Reggae Artists The Strongbacks Join the MVK Music Group Family

The MVK Music Group Family just got a little bigger…

Today, MVK Music Group announced the final addition to their managed artist roster, which MVK has touted as diverse and talent rich. Bringing in yet another new music style, the Artist Management & Development Company adds a fun, expressive group with The Strongbacks, a reggae band out of Sunny Orlando, FL. The Strongbacks, consisting of Rafael Rodriguez (Lead Vocals / Keys), RJ Rohrer (Lead Guitar / Vocals), Nash WolfGramm (Drums), & Brenden Houlihan (Bass), bring a powerful and upbeat sound with a positive message to the music scene.

MVK Music Group Co-Owner & Co-Founder Jesse Florentine was asked about their latest addition to their managed roster, “I’ve always had a huge place in my heart for Reggae. We (MVK Music Group) are extremely happy with the addition of The Strongbacks to our already diverse roster. They bring a different flavor to the MVK Family. Rafael, RJ, Brenden, and Nash are filled with energy and passion. They bring a perfect blend of modern and traditional Reggae. This group is continuing to grow and really find their sound. These guys are full of ideas, and we’re excited to go down this path together.”

MVK Music Group’s other Co-Founder & Co-Owner, Brian Paul, added “When we launched MVK Music Group, we had a mission to create not only a company with an Artists First mentality, but also one with a diverse roster {on the management side} and we successfully achieved that. Adding The Strongbacks to our roster is not only exciting for us, but also makes perfect sense. The guys in the band are passionate, enthusiastic and excited about making music with a positive vibe and message. You can’t help listen to their music and be transformed into an instant sense of positivity. These guys are a band to watch, and we are excited to be along for the ride with them in creating a regional & national name with The Strongbacks”.

We interviewed The Strongbacks about the announcement and being added to MVK’s roster as well as what they have planned for the future of their music:

What does this announcement and working with and under the guidance of MVK Music Group mean to you guys? 

The Strongbacks: The one thing every artist wants to hear is that someone believes in the music enough to allow us to pay the message forward. MVK is helping us light a new flame in reggae music and that makes for an exciting and inspiring future.

How did you guys meet & how did The Strongbacks form?    

The Strongbacks: Ralph and RJ were friends met in a sandwich shop. As their love for playing acoustic jams and listening to modern reggae spawned a love for digging deeper into roots reggae. After many fun living room sessions with fellow musicians and close musical family they searched the Craigslist boneyard of musicians looking for the right guys. Lightning struck twice in the form of Nash and Brenden. With the help of close friends and family along the way we found ourselves on the road to writing positive engaging roots inspired reggae. 

What is the ultimate direction for The Strongbacks?

The Strongbacks: Honestly we love reggae music so much our secret goal is to play with bands we love and inspired us. Lol. But regional recognition for sure. When someone says Florida reggae it would be an honor to be thought of in the same light as our favorite bands. 

Who has influenced you guys the most musically?  

The Strongbacks: We listen to a lot of island music, Jamaican roots reggae, rocksteady, caliroots, and modern reggae, along with our individual tastes. There’s honestly not enough space for us to list the bands that influenced us the most. 

But if we had to here’s a short snapshot:
Expanders
John Browns Body
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
The Itals
The Green
Steel Pulse
The Movement
Gregory Issacs
Trojan Records
Studio One
Tuff Gong

How would you describe the music that you typically create?   

The Strongbacks: Feel driven, traditional, breezy, and yet very passionate and expressive roots inspired reggae music. We feel that’s putting it lightly lol.

How would you describe your creative songwriting process?  

The Strongbacks: We start with templates of riddims we enjoy and come up with individual variations of melodies and lyric structures. Basically using what inspires us to throw ideas at a wall til something sticks. The rest is luck and blessings. 

Are there any other bands or artists that you guys would love to collaborate with?

The Strongbacks: The Expanders, Jr. Thomas and the Volcanoes, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Elovators, John Browns Body, DUBBEST, Pachyman.
From east to west, if you love roots and dub we want to help create the vibes.

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

The Strongbacks: We see reggae as the movement that brought peace love and unity to places where there was constant struggle, pain, and indifference. If we could refocus the efforts of the industry to drive our message of reggae into the hearts of more listeners, we could really make an impact on opening the minds of more and more people. 

What’s next for The Strongbacks?  

The Strongbacks: Make and play as much music as much as we can to make our footprint in the regional and national reggae seen. Now with MVK as the engine we are ready to cut the brakes and see where this adventure takes us.

The Strongbacks become the 12^th  member of MVK’s managed artists roster, joining the ranks of Chout, SoulSwitch, Young Other, Brendan Maier, 7 Stone Riot, Cody Weaver, Devils Envy, Ventruss, Kill The Imposter, THE DEV & Isabella Snow.

You can find more info regarding The Strongbacks, including their EPK here: https://www.mvkmusicgroup.com/mvk-artists/the-strongbacks/

The Strongbacks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thestrongbacksfl/
The Strongbacks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrongbacksfl/
The Strongbacks on YouTube: The Strongbacks YouTube Channel