Rising singer, songwriter, and guitarist Joe Samba, who finds the sweet spot between smoked-out Caribbean bliss and sweat-soaked punkified energy, has released an incredible new tribute for the Queen hit “Don’t Stop Me Now” to mark the song’s 45th Anniversary. The legendary British rock band originally released the track as a single on January 26, 1979. Joe’s version features Dave Petti on drums, Justino Lee Walker on guitars, and Billy Kottage of The Interrupters on keyboards and trombone. PRESS HERE to listen and PRESS HERE to watch the in-studio music video, directed by Tyler Ayers and filmed at and produced by Revelry Studios in Manchester, NH.
“Queen, without question, is one of the most legendary rock bands to ever do it. They’re also one of the most musical and technical to be ‘popular music,’ shares Joe Samba. “I have always thought, any band that can cover a Queen song and do it justice is world-class. What made me want to cover ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’? Well, maybe 8 or 9 years ago, my friends and I would go to our local bar for their weekend karaoke night. It was always a fun night out drinking with friends. ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ was my go-to karaoke song. The people at the bar would always turn up and start dancing and cheering every time I did it, so it became a thing when I went to do karaoke. Fast forward to now, I have an opportunity to cover it, and hopefully do it justice myself! Freddie Mercury isn’t the easiest vocalist to follow, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Seeing that this year marks 45 years since Queen released it as a single, I wanted to pay homage to one of the greats. I really hope everybody digs it, from my fans to die hard Queen fans.”
With guitar slung low, microphone turned up, and emotion overflowing, Joe Samba taps into rock ‘n’ roll spirit and reggae soul all at once. The Massachusetts-born and now New Hampshire-based artist sonically teeters on an axis of island-inflected grooves and gritty guitar-craft balanced by his dynamic vocals and honest emotion. Samba first recognized music’s inherent power to connect as a kid, growing up surrounded by music in his household. After testing the waters as a teen in a metal band, Joe soon cut his teeth performing solo in countless bars and watering holes and then, in 2019, released his independent debut, The Wrong Impression, which made a major splash. The album bowed at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart and has since clocked over 2 million streams, thanks in part to the breakout hit “How We Do.” In 2021, Samba signed with LAW Records and, after a string of single drops, released his sophomore album, Far From Forever, in June 2022, highlighted by the fan favorites “Create Something,” “Boomer Economy,” “Beef,” and “Got It All.” Last year, he released an updated version of “Create Something” featuring Elliot Martin of John Brown’s Body – PRESS HERE to listen to “Create Something” (Minor Version).
In a few short years, Joe Samba has quietly emerged as a phenomenon racking up over 8 million total streams and building up his acclaimed, energetic live show, which led to him embarking on his first-ever headlining tour this past fall. Throughout 2023, Joe also toured extensively from coast to coast supporting Pepper, Badfish: A Tribute To Sublime, and Shwayze, performed at numerous festivals including Summer Camp Music Festival, Cali Roots Festival, Reggae Rise Up Florida and Maryland, and Cali Vibes, and opened for Sublime With Rome, Andy Frasco & The U.N, and Ziggy Marley.
