Quickly becoming one of Santa Cruz's next premier Reggae/Rock groups, Pacific Roots is building their popularity by stirring the crowd in with their upbeat reggae jams thrown around with punk rock swells and solos, mixed melodiously to produce an original Cali based sound and vibe.
After original members Carlos Rubalcaba (guitar/vocal) and Jose Picazo (guitar/vocals/keys) left the band in mid 2018, A.J. Aguayo (drums) and Jake White (bass) decided to keep the band going and recruit new members Maximilian Masluk (vocals), Derek Haynsworth (guitar) and Matt Booher (guitar). 2019 brings a new lineup, music and vibe while staying true to their original style.
The new lineup has gone on to tour with The Expendables through the Pacific North West, and recently spent two weeks on the road with Tomorrow's Bad Seeds, Tunnel Vision, and the John Dank Show.
The boys have most recently been selected as the winners of the "Reggae Rise Up Artist Discovery Contest" and will be performing in October at the Reggae Rise Up Las Vegas Music Festival!
The group has shared the stage with well known artists such as UB40, Steel Pulse, The Expendables, Kbong, Badfish, Sly and Robbie, New Kingston, The Hold Up, The Movement, The Expanders, Tomorrow's Bad Seeds, Black Uhuru, Through The Roots, Arise Roots, Josh Heinrichs, The Supervillians and more.
In addition to the release of their eponymous debut album, produced by Adam Patterson of The Expendables, Pacific Roots has two new singles for 2020: Kooks on the Loose and Run Dem Trees.
Check out the new single here and keep an ear out for their upcoming album featuring the new lineup.
“Local Santa Cruz vibe-masters Pacific Roots opened the show with a strong beat and soothing harmonies. Their rock-roots sound ranged from upbeat with a punk edge to a laid back bass driven groove, and early-comers to this show were treated to a fantastic set. 2019’s line up of this band holds extreme promise. If you like your Cali-style reggae with a bit more roots, this is certainly a band to watch in the coming months.”