Irie Sol profile picture

Irie Sol

About Me

Irie Sol's founder, Junior Williams, moved to America from Kingston, Jamaica, with the dream of starting a band that would fuse the genres (reggae, dancehall, ska, and dub) indigenous to his native island with traditional American music forms (hip hop, funk, soul, rock, and jazz). He's "dubbed" (pun intended) the resulting music "Alternative World" to acknowledge its roots and routes in World and Alternative music and to conjure an alternative world of global unity. Erupting out of the Twin Cities with a musical blend that reflects diverse band members--who hail from Kingston, Jamaica; Nova Scotia, Canada; Providence, RI; Detroit, MI; New York City; Minneapolis and Winona, MN; Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, WI---Irie Sol delivers authentic Jamaican chat/DJing and soaring, soulful melodies backed by blazing bebop horns, wailing guitar, and tight drum and bass. Irie Sol has played shows with Natty Nation, Dred I Dread, and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and too many other talented musicians to name. Irie Sol's music can be enjoyed at live shows throughout the midwest, on many radio programs, and by downloading the new CD, Solstice, on iTunes.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 08/05/2006
Band Website: www.iriesol.com
Band Members: Irie Sol's CD, "Solstice" is "an instantly likable collection of songs." Ross Raihala, St. Paul Pioneer Press
View Irie Sol's EPK

I made this myspace background atMore Press: "Irie Sol is comprised of eight musicians who play guitar, bass, sax, trumpet, flute, drumset, djembe, and conga. This allows the band to bring in a variety of styles and influences, including the diverse vocal renderings of three singers (Junior, JP, and Lars Nelson). There is everything here from island music to soaring Spanish trumpet and guitar solos, and everything in between. Irie Sol writes original music and has a new CD, Solstice, out now." Janie Franz, Skope Magazine, Boston
Influences: "A recent expedition to the Twin Cities uncovered this 8-man reggae/hip hop band. Irie Sol is a tight unit with a live show that will blow your joints out." --O.J. Lima, VIBE Magazine, Editor-at-Large.
Sounds Like: Irie Sol's new CD, Solstice "is a perfect mix of the bands influences, amazingly enough without muddying up or dumbing down any of the original sources. It’s something that is so easy to write, and yet so hard to pull off – to be more than the sum of your parts." "One song can range from a protest reggae march to a smooth jam to a towering inferno of funk." "Hardened groove-thang shakers the world over, rejoice: your band just arrived!" Ian Jacoby, Volume One Magazine, Eau Claire
Type of Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Irie Sol on the Radio (again!)

Hello my positive friends!  I thought that I would let you know that Irie Sol landed on a couple new radio shows today!  Check em out!Bless!http://70.85.45.244/~usa4real/usa4real/home.phphtt p://willdi...
Posted by on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:19:00 GMT

AFC Radio

Hello all you Irieites!This Thursday Irie Sol will be included on an internet radio show called AFC Radio.The show starts at 11 if you want to tune in!Bless!Redlockshttp://afcollective.ning.com/profil...
Posted by on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:11:00 GMT

Irie Sol on the Radio!

Hey everybody! It has been a busy month for Irie Sol! We have landed on several internet radio shows and you can help us get the music out there by requesting our songs!Big Respect!RedlocksCurrently...
Posted by on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:32:00 GMT

Irie Sol ON THE RADIO WAVES!

Hey all,Irie Sol's "Your Love" is in rotation on Indie104, voted best internet station of the year in 2007 and '08.. Also, if you're in the LA area you can tune in and listen on a regular radio too!T...
Posted by on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:27:00 GMT

Come on Down to Dixies!

To all our Twin Cities dwelling (or nearby) fans, we are playing at Dixies on March 7th! Show starts at 10:00!We hope to see all of you there! Big Respect!Redlocks
Posted by on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:48:00 GMT

Check Us Out on TWITTER!

Hey all Irie Crazies? What's crackin'?Want to know what we're up to? Check us out on Twitter! Go to www.twitter.com to sign up for a profile to follow us and see what we're doing.See you on Twitter,...
Posted by on Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:34:00 GMT

Solstice - COmments on the new CD

Please, come one and all, and share your thoughts on the CD - SOLSTICE. What are the Favorite songs, and what is the overall take on the album as a WHOLE. Just want to initiate a little discussion o...
Posted by on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:53:00 GMT

Lima Chips

Irie Sol has been featured again on limachips.com as one of the top free give away songs of 2007! Thanks for downloading!Respect!Irie Sol
Posted by on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:40:00 GMT