I have always admired Rootfire as an incubator for up-and-coming reggae artists, and now that I am contributing to the efforts, I am thrilled to write about Sons of Paradise, a band that I have been following for several years and have always thought was underrated and underexposed. While they recently have been making a more notable name for themselves by touring with The Elovaters, Bumpin’ Uglies and Tropidelic, the sizzling single that Rootfire premieres today, “Mamacita,” may create some more buzz around this talented band.

Sons of Paradise were formed by two high school friends from Raleigh, NC. Matt McClanahan (vocals and guitar) and Jordan Gee (keyboards) wrote songs and played a few shows during high school, but it wasn’t until after college that they took their creativity to the next level and became serious about their band.

Sons of Paradise have a stellar LP, Lift Me Higher,  as well as a handful of nice singles under their belt, but for “Mamacita,” which releases on streaming platforms tomorrow, they collaborated with some more well known friends in the reggae rock community, such as Bumpin’ Uglies.

McClanahan graciously lists the talented individuals who made this song the banger it is:  “Brandon Hardesty killed his verse and fit the vibe perfectly. We also have Howi Sprangler from Ballyhoo! who produced the track. Glenn Holdaway and Liam Robertson played horns. Mike Mocerino from Cool Down shredded the guitar. Mike Phares, who runs a tattoo parlor/music venue, Infamous Live, did the artwork, and The Kaya scripted, directed, and shot the music video.”

I asked Matt how “Mamacita” became a collaboration with Bumpin’ Uglies. He stated, “We have been playing shows with Bumpin’ Uglies for some time and have been wanting to collab for a long time. During COVID, we did a socially distanced concert in our backyard with Bumpin’ Uglies for the Raleigh, NC community when there wasn’t any live music. So, when ‘Mamacita’ came along, we knew Bumpin’ Uglies would be perfect.”

Continuing, he said, “I think the fans will appreciate the lyricism and will relate to the message. There are a lot of layers to the lyrics and message of ‘Mamacita,’ so we wanted the music to reflect that. I think the song has a lot of repeatability and with each spin, the listener will find something new. There is a bunch of synth and vocal layers, and a bunch of cool effects that really tell a story.”

On the surface, “Mamacita” may just seem like complaints about people who grub weed, but with a little further probing, McClanahan revealed  a more profound meaning. He wrote the song about two years ago about a person who is no longer in his life. “It’s about getting used in a relationship, how that person feels and how hard it can be to get out,” he explained.

This is a relatable song for probably a great majority of us weed-friendly people. Not only are you likely to find a connection within the song, you may even feel empowered to cut the ties with the person using you in your life, if there is one. Some people will only love you as much as they can use you. Over time, their loyalty ends where their benefits stop.

“Mamacita” contains bold and fairly unapologetic lyrics over crisp and intense melodies, mixed with metaphorical words and sounds. Metaphoric sounds, you ask? By this I refer to the symbolic sound of a phone throughout the song. The beginning of the track starts with a phone ringing with no one answering. Towards the middle of the song, you will hear voicemail picking up, and at the end, the phone line disconnects.

McClanahan’s  effortless and impressive fast flowing verses portray a message of finality towards the person taking advantage of the relationship.

‘Cuz you can’t come at me now

And tell me that the fire’s gone.

I’m higher than the smoke above us,

But it’s not the weed I’m on.

I’m sick of the games we play.

I’m winning or walking away.

Brandon Hardesty, lead singer for Bumpin’ Uglies, comes in with a verse that takes the message of being fed-up even further.

Love me for the man that I am or not at all.

I don’t wanna feel like a thing you would draw from

When it’s time to feel good.

You think you can call and

Take the things you want,

Disregard how I have fallen.

Perhaps overanalyzing the track, I asked McClanahan  if the use of “sinsemilla”  in the chorus was intentionally used as a metaphor, because sinsemilla is a female cannabis plant that has not been fertilized and doesn’t develop seeds. My interpretation was that the character of “Mamacita” had not matured or grown in life yet, so maybe using someone in a relationship wasn’t a big deal to her. Matt laughingly responded, “I actually didn’t think about it that way, but that’s incredible! Although, it’s totally open to interpretation. I try to make my songs that way and love when people find their own meanings.”

I also inquired about the band’s intent of the word “Mamacita.”  The word, depending on culture and slang, can be taken as an insult, but can also mean an attractive woman. Matt explained, “It wasn’t supposed to be an insult, just a name for the character that invokes certain imagery. I wanted the Mamacita to be sexy and desirable, but also elusive and unattainable.”

McClanahan hopes that the band’s name, Sons of Paradise,  inspires their listeners “to find their own paradise, wherever that may be.” He said, “Peace, love, and positivity is my mantra and the last thing I say on stage after every show. We are so thankful to be a part of such a supportive community and we want to give back any way we can.”

Looking ahead, Sons of Paradise have a lot of exciting events happening for them this year. They will be playing at Weekend at Wolfies, a festival that takes place June 8-10, 2023 in Bedford, PA. They also landed a spot at Reggae Rise Up Festival Las Vegas going from October 6th-8th, 2023. Additionally, Sons of Paradise will be doing some tour dates with Sun-Dried Vibes.

Finally, stay tuned for the remarkable music video for “Mamacita” that the band cannot wait to share.  “We really wanted to bring the character of this single to life,” added McClanahan. “The Kaya did a fantastic job with the production and the actress that played the character nailed it. There’s also a surprise twist ending that’s not in the track.”