Jesse Royal released the first single, "Always Be Around," from his upcoming debut full-length on Friday, May 26. Two days earlier, the song premiered on Wednesday, May 24, via the Mass Appeal website. This release marks the first collaboration with U.S.-based indie tastemaker label Easy Star Records, giving a taste from what is sure to be one of the biggest reggae albums of the year.
Keeping authentic reggae music alive is Jesse Royal's mission as he continues on the legacy of the late greats Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Jacob Miller, to name a few. Jesse Royal's restless musical drive paired with profound music, prolific lyrics and socially-conscious messages has him regarded as the next reggae star to emerge from reggae's birth land of Jamaica. In his short career, he has already been featured in Vogue magazine, had a Vice TV episode appearance, a #1 Jamaican single, and over 8 million views on a single video.
"Always Be Around," produced by the renowned Llamar "Riff Raff" Brown, is a modern-sounding, minor-key masterpiece that continues the musical legacy Royal has steadily built over the last few years.
The forthcoming album Lily Of Da Valley, due in October, also includes production by Kareem "Remus" Burrell and Phillip "Winta" James, balancing new music with some recent hits such as "Modern Day Judas" and "Finally." By pairing with Easy Star, Royal is joining a label family that includes progressive reggae pioneers from all over the globe, including The Skints, Rebelution, The Black Seeds, The Green, Gentleman's Dub Club, Easy Star All-Stars, John Brown's Body, and many more. For the past year, Jesse has been working steadily in the studio on Lily Of Da Valley; the results are a debut album that is surely going to be one of the most talked about releases and take its place among reggae classics. Royal's ambition is to bring his music and vision to a worldwide reggae audience and beyond. He has been waiting for his moment in the spotlight, following the successful career launches of some of his friends and peers, including Chronixx and Protoje. Together with Jesse, these artists have spearheaded a popular return to conscious lyrics and messages in modern reggae.
As Jesse gears up for touring in support of Lily Of Da Valley, he will kick off the album campaign and celebrate the release of "Always Be Around" with a first time appearance at the Cali Roots Festival in Monterey, CA, the premier U.S. reggae festival, on Friday, May 26th.
TOUR DATESAug 11 Indigo At The O2 - Greenwich, United Kingdom Dec 03 The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA Dec 07 The Independent - San Francisco, CA Dec 08 The Independent - San Francisco, CA Dec 09 Mateel Community Center - Redway, CA Dec 13 VENUE - Vancouver, Canada Dec 15Neumos - Seattle, WA Dec 17Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR ?
