What a weekend! On Saturday, February 13th, Southern California celebrated reggae-rock music at the One Love Cali-Reggae Festival in Santa Ana, CA. Simpkin Project performed in the afternoon and we’re sharing their live cut of “Beam of Light”, the titled-track to their new album dropping this spring via VP Records…
You can download Simpkin Project’s live track of “Beam of Light” for FREE on our home page under the MP3 Leak of the Week on the right hand column! This Download will only be available until Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016.
Simpkin Project – “Beam of Light” (LIVE) – Download HERE
“Beam of Light (LIVE)” Background:
Over the weekend, The Pier was in attendance at the One Love Cali-Reggae festival in Santa Ana, CA. The festival included headliners Rebelution, Iration & Stick Figure with after-party performances by Barrington Levy and Yellowman. The festival was sold out and one of the key performances from the afternoon came from a group of four guys from Huntington Beach, CA called Simpkin Project.
It was a pleasant surprise to receive contact from VP Records following Saturday’s One Love Cali-Reggae Festival with a live recording of Simpkin Project performing “Beam of Light”. For the most part, the sound was great at the festival as you can hear from the live recording.
We’ve been reporting on Simpkin Project’s new record, also titled Beam of Light, for more than a year and being that we’re midway through winter 2016, we’re told that the album is expected to be dropped sometime this Spring.
The new album will feature ten to eleven songs, along with a few remixes/dubs, a cover of a legendary soul tune and acoustic versions of some songs, according to the band.
“We chose this title for a few reasons,” says the band. “First off, ‘Beam of Light’ has proven itself to be a fan favorite when we perform the song at our shows! It’s easy to sing along to, even if it’s your first time hearing the tune. The words are simple but the message has many levels. So why not honor our fans by calling our album that? Just hearing the words ‘beam of light’ creates an abundance of beautiful mental images that each person uniquely experiences. It reminds us that we are all connected by something bigger than ourselves and it’s this theme that can be heard and sensed throughout the album’s duration.”
The majority of the album was recorded at Keyboardist Shawn Taylor’s home in Huntington Beach, CA under Producers Rellee Hayden and Al Cruz of A-Team Music (New Kingston, Gyption), with the mixing being done in studios in LA, New York, and possibly Jamaica.
“This album catches the true essence and spirit of what the band is today,” says lead vocalist Phil Simpkin. “It’s classic Simpkin, but at the same time is something very new and fresh! As a band this is our most collaborative album to date; everybody writes, everybody contributes.”
You can pick up The Simpkin Project’s music on iTunes by clicking HERE!
Simpkin Project Background:
Simpkin Project plays a multi-faceted blend of reggae and Americana that varies greatly on its exterior layers but only atop the organic rhythms of reggae music. Their sound has been described as “uncompromising… blend[ing] authentic roots rock rhythms with a wall-of-sound production style,” and the lyrical compositions of frontman Phil Simpkin range “from the simply truthful to the stirringly anthemic.” Their dedication and respect for reggae music is both seen and heard through their non-stop, enthusiastic live performances, songwriting style and studio recordings.
Rich guitar work that draws from influences in blues and rock ‘n’ roll is rarely in dull company, propelled steadily forward by the band’s thumping drums, bass and percussion, and the clockwork sound of rhythm guitar that defines Jamaica’s most culturally celebrated music. Their keyboard arrangements are lush and vibrant, providing a melodic backdrop against which three-part vocal harmonies shine brightly.
These pieces come together to form a kind of living machine comprised of seven cogs that change shape and size and tempo, and it moves not only bodies on a dance floor, but the hearts and minds inside them.
Simpkin Project’s music can be likened to a dialect of its parent language – culturally adapted to make sense in its place and time. It is music that addresses the struggles we all face; showing us that there is beauty in all things, from love to loss to injustice, and thus remaining true to the messages of traditional roots-reggae without which it would not exist.
the simpkin project Tour Dates
Simpkin Project Links:
Simpkin Project Website
Simpkin Project Facebook
VP Records Website
Huge thanks again to Simpkin Project, VP Records and the One Love Cali-Reggae Fest team for allowing us to share “Beam of Light” (LIVE) to post up for FREE download. Free music is a privilege that we’re grateful for and we appreciate the work these artists do! Please feel free to download this song for FREE and spread the awareness to your friends!
Enjoy the FREE track on the homepage!
Article By: Mike Patti
Watch: Simpkin Project – “Conflict” (LIVE @ The Belly Up. San Diego, CA)
