By LEISA GREENE-NELSON
The word synergy means, forces coming together to be greater in magnitude than the sum of their separate parts.
Lead singer Brian Zach of the reggae band Synrgy talks about the band through this scientific term. This is how he defines the band working together. Synrgy is a hardworking, grassroots indy band. The diverse band members collaborate and create something better together than alone.
According to Brian, “The same energy occurs between the band and the audience. You will see a high-energy Reggae clan, with a positive music, a positive message, and fun to dance to.”
Popular in Arizona, California, and Oregon, the band has performed, toured, and lived in three states in a six year period. They landed most recently in Ashland where Brian says, “Oregon blew us up and were so welcoming. Ashland welcomed our band with open arms.”
This will be their first time in Montana, making Missoula their first stop in the Northwest. They are on their second leg of a long running tour promoting the band’s newest album, “Synrgy”. Brian says, “We heard good things about Missoula.” The idea is that Missoula will be as open as Ashland, Oregon. That is their hope.
They are scheduled to play this summer at Reggae on the River in California after their Northwestern tour. Brian sounds excited and encouraged about their busy schedule and growing fan base due to touring when he states, “We all quit our jobs two years ago to go to hit the road. It is all unfolding amazingly!”
They are a completely independent band. Synrgy handles the booking, promotion, finances, artwork, merchandise, as well as write originals together.
The band members (booked solid with venues since they cut their first album “Live in Love”) are making some sacrifices but doing what they love to do since they graduated from college. They are busy from the moment they wake until they get to bed. On May 2, they released their first official music video “Blow Those Clouds away”. You can check out their video on the Synrgy Facebook page.
Synrgy’s music is described as “high energy roots reggae, woven with elements of ska, funk, and blues.” The band consists of TJ Eilers (Bass Guitar), Aaron Reed (Drums), Clay Baker (Electric Guitar), Lex Mainard (Keyboards), and Brian Zach (lead vocals). Albums are for sale on iTunes, Amazon, or through CDBaby on their website. You can purchase them at any of their live shows.
Lyrics the audience can look forward to hearing are positive and uplifting. Brian’s favorite lyrics are from the song “Back To Where I Came” where he sings:
By the end you will be glad to have
the struggle turned strength.
That’s when I go
back to where I came.
Brian says, “To me, this song is about every single struggle that we have is a strength. We are back to that fullness, where the conflicts in our lives are the reason we learn the lesson for the day. They refine us and it is a good day.”
Clay Baker, who also puts on the Personal Relations hat for Synrgy, encourages Missoula Reggae fans “to come see what the buzz is all about, or just come to get down on the dance floor.”
The Synrgy band members, along with their Marketing and Sales Manager Emily Berlant, will be rolling into town early on May 24 with their three touring dogs: Spoon, a cuddly female black lab mutt; Bella, an old haggard female pug with a horrible attitude; and Java, a totally cool, friendly, love-bug of a pit bull.
They will be playing in Missoula at Monk’s this Thursday, May 24. The show starts at 9 p.m. with a cover charge of $3 at the door.
*****************
Read more of Leisa’s stories about the Missoula music scene.
*****************
Call her a big city girl at heart, finding and satiating that appetite in the city of Missoula. Born in Butte and raised in Missoula, she is fascinated by people and looks for interesting characters to write about. Everyone has a story to tell, or not, but the people and places in Missoula are unique.
Moving fast in life (for that big city feel) Leisa’s passions bounce around music, theater, food, art, family, and friends that’s supported by an IV line of dark roasted coffee. Single and a recent graduate from the University of Montana with a BA in Creative Writing, she learned what it was like to be a co-ed in her 40s.
She currently works as an Office Manager at Inter-State Studio and Publishing, working on school photos and yearbooks. Her personal life and nightlife is where she discovers and creates creative non-fiction stories. She has four supportive, loving children: Dustin, Michael, Jalynn, and Mark (adopted through marriage to Dustin) who are all artistically creative in writing, theater, dance, and singing. Leisa likes to think she moves faster than they do.