Last month, SunDub released their third studio LP, titled Shoot Your Arrow, following up their 2022 masterpiece, Spirits East Music with another gift to the reggae community. Under the expert tutelage of Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse), the Brooklyn-based group doesn’t necessarily create a new wrinkle in the modern reggae sound, but rather uses impeccable songwriting, musicianship and production to rightfully carry the torch of the best of roots reggae that has captivated fans around the world for generations.

For their latest album, the band traveled to the birthplace of reggae music, Kingston, Jamaica, to record at the storied Tuff Gong Studio, founded by Rita Marley in 1981 after Bob’s passing.  According to drummer, Ben Teters, SunDub has always wanted to go to Jamaica as a band, and when the opportunity to record at Tuff Gong came up, they pounced. “Sidney (Mills) has worked a lot at Tuff Gong over the years, and we couldn’t have done it without his guidance,” Teters assured. “We feel really honored to have recorded this record in a place where so much legendary music has been born out of.”

Teters said that most of the songs were tracked live with the whole band in the  room, so they “definitely felt the inspiration of the classic Jamaican rhythm sections and bands during that process.” He and his sister, singer Joanna Teters, attributed the Tuff Gong vibes and the expertise of their engineers with helping to really “lean into roots and Jamaican reggae” more than some of their other releases.

Earl “Chinna” Smith photo by Derrick Bourne & Ben Teters

Contributing to that Tuff Gong mystique, Shoot Your Arrow benefitted from the playing of  two famed Jamaican musicians, guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith, known for his work with the Marley’s Wailers as well as with the renowned Jamaican session band, Soul Syndicate, and saxophone player, Dean Fraser, who has performed on thousands of reggae recordings since the 1970s.  “Working with Chinna and Dean was a beautiful way to tap into some of the scene in the Kingston, Jamaica, area where we were,” said the Teters siblings.  “Both Chinna and Dean are such phenomenal creative forces that have contributed to the reggae genre in a very foundational way over the years. It was a great learning experience to witness them learn and add their parts to our songs in real time.”  What stood out, they said, was “the uniqueness of their respective voices,” adding that “their individual style and pureness of character has been the thing that’s made their contributions to reggae music so valuable through the years.”

Joanna Teters photo by Derrick Bourne & Ben Teters

The first three songs of the album, which include “Road Block,” the title track, and then “Sent Us Away,” all pertain to perseverance; maintaining one’s focus, drive and self-worth. Regarding the inspiration for this central theme, Joanna explained, “Providing encouragement by way of positive and clear lyrics for people to tap into and feel uplifted by is always a priority for SunDub. In these divided and dark times we’re living in, to pour forth good energy and help to manifest connection and hope seems like my most important role as an artist.”

She continued, “As the lead lyricist for the group, I find myself writing the lyrics that I most need to hear — especially when I’m working through moments of doubt or change. The lyrics to ‘Shoot Your Arrow’ and ‘Road Block’ were written at a time when I was grappling with and facing some of the realities of being a woman in an industry that often tells you to keep your dreams on hold, that you have to fit a certain mold, and that you need to work harder and faster and better in order to be successful. I don’t agree! But I need to remind myself sometimes, and my lyrics help with that. I hope they may help someone else too.”

“Road Block” is an upbeat earworm with Joanna singing every second line of the chorus quickly, almost as if harmonizing with herself rather than just singing with the same pacing. Explaining this interesting cadence, Joanna shared that Mills had brought the original riddim that evolved into the song, “and if I remember correctly,” she stated, “it was accompanied by a perfect little mumbled voice memo from Sidney that brought the chorus melody to fruition.”

Joanna Teters photo by Alex Torres

She added, “Although it’s pretty different stylistically, the shape of the ‘Road Block’ chorus brings to mind a lot of 90s and 2000s gospel/R&B call and response moments between the lead vocalist and the choir. Figuring out how to track this properly, I had to try a couple of different approaches to find the right balance between the lead vocal and the backgrounds and how they wove together.”

“Road Block” is not the only song on Shoot Your Arrow that finds Joanna singing backup to her own lead vocals. While SunDub calls on the talented Nikki Burt to sing backup on two of the tracks, the majority of the harmonizing comes from Teters herself. “I would have loved to include Nikki more on this record and I hope to work with her more in the future because she is such a pro and brought such an awesome, fresh angle to the background parts on ‘Leaders’ and ‘Family Thing,’ but it sort of just worked out that way,” Joanna explained. “Selfishly, I really love to write background vocals and really enjoy the process of recording my own backgrounds — the layering, the puzzle-piecing, playing with different colors and tonalities. Sidney, Ben and I wrote a lot of these background parts together and their voices are also weaving in and out on this record here and there.”

Bass player Derrick Bourne

The aforementioned “Sent Us Away,” the third track on the album and last of the opening trilogy of inspirational songs, features a guest appearance from the inimitable Hawaiian artist, Mike Love. Even without the Oahu-born and bred singer’s vocals on the track, stylistically, the song feels like it could be one of Love’s own. “We never planned ‘Sent Us Away’ for Mike Love but it turned out to be a very fitting track for him,” Ben commented. “Mike’s music often has complex harmony, melody and rhythm in a dense but very musical way. ‘Sent Us Away’ echoes some of these same elements and really feels full from an arrangement, harmonic, and melodic perspective. I think that’s why it felt like a good fit for Mike.”

The next track, “Round the Corner,” finds SunDub dipping into the lovers rock subgenre with a dose of r&b and a touch of 80s style keyboards.

With the Teters siblings at the core of the band, SunDub has always been a family affair.  Then, Joanna married their rhythm guitarist, Jose Lopez, adding another wrinkle, which seems to be the inspiration for the fifth song on Shoot Your Arrow, “Family Thing.” About this element of their group, Ben said, “This connection brings a certain level of commitment and trust to the band. It’s definitely a different dynamic than most bands. I’m thankful that Joanna, Jose, and I all have a shared vision of the future and have chosen to work toward that future together. We also see the rest of our bandmates as family and expect and depend on them the same way as we do our actually family.”

After “Family Thing,” the next track on Shoot Your Arrow, “Don’t Let Me Down,” features a collaboration with another Hawaiian artist, the vivacious HIRIE. While it may appear to be a common thread with both guest vocalists on the album coming from Hawaii, according to Ben, SunDub’s work with Mike Love and HIRIE came through their connections and was motivated by their admiration for each of them. “Although we didn’t set out to do two Hawaiian artist features, I feel that Hawaiian reggae often leans into some of the more soul/r&b influences, which is a good fit for our sound,” he said.

So often, love song duets are comprised of a man and a woman singing. It’s a refreshing change to have two women singing a love song together, especially when it features two of the most alluring voices in reggae today. “We felt like HIRIE was a perfect fit for this one because it’s such a fun, poppy tune with a lot of brightness and fierce femininity — we knew she could bring it,” Joanna commented. “We didn’t read into it too much at the time, but now that it’s done, I feel empowered to say that I feel like it’s less of a ‘classic’ love song duet in that the artists are speaking to each other, and more of a moment where we’re two women aligning on a clear message — that we don’t want to be let down, not by a lover, a friend, the patriarchy – you name it!”

Next, SunDub presents a more traditional love song, “Taught Me,” a beautiful, moving testament to a ride-or-die partner. Worth noting, the chorus finds Joanna hitting a higher register than she typically sings in, and her performance is flawless and deeply moving.

I was wishing,

For someone to take what I was giving

For someone to get me out this prison I made in my mind

And you, you came along with all the right moves

With a kind of love I couldn’t refuse

You brought me alive

“Joy and Pain” follows with Kalani Trinidad’s tenor saxophone front and center, really driving the vibes of this classic roots reggae styled song. Joanna sings, “Joy and pain, why must they feel the same?” It’s a good question, actually, because on the surface one would think that these are opposite feelings. However, the brain’s pleasure and pain centers are intertwined, creating overlap between these intense human experiences and, at times, making them difficult to tell apart. Both physical and emotional trauma trigger the release of endorphins and dopamine, the same neurotransmitters responsible for pleasure and euphoria. Intense joy and severe panic both cause heart rates to accelerate, breathing to become heavy, and can each trigger tears.

Additionally, Joanna’s lyrics encourage listeners to keep the faith in times of struggle:

Like a war raging far away

Nothing you can do to make it change

But hope and pray that the powers hear our pleas

And though it feels it don’t make sense

Love will always be our best defense

Open up your heart, let it bring you to your knees

Joy and pain

Why must they feel the same?

Joy and pain

Your tears may fall but you’ll always smile again

Trust when the time is right

And all the stars align

We’re gonna see a different sign

So, if you close your eyes

And bring this thought to mind

Balance always comes with time

“Love and Humanity” follows, SunDub’s take on the “Brooklyn Riddim” project they released last spring. As stated in our Showcase article about this project, the band provides some strong commentary on the current political administration, ultimately expressing optimism that good will overcome.

The penultimate track, “Leaders,” gives thanks to teachers, certainly a vastly under-appreciated group of people that deserve far more recognition, gratitude and compensation for the challenging profession and critical role they play. “Both of our parents are teachers,” Ben shared. “Our father taught art in public and private schools for many years, and our mother has had a career as a writer for many years, teaching at times, and always providing guidance for others in their creative process. I think a large part of being a ‘successful’ teacher is the ability to inspire, and more specifically, inspire confidence in your students. Joanna and I are very lucky to have parents who inspired confidence in us to pursue music and follow our dreams whatever they may be.”

This one’s for the teachers

Who keep showing up for others

Who fill our hearts with patience

Offer loving like a mother

‘Cause they know in this lifetime

We must protect our wonder

And even as we grow old

We can’t get pulled under

Finally, Shoot Your Arrow’s final song, “The Son,”is a beautiful song from a parent to a child that also cleverly implements a play on words referencing the homophonic nature of the title. Certainly, a baby’s presence lifts up an entire family:

The son, the son, the son

Shining on everyone

It would be reasonable to assume that this song was inspired by Joanna’s new motherhood, but not so fast…according to Ben, who actually wrote “The Son,” it has multiple meanings. “The song started with a lightning strike of inspiration,” he said. “Ever since our brother Adam passed away about six years ago, I had wanted to write a song for him. For the last 10 years I have been studying the mbira, a traditional instrument from Zimbabwe, learning the traditional repertoire of the instrument. In Zimbabwe, the mbira is used to communicate to ancestral spirits and ancestors. ‘The Son’ is an adaptation of a traditional mbira song called ‘Karimugomba,’ with new English lyrics. The son speaks to our brother Adam, Joanna and Jose’s son Rafael, the sun which provides life to us all, and all sons and daughters.”

Ben Teters, Sidney Mills, Derrick Bourne, Earl “Chinna” Smith, Eric Toussaint, Finn Singer, Joanna Teters, Jose Lopez.