Rockers Galore
INTERVIEW with band founders, Blayer Pointdujour & Adam Benites
Where are you from/where are you now?
Adam: I'm from the Olney neighborhood in Philadelphia and I'm still in Philly.
Blayer: I am from Elizabeth, NJ. I have lived in South Philly for 15 years.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music?
Blayer: We are a Roots Rock Reggae outfit. We started exploring Haitian Kompa rhythms. The music is now influenced by range of music from Afropop to Cumbia.
Adam: That's tough because I still don't really know, but how about, Indie/Reggae-Island Hop? Hahaha!
Your punk roots are evident in your sound, and quite fittingly considering you played with one of Philly's notorious black punk bands, Phil Moore Browne. How did that experience set the stage for Rockers Galore?
Blayer: I had the pleasure to play drums for PMB a couple of years ago. I remember the first time I met them. They were so free. They tried to incorporate punk and afrobeat music. They had amazing energy onstage. I believe they taught me that I could explore music from my country and put my own spin on it.
Adam: Man, those guys are like family so that was something I will never forget, and the fact that we got to play those songs with them on stage, that was really awesome and a blast to learn.
Your band has been embraced by rock purists, alt-tropical music fans, and diehard reggae heads, however, it's difficult to get your music heard across the board, especially when your music stretches across genres. Where do you find a better support system for indie bands: independent/college radio or underground venues? Do streaming services distribute your music evenly?
Adam: I think they all work to a degree. The streaming has soooo much content that I bet indie bands can get lost within. I guess my favorites are venues because you have other bands, their fans, and our fans all vibing. I feel like the live setting gives people something tangible.
Blayer: We have developed a good relationship with (University of Pennsylvania’s radio station) WXPN. They have given us a lot of support. We play mostly underground venues. Our Bandcamp is the most important site we have. People seem to really trust it. That’s where most of our streams and sales come from.
Your Haitian & Caribbean roots are on full blast with Rockers Galore, with shouts of 'Sak Pasè, N'ap Boule' over top of dancehall-like riddims & Kompa beats. But you make it hard rock, above all. How did this approach come to you? Did you wake up one day and think, 'I'm gonna make Kompa sound like Van Halen'?
Blayer: It always starts with the bass and drums. Once I came up with that, the verse and chorus started to take shape. Adam was able to bring the rock element on top of the beat. I really love that track. It is one of my favorites to play live.
I've seen you perform with a tight 4-piece band as well as with a full brass section & percussionist. Which configuration is your favorite?
Adam: For me, it's the full thing. I think the most we ever had at once was, like, 9 or 10 on stage. I loved it! But, every time we do the 4-piece, it ends up being as much fun as 9 or 10. I think we have even done 3 of us before.
Blayer: We tend to adjust the line up depending on the show. When we get a chance to play a big venue we make sure to have a large horn section. I believe our biggest lineup was 11 people.
Besides headlining your own shows, Rockers Galore has rocked stages supporting a variety of bands that have origins throughout Latin America & the Caribbean. From Chicano Batman and Combo Chimbita to Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Rockers Galore sets a vibe. Which is your favorite opener gig?
Blayer: We have played with a wide variety of acts such as Gza, Killer mic, Low Cut Connie, to T-Vice (Kompa Legends). Opening for T-Vice at the TLA was one of my favorites. My family grew up listening to that band. I had family from Canada and New Jersey come to attend the show. It was also my birthday!
Adam: Every single one of those was a killer night and all of those groups are incredible. I'd have to say Lee or opening for H.R., legends man. It was unreal.
Rockers Galore participated in a tribute concert for the 40th-anniversary celebration of The Clash's 'London Calling' album at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live. Obviously, your band name is a direct reference to The Clash and their 'Rockers Galore' album. Which tune from The Clash resonates the most for Rockers Galore?
Blayer: Right now, ‘Get down Moses’ from Joe Strummer's Streetcore album is on repeat. I love how he is acquainting life with Moses's story in the Bible. Bob Marley’s ‘Exodus’ touches on the same subject. I'm trying to add a more spiritual context to my lyrics so using those as a guide helps a lot.
Adam: That was soooo much fun playing that show and learning all of those songs. I'd have to say, "I'm not down". I was sooo excited to play it and didn't want to mess up this one part and when we got to it, I don’t know what happened so, me and that song, have something.
Your songs pull zero punches and give zero fucks when it comes to social justice. In fact, two of your songs are dedicated to young black men murdered by police brutality ('Hands Up, Don't Shoot' and 'Philando'). Do you worry the message gets lost when performing in non-underground venues, or in front of non-black audiences? Have you been approached by anyone after your set who had an opinion on what you should or shouldn't say?
Blayer: On Philando I wrote... " If you're not my complexion, you can never see how they look at me just for being free.” I've been harassed by the police starting at a very young age. I don't expect anyone that hasn't been through it to really understand. I just hope they can listen and gain perspective on the matter.
Adam: I wouldn't say it gets lost but it could lose some relativity from one audience to another. I just hope people hear the point. And no, I haven't been approached by anyone like that.
Despite the pain & heaviness of social injustice, you find time for upbeat party vibes. Your latest single, 'Celebration of Life', is one of those songs that exude Caribbean feel-good vibes where Haitian Kompa and Reggaeton Dembow beats to create a dancefloor-ready anthem. In the spirit of Ice Cube's 'Today was a good day', What's a good day for you?
Blayer: Good day for me means starting off with morning sex, eating brunch, then going for a hike.
Adam: Everyday.
What advice would you give to a young person from the diaspora who wants to do what you do?
Adam: Get informed and never forget about your roots, check out the music, be as cultured as possible and open-minded because your perspective and approach will blossom, then let your creativity take over and have fun.
Blayer: I believe originality is key. You have to be able to create something unique. No one wants to hear something that has already been done.