Having just returned from an overseas tour taking in Europe and North America, Melbourne's most socially conscious reggae explosion BLUE KING BROWN are back touring nationally, and will also have a new album out soon, featuring the single Moment of Truth. I spoke with singer, songwriter and frontwoman Natalie Pa'apa'a about recording their new album, touring globally and the power of music to connect people and support social change.
Blue King Brown's music reflects the band's campaigning on a wide range of social issues, and the first single from the new album is no different. "Lyrically, Moment of Truth is really about this shift in consciousness that we are witnessing everywhere we go," explains Pa'apa'a. "I think it's really powerful when people realise that they're not alone in that struggle for a better future."
With so many acoustic instruments in the band, making this album has been all about getting the band's huge live sound and energy recorded inside the studio. Anyone who's seen them live will know that Blue King Brown has a full-size sound and so much energy that it's easy to see how the task of capturing that in the studio could be a concern. "We use more electronic elements to fatten out what we do with the live instruments, so it still sounds like us - just maybe a little bit fatter in the bottom end and tighter up top," Pa'apa'a reveals.
Everywhere they go, the band seems to have praise heaped on them from all directions. A quick read of their bio shows some of their favourite tributes from artists they have supported and a search for them on Youtube reveals gushing comments from excited new German fans. The overall message of the band is, in the spirit of reggae, to get up and get involved in making society better and has been well received throughout the English-speaking world, where reggae has become a universal language. "We're all thinking the same way. We're hearing the same and thinking the same. Also, in those countries there's a very strong and long-standing history of socially conscious music and a big support network for that."
The message behind their music is also the reason that Blue King Brown work so hard on the way they communicate with every audience. They aim to convey some of that positive energy to the crowd and to inspire those people who are thinking about maybe doing something to make the world a better place, but need a shove. "We're all about the live show," Pa'apa'a says. "We really pride ourselves on our live performance and we really work on it. A big part of our show is to connect with the audience, not just musically, but also on that spiritual level. We like to get them involved and jumping up and down and if we didn't, then I guess we wouldn't be doing our job properly."
Blue King Brown play at the Bimbadgen Blues Roots Funk N Grooves event in the Hunter Valley on Saturday September 12. Tickets through www.bimbadgenblues.com.au.
