Uncovering the Musical Magic Behind
the Easy-Star All Stars with Michael Goldwasser
1. What was the process of creating "Five Years" like?
Michael Goldwasser:
This one was super fun because I’ve been a fan of the song for a long time my high school
band actually used to cover "Five Years" when we were first starting out. The first thing that
I needed to think about when arranging the song was what to do about the time signature –
Bowie’s version is in 6/8 time but reggae is typically in 4/4 time. While I’ve arranged reggae
tunes in odd time signatures before (see Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread for
examples), I decided to convert "Five Years" to 4/4 time, which required rethinking the flow
of the melody and of all of the other elements such as the string arrangement. I strove to
find a good balance between retaining elements from the original song and making it stand
on its own as a reggae track. I loved layering on all of the different overdubs such as the
strings, grand piano, and even 12-string guitar, I think that this was the first time that I
played a 12-string on a reggae track. And of course, it’s always a joy to work with Steel
Pulse on the vocals, David and Selwyn have such a distinctive sound.
2. How do the Easy Star All-Stars use vocal harmonies to enhance their sound?
Michael Goldwasser:
I believe that vocal harmonies are generally essential to reggae, and to most music. On the
Ziggy Stardub album, some harmonies were based on those from the original, but we also
added harmonies based on classic reggae, r&b, early rock’n’roll, and even gospel, which are
all connected anyway. And that’s our approach to most every song that we do finding the
right harmonies based on our combined knowledge of musical styles.
3. How does Easy Star All-Stars adapt classic rock, dub, and indie rock into your own
unique sound?
Michael Goldwasser:
I think that one of the keys to our success in adapting other styles into our reggae sound is
that we approach each project with a healthy combination of respect and humour. As the
arranger, I pay attention to all of the details from the original material, down to the smallest
sound effect, and then I decide if, when, and how to interpolate those elements. But we
never lose sight of keeping the reggae authentic if it doesn’t ring true as reggae (or
whatever Jamaican style we are going for in a particular song) then we’re missing the point.
But each album is different on Ziggy Stardub I made a conscious decision to include more "rock" guitar in our version. It just felt right on this one, maybe because I think that Mick
Ronson (the guitarist on the original album) was so amazing and I wanted to also pay tribute
to him.
4. What has been the most memorable show the band has performed?
Michael Goldwasser:
We’ve played so many memorable shows so it’s hard to pick just one! I’m going to go with
the time that we played the Glastonbury Festival in 2009 since that’s one of the best and
most famous festivals in the world. We played on three different stages on three
consecutive days, which is an honor not usually afforded to artistes.
5. What have been the biggest challenges when performing in different countries?
Michael Goldwasser:
Music is a universal language and reggae music has serious fans all over the world, so
musically we never have a challenge in different countries. I’d say the biggest challenge
comes from travel: getting somewhere on time when there’s an issue with a vehicle or
flights, for example, or just the physical wear-and-tear of being on the road.
6. What has been the most rewarding aspect of touring in over 30 countries?
Michael Goldwasser:
Being able to bring joy and meaning to people all over the world. Every time we play, we
have an opportunity to connect with an audience as a whole, but also with each and every
individual in the audience. It’s an amazing feeling to see people reacting to the vibrations
that we as a group are creating at that moment.
7. How does the band stay connected to their fans on a global scale?
Michael Goldwasser:
I’m not generally a fan of social media in that I prefer to be interacting in the real world, but
social media has become vital in staying connected to fans around the globe. The hard part
is when fans from a certain place want us to come through again and that’s out of our
control some people don’t realize that bands don’t usually choose where to tour; it’s
dependent on other factors such as promoters, tour routing, and of course, economics.
8. How has the Easy Star All-Stars musical style evolved over the past two decades?
Michael Goldwasser:
I think that we’ve remained a consistently solid reggae act over the years, but since many
musicians have passed through the band they each bring their own individual style.
9. What has been the biggest challenge the Easy Star All-Stars have faced as a band?
Michael Goldwasser:
Sometimes some members of the band get a little frustrated that our original material
doesn’t get as much notice as our tribute albums, and I do think that the Until That Day EP
and First Light album stand on their own as great works. But it’s a privilege to be able to
tour the world playing music, and I think that our tribute albums have opened up a lot of
doors for us, and for other artistes by expanding the audience for reggae.
10. What's next for Easy Star All-Stars, are there anything else you would like to say to
your fans?
Michael Goldwasser:
We hope to tour behind Ziggy Stardub for quite a while and bring the music to our fans all
over the world. As for a message for the fans: listen to all music, and to all people, with an
open mind and an open heart. Everyone wins when that happens.
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Easy Star All-Stars ft. Steel Pulse "Five Years":
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royal blue colored vinyl along with CD and exclusive t-shirt offerings.
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