roots of creation rise up with a new cd 
Having a band is hard work if you do it right. So far, Brookline N.H.’s Roots of Creation are keeping all the plates spinning, managing and booking themselves successfully, while somehow finding the time to record a fine sophomore CD, “Rise Up.” Formed in 1999 by guitarist/vocalist Brett Wilson, the band went through a few lineup changes before establishing the current and (rock) steady lineup of Wilson, Tal Pearson (keys, melodica), Mike Chadinha (drums, percussion, SPDS Sampler, backup vocals) and Jay Felitto (bass). Ian Stitch plays bass on the album.

“Rise Up” was recorded at N.H.’s impressive and gear-laden Studio Metronome with Pete Peloquin manning the mixing board. Peloquin has been around the block a few times. Oasis, The Pixies, New Order, The Hives, and even (gasp) Marky Mark have benefited from his services, among a laundry list of others. The packaging is top notch, too—a glossy digipak adorned with impressive illustrations designed by Nick Lamper of Burlington, Vt.. The band hired a publicist to push the disc to college radio and press, sent promo CDs to 500 street team members across the country, and are on the Relix Magazine CD compilation that goes out with every magazine (all 100,000 of them) in the month of November. Roots of Creation aren’t screwing around, and when the title track kicks off the CD with band leader Brett Wilson’s voice saying “Rise up, everybody rise up yeah / Won’t you hear these words?” it’s an order.

The music is reggae, sort of. It shares some of the grit of Sublime as the guitars (supplied by Wilson) grind on occasion when they aren’t floating on beds of silky echoes like on “Babylon.” Keyboardist Pearson hammers on a clavinet before the band kicks into “Dubomb,” when drummer Chadinha and album bassist Stitch find the pocket of course. The band proceeds to flat out rock, throwing in the occasional half time reggae feel and then taking the music to epic heights sure to please the jam crowd, but without alienating the ska fans. Soulive horn player Sam Kininger lends his saxophone talents to “That’s How Strong My Love Is” (a song which further supports the Sublime comparisons) and Gordon Stone plays pedal steel on the Ben Harper-esque “Made for Me.” The CD makes swell listening for any who likes reggae, jam, ska, roots rock. We caught up with the guys to see what’s in store for ROC—besides their show at The Stone Church on Thursday, Oct. 5.

It seems like it’s been a long road thus far for ROC How does it feel to finally have a solid line-up and a second full-length CD out after six years of touring?
Brett Wilson (guitar, vocals): (It’s) such a relief. When I look back on things, I feel like I’ve climbed a giant mountain. But when I look into the future, there’s so much more to accomplish and my mountain is
just a tiny hill in the scheme of things. I’m really happy with the album all around.

Tal Pearson (keys, melodica): It’s comforting and satisfying ... but also challenging, ’cus now it’s like, how far can we take it? At least we’re used to touring by now.

What was it like to record at Studio Metronome with Pete Peloquin? That place seems like it’s pretty decked out with good gear and more importantly, good ears.
Wilson: Pete is the man! We’ve been friends for a long time, I interned at the studio while I was in college and was recording our first CD, “The End of the Beginning.” He has a great ear for production!

Pearson: (It was) inspiring, because there were so many tools to work with there, almost too many options. It just took a little focus to not get carried away, and just record our songs the best we could.

Your music is a mish-mash of stuff: reggae, rock, jazz and funk. I’m sure the jam crowd welcomed you with open arms, but does it ever seem odd to be playing a style of music like reggae in such a cold climate?
Wilson: Our brand of reggae is much heavier and is played mostly in minor keys so it gives off a different vibe than that awful resort-area type stuff. The jam crowd does seem to be the most receptive. It’s nice to be a part of a scene with so many great musicians. The fact that every show is different, and we improvise a bunch helps a lot, too. We also get a lot of love at colleges/private high schools and from ska/punk fans. I’m happy that we’re gaining respect in the reggae scene for bringing something new to the table.

Tell me about making the record. How long did it take? Was there a lyrical or musical focus point that guided the work?
Pearson: (It took a ) very long time. We knew the songs we were working with for the record, and sort of what we wanted the outcome to be. At the same time we were really finding a “sound” for the band, our own identity so to speak, so that certainly tied in with the product we were trying to make. I think the record does a great job of capturing where the band was at, at a particular point in time.

Chadinha: We started tracking in early January of 2006. We wanted make the album seem like a live show, while still having the advantage of studio effects. That’s why a lot of the songs segue into each other.

What’s the plan for the band with the release of “Rise Up?” Extended touring? World domination? TRL?
Wilson: We’re hitting all of our favorite Northeast venues in September and October, then touring down south in November. World Domination happens in December. I hate Carson Daly!

Which one of you is the band’s whipping boy, the one who catches the most good natured flack in the van/on the road?
Pearson: Ha ha… New bass player Jay still has some friendly hazing to endure. And our roadie Soren has at least eight nicknames.

Wilson: It’s me a lot of the time. They like to get back at their “fearless leader,” as Jay likes to call me.

Songs like “Legalize It & Tax It” seem pretty straight up, “Peace, Love and Music...” drives a point at the Woodstock festivals in the 1990s, and then there’s the provocative album title. How do politics and philosophy fit into your music?
Wilson: Everything in my life is an inspiration. I was brought up vegetarian in a small southern New Hampshire town by a single mother from the ’60s whose is an idealist, worldly and very spiritual. She brought me up with the belief that all people are equal, that humans are essentially good, to treat animals/plants with the same respect, and that all religions are paths to the same place. She was into SYDA Yoga, which is based in Hinduism. I traveled to India when I was very young and a lot of my summers and vacation were spent at meditation centers and retreats.

I also have a rebelious/militant/anti-establishment side that has been influenced by Peter Tosh, Malcolm X, The Clash (and punk rock in general), Rage Against The Machine, etc. This started in my teen-age days (for obvious reasons) but has not gone away.

What’s your favorite musical memory and why?
Mike Chadinha (drums): The peace and justice rally on Boston Common. There was an estimated 10,000-30,000 people. Not only was it a good memory for the cause, but, obviously the amount of people.

Pearson: The first time I listened to “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” by the Smashing Pumpkins. It was at that moment (In early September of 1996) that I knew rock and roll was for me, and that I wanted to play in a band. My parents have been disappointed ever since!

What’s in the band van CD player or iPod right now?
Pearson: Live Roots of Creation, unfortunately. To see what we did right and wrong.