Issue 20 All pages final

First page 48-49 52-53 Last page

FEATURE

The Strays may have their roots in rock but these days the vibes include reggae, soca, blues, jazz and funk too.

ONE OF ANTIGUA’S MOST ELECTRIFYING BANDS, THE STRAYS TALK ROOTS, REGGAE – AND WHY THEY NEVER RUN WITH THE PACK ECLECTIC BEATS, VINTAGE VIBES I nterviewing The Strays feels a bit like being invited onto the hip kids’ table at high school. trainer when he’s not on the mic’, and manager and guitarist Hani Hechme, a sound engineer whose Irie Fire studio in Hodges Bay is a favoured haunt for some of the region’s biggest names.

In late 2017, the band were rehearsing shortly after Hurricane Irma devastated Barbuda. “Some of the guys took a smoke break, and I think it may have been Ed [George, former member] or Hani who started playing a Bob Marley song so I started singing it,” Adam recalls. “We kind of looked at each other for a second as if to say, this actually sounds really good, maybe we should sing some more reggae.” One of Adam’s clients was helping organise the Caribbean Strong concert in October that year to raise money for Barbuda. An informal conversation later and The Strays were booked to open for Shaggy and soca legend Machel Montano. “Meanwhile, I hadn’t been on a big stage since way back when I sang for [iconic Antiguan band] Burning Flames. I figured hey, we got two weeks, let’s just throw caution to the wind and do it. “I put together a really nice reggae medley with the band that would fill our set for that evening perfectly. We rehearsed and rehearsed, but we were all still pretty nervous I think; I know I was. I was either going to make a complete a*s of myself, or die trying not to. “This show was to be broadcast all over the world, live. I don’t think I could have chosen a higher pressured event for our debut if I tried.” Happily, things went smoothly. “The night went really well, we got a lot of great feedback, and two weeks later we were asked to open for Wyclef Jean at a private event on Jumby Bay. The

In addition to the fact they ooze cool, the plaintiff riffs and ruminative lyrics of early 90s bangers like Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ and Chili Peppers’ ‘Under The Bridge’ are enough to transport you straight back to the days of teenage angst and lumpy mashed potato. In actual fact, the tunes they perform are as eclectic as the band members themselves. And collectively – like today on the beach at Catherine’s Café - they’re a tour de force, not least because they’re quite unlike any other band on Antigua’s entertainment scene. The Strays may have their roots in rock but these days the vibes include reggae, soca, blues, jazz and funk too; their diversity is linked to the multifarious musical backgrounds of each of the six members. The band’s name has a double meaning, with nods to both the convergence of musicians from other groups and The Strays’ very first performance in 2016 at a fundraiser for a local animal charity. The event in aid of Parham-based dog and cat shelter PAAWS had been organised by singer Adam Kirby’s brother Adrian. ‘The Strays’ was a last-minute moniker invented by Adrian as the original ensemble prepared to walk on stage. Most of those erstwhile members have since strayed off again. Today the band includes Adam, who’s a personal

There’s also fellow sound engineer, recording artist and beat producer Javan Murdoch, bassist Tony Mayers and drummer Nathan Dinard, who both work in banking, and keyboardist Khadijah Simon, a photographer. Face to face they’re refreshingly down to earth, amiable, and eager to chat. They’ll even give considered answers to admittedly trite questions like, if you could perform with any musician living or dead… (We couldn’t resist. If you’re interested: Jimi Hendrix, Bruno Mars, Bono and – closer to home – Antiguan jazz guitarist Roland Prince.) Their foray into reggae from rock came about as organically as their union.

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