have heavy bass lines. That being said, a true dub album is definitely on the radar for us, how sick would that be?! 

What about some reggae anthems? 
Sweet Reggae Music is our love song written to the genre itself. “Reggae music is my soul medicine, I take it everyday, my irie regimen”. I mean seriously, is there anything better then reggae music? 

Ganja tributes? 
Check. Duh. Cannabis is definitely affiliated with our brand of music, and while none of us are total stoners by any means, we appreciate the finer things in life and so the theme comes up on more than a few songs. Take the last track on the album, Wildfire for example: “…Ganja, ganja is my only remedy, I smoke it in the morning, I smoke it in the eve, I always keeps it burning from when I wake until I sleep”. 

Where can people find the album when they want to hear it? 
All the usual places! Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date. Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, and dozens more digital outlets. We’ll have physical copies for sale too! 

We are still pretty early into the year and you guys are releasing a huge album. What else is in store for Stylie in 2020? 
Besides playing lots of local shows, we have a goal of releasing our first full length album by the end of the year. We’ve already got a bunch of demos recorded, so it should be a fun-filled summer at the Dub Farm. We’ll also be releasing lots of Dub Harvest videos, way more than last year and they’re gonna be super heady. 

Do you think there is a Stylie tour in the future? 
We can’t wait to take the show on the road. And if we announce a tour, Mile High Reggae will be the first to know. 

Stylie has played some pretty huge shows at Cervantes and next month you are opening for Jesse Royal. Are you guys super stoked?  
We’re all huge Jesse Royal fans, and we can’t wait to see him perform at Cervantes. We’re also excited to be sharing the stage with Red Sage ft. SpellBinder; some real Colorado reggae OGs who are gonna bring the heat. Turn up for that show or you’re missing out!

How does it feel to see your name in the lineup with artists like Collie Buddz, Keznamdi, KBong, and Jesse Royal? 
It feels real, real good. Always very humbling to share a bill with such mega talent, and we learn a lot every time. 

I saw you guys are going to be playing some sort of kid friendly show in Fort Collins next month too? 
Yep, we are playing a benefit show for Realities For Children up in FoCo at Avogadro’s Number on April 5th. It’s gonna be mostly an adult audience raising money for charity, though.

Is there anything else you would like to let us know about the album? 
Stylie advises all listeners to exercise extreme caution, because its gonna be absolute fiyah!