Soul Majestic — the Jamaican-inspired, California-based reggae band — released their newest album, Keep It Burning, on July 24, debuting at No. 6 on the iTunes chart. The 12-track record is a brew of intoxicating chord progressions, offers a message of unity, and features reggae icons Prezident Brown, Josh Heinrichs, and Dread Kennedy.
Formed in Santa Barbara, the band consists of Eric Iverson, Oriana Sanders, and David Lyons. Keep It Burning, Soul Majestic’s sixth record, was born during the Standing Rock Protests of 2016. The band keeps the heart of reggae beating, combining infectious grooves with a passion for oneness, change, and persistence. Bandmates Iverson and Sanders, now married with two children, have been performing together along with lead guitarist Lyons since 2000. Alongside amassing popularity, they are currently riding their “highest peak of songwriting and musical creation.” I recently spoke with Iverson about their mission, songwriting, and the strides the band continues to make.
The song “Keep It Burning” was written as a response to the Standing Rock protests, but the lyrics speak to resistance in broader terms. Was that your intention when you wrote it? [Our intention] was writing a song to represent being there for each other and showing solidarity with our brothers and sisters. The chorus sings, “I’ll be by your side / We’ll walk all day and through the night / As long as the world keeps turnin’, yeah / We’ll keep the fire burning,” and that just says it all right there. It wasn’t just during Standing Rock but also the election … and it all lined up with the future of what was to come.