Q&A: Reggie Froom of The Ellameno Beat

South Florida Indie Roots band The Ellameno Beat have collaborated with North Carolina reggae rock band Signal Fire on a new single called “False Reality”. It’s a very 2020-2021 story: a remote collaboration between two bands and the song is a topical one about what’s going on right now in the world politically: people falling into conspiracy theory rabbit holes (which is all too easy to do when you have so much time on your hands due to lockdown), tensions growing between people destroying that feel of community, the news being more opinionated and like a propaganda wing of the establishment political parties, the media manufacturing consent for endless war, and politicians lying by either letting people down or claiming the election was a fraud – the latter of which lead to the diet coup in DC on the 6th of January. You thought 2016 was bad? That was nothing compared to the present.

What better way to vent and express yourself than write a song about what’s going on? We are happy to have Reggie Froom, lead singer of The Ellameno Beat here with us to talk about the song, his music, and current events. If you want to learn more, keep on reading!

Angie Moon: How would you describe your music to a new listener?

Reggie Froom: Nowadays, The Ellameno Beat’s sound is really a big mixture of illusory melodies and ideas, all sitting on top of a rhythm-heavy roots foundation.

Angie: How did you get to know Signal Fire and why did you decide to collaborate?

Reggie: Over the years we’ve toured together a bunch, and really always clicked creatively! Collaboration came naturally.

Angie: How did you get into reggae music?

Reggie: Reggae music has been a significant part of my life since I was very young. My family listened to it consistently as I grew up, and I was always enamoured by the sonic characteristics of the genre. As I grew as a musician and producer, it was really just the natural direction I took!

Angie: What musicians inspire you the most?

Reggie: There are so many. A few highlights would be Bunny Wailer, Beck, Kevin Parker, Clinton Fearon, George Harrison, and Michael Nau.

Angie: What have you been listening to lately?

Reggie: Lately I’ve actually been binging on People Under The Stairs’ entire catalogue since the passing of Double K a few weeks ago. Their music is so special to me, and played a crucial roll in me growing up and developing as a producer.

Angie: What was it like recording “False Reality” as a remote collaboration?

Reggie: It was a new and fun experience for me. Sean and I have always gotten along creatively, so every time it got sent back and forth it just got better and better! I had the pleasure of mixing the final product which was a blast.

Angie: Do you think remote collaboration is the future and is good for the music industry?

Reggie: I think it will definitely play big a part of the future of the Industry for sure! It’s great. It opens so many doors for a lot of artists. Can’t help but think of Khruangbin’s collaboration with Leon Bridges here. Perfect example of why remote collaboration is definitely a good thing.

Angie: How helpful has music been in getting through all the things happening in this day and age?

Reggie: It’s my lifeline! I dove into so many albums this year. There’s something about getting lost in a record. It really just takes over, and everything else pressing or stressful seems to melt away.

Angie: What do you wish you knew before going into 2020?

Reggie: I guess just I wish I could have known this was coming so I could have made the best of the opportunities we had to enjoy all the simple things we no longer get to enjoy now that we’re dealing with a global pandemic.

Angie: If you were elected president and you could implement three policies to change the country, what would those policies be?

Reggie: Heavy question! Well, I’d definitely like to see policies implemented at the federal level to eliminate voter suppression, and make it as easy as possible for every eligible American to cast a vote in an election. I’d implement a single payer healthcare system. And finally, tax the rich.

Angie: What has kept you motivated during 2020 and now into 2021?

Reggie: Producing music, and building my own studio equipment!

Angie: What is your proudest accomplishment?

Reggie: At this point, building my own studio and being able to produce music that people actually want to listen to here is most definitely my proudest accomplishment.

You can follow The Ellameno Beat on Facebook, Instagram, and their website.

Shoutout to Patrick and Jeffrey from Maryland for supporting the blog!

Loved this blog post and want to support? If you cannot afford to donate to The Diversity of Classic Rock, there are many free ways to support the blog: Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, click the follow button on my website, leave a nice comment, send your music or classic rock related books for review, or donate your art and writing talents to the blog.

You can also download the Brave Browser and earn tokens that you can donate to your favourite creators (including me!), donate to charity, or you can keep them for yourself and redeem them for cash. The choice is yours! Thank you!