Passafire

Passafire was founded in 2003 by Savannah, Georgia natives Ted Bowne on vocals/guitar and Nick Kubley on drums who at the time were students attending Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).{{cite web|url=http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Passafire-starts-at-the-top-of-the-Billboard-chart_9814046|title=Passafire starts at the top of the Billboard chart|author=Kevin Jackson|publisher=Jamaica Observer|date=3 October 2011|access-date=24 June 2013}} Adding Tom Heet on bass and Adam Willis on keyboard, Passafire became a quartet. Their debut self-produced, self-titled album Passafire was released on August 29, 2006.

After Heet's departure from the band, Passafire added Nick's brother Will Kubley on bass and additional vocals. Their sophomore album, Submersible was released on September 18, 2007. It was recognized by iTunes as one of the "Top 10 Best Reggae Albums of 2007".

Passafire's third album, Everyone on Everynight, was released on September 15, 2009, on Pepper's recording label, LAW Records.

Their fourth album, Start From Scratch was released on their on record label FlameGuy Records. It was produced by Paul Leary{{cite web|url=http://www.rockedition.com/headlines/streams/passafire-start-from-scratch/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217221638/http://www.rockedition.com/headlines/streams/passafire-start-from-scratch/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 17, 2013|title=Passafire - "Start from Scratch"|publisher=Rock Edition|author=Michael Duncan|date=7 August 2011|access-date=24 June 2013}} and debuted on September 27, 2011. The album reached #1 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2011-10-08/reggae-albums|title=Reggae Album Chart|publisher=Billboard|date=8 October 2011|access-date=4 March 2014}}

Start from Scratch marked the departure of original keyboardist Adam Willis from the band in 2010. It was the first album to feature Mike DeGuzman on the keys, who was discovered after playing with The Expendables in Chicago during the 2010 Winter Blackout Tour.{{cite AV media notes |title="Start from Scratch" |others="Passafire" |year=2011 |page=1 |publisher=Flame Guy Records }} Adam Willis had left the band for personal reasons after the decision to not continue touring and parted ways with Passafire amicably.{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/notes/passafire/a-letter-to-the-fans-from-adam/10150115196239143|title=A Letter to the Fans from Adam|website=Facebook|date=14 March 2011|access-date=26 December 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thepier.org/interview-passafire-2/|title=Interview: Passafire|date=12 April 2011|access-date=24 December 2013}}

They also released Remixed From Scratch in 2012, which featured dub music mixes and remixes of their songs from the previous album.

File:Passafire-102613-WilmingtonNC-CaliRootsCarolina.jpg

In 2013, Passafire signed with NYC's Easy Star Records, who welcomed them to the Easy Star family.{{cite web|url=http://www.thepier.org/easy-star-records-signs-passafire/|title=Easy Star Records Signs Passafire|date=13 August 2013|access-date=17 December 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.easystar.com/bulletins/show/204|title=Easy Star Welcomes Passafire to the Family|date=13 August 2013|access-date=17 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117135740/http://www.easystar.com/bulletins/show/204|archive-date=17 November 2013|url-status=dead}}

Passafire's fifth album, Vines, was released on November 11, 2013, and ranked at #1 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/2013-11-30/reggae-albums|title=Reggae Album Chart|publisher=Billboard|date=30 November 2013|access-date=17 December 2013}} This came after working again with Paul Leary, who also worked alongside Sublime, Pepper, U2, Slightly Stoopid, and several other successful groups.{{cite web|url=http://passafiretheband.com/vines-debuted-1-on-billboard-reggae-chart/|title=Vines Debut|date=March 20, 2010 }}File:Passafire-012814-SantaAnaCA-ConstellationRoom.jpg

The band released their EP, Interval on March 24, 2015, which featured four new songs that continued their sound in new directions into "progressive reggae".{{Cite web | title=Interval {{!}} Passafire | url=https://www.passafire.bandcamp.com/album/interval | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617130710/https://passafire.bandcamp.com/album/interval | access-date=2025-03-21 | archive-date=2022-06-17}}

On May 12, 2017, the band released their sixth album, Longshot, along with a 2-song Longshot B-Sides EP on June 28, 2017, which included bonus track left off the LP.{{Cite news|url=http://www.gratefulweb.com/articles/passafires-longshot-album-out-now|title=Passafire's 'Longshot' {{!}} Album Out Now|date=2017-05-12|work=Grateful Web|access-date=2017-09-11}}

A year later, Passafire released their latest live album Live in Atlanta on November 2, 2018. In 2019, they were also featured on Sugarshack Sessions Selects Vol. 1 with a live acoustic single of their song "Submersible".

Passafire was featured as one of many reggae bands on Collie Buddz riddim album, Cali Roots Riddim 2021 with their single, "Waste No Time", which was produced by Buddz and mixed by Stick Figure's touring guitarist, producer Johnny Cosmic.

In 2021, Passafire was one of several reggae and punk bands on The House That Bradley Built, a charity compilation honoring Sublime's lead singer Bradley Nowell, helping musicians with substance abuse. They covered Sublime's song "Greatest Hits".

Passafire recorded their seventh album, Strata which released on Flame Guy Records on September 17, 2021. "The first three singles on Strata ("Keepin' On", Sleepless", and "Friends") were written and released before the COVID-19 pandemic. Bowne explains, "The pandemic kinda stopped things. We're all dispersed across the country now so when the pandemic hit we all went back to our home bases. When we were able to get together, we wrote and recorded the last seven songs on the album within a week. We're excited that we're able to tour again and perform our old and new jams. It's touring and sharing our music that keeps our band alive."{{cite web |url=https://www.connectsavannah.com/savannah/passafire-returns-to-savannah/Content?oid=17158914 |title=Passafire returns to Savannah}}

On October 20, 2023, Passafire released their 8th full-length studio album titled, Remember a Time. It features 9 tracks which includes musical artists, Brendan Bayliss of Umphrey's McGee, reggae rocker Joe Samba, and rap duo Little Stranger.{{Cite web |title=Remember A Time |url=https://ffm.to/rememberatime |access-date=2024-04-25 |website=ffm.to |language=en}}

Passafire has been regularly touring, playing shows with bands such as 311 (on the 311 Cruise in 2012 & 2019),{{cite web|url=http://www.law-records.com/post/14322254594/ballyhoo-and-passafire-on-the-311-cruise|title=Ballyhoo and Passafire on the 311 Cruise|publisher=Law Records|access-date=24 June 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130624235415/http://www.law-records.com/post/14322254594/ballyhoo-and-passafire-on-the-311-cruise|archivedate=24 June 2013}} Pepper (playing on the LAW Records Tour in October 2008), Rebelution, Matisyahu, Michael Franti and The Wailers. They also toured with Slightly Stoopid at the end of December, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.easystar.com/bulletins/show/209|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122235551/http://www.easystar.com/bulletins/show/209|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 November 2013|title=Vines Debuts at Number One on Billboard Reggae|publisher=Easy Star Records|date=20 November 2013|access-date=17 December 2013}}File:Passafire.JPG

While earlier work mostly fits within the reggae-rock genre, the band's sound has taken on many forms since their self-titled release. Elements such as intricate lead guitar and unexpected instrumental breakdowns are reminiscent of progressive rock.{{Cite web|url=https://passafiretheband.com/about/|title=About|website=Passafire|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-01}} This and other alternative influences are evident as early as their 2007 release, Submersible. In 2011, Start from Scratch explored more organic textures{{Cite web|url=https://homegrownmusic.net/store/cd/passafire-start-from-scratch-cd|title=Passafire - Start From Scratch CD|website=Leeway's Home Grown Music Network|language=English|access-date=2019-10-01}} that touched on folk rock. The use of banjos, mandolins, acoustic guitar, and melodica (most notably on the album's title track, performed by new member Mike DeGuzman) were a temporary shift in sound that would influence later releases.

In the fall of 2023, Passafire collaborated with Wise Man Brewing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a West Coast Pilsner Style Lager called "Stash Pils'" named after their single, "Stash". It's a "classic brew giving it a fresh spin" by dry-hopping it with Citra and Mosaic hops.{{Cite web | title=Passafire Stash Pils, West Coast Pilsner {{!}} Bevana Partners | url=https://bevana.com/product/passafire-stash-pils-west-coast-pilsner/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102215246/https://bevana.com/product/passafire-stash-pils-west-coast-pilsner/ | access-date=2025-03-21 | archive-date=2024-01-02}}

• Ted Bowne – Guitar, Vocals (2003–present){{cite AV media notes |title="Vines" |others="Passafire" |year=2013 |page=1 |publisher=Easy Star Records}}
• Nick Kubley – Drums (2003–present)
• Will Kubley – Bass, Vocals (2006–present) (beginning with the album Submersible).{{cite AV media notes |title="Submersible" |others="Passafire" |year=2007 |page=1 |publisher=FlameGuy Records}}
• Mike DeGuzman – Keyboards (2011–present) (beginning with the album Start From Scratch).{{cite AV media notes |title="Start from Scratch" |others="Passafire" |year=2011 |page=1 |publisher=FlameGuy Records}}

• Adam Willis – Keyboards (2003–2010) (on albums Passafire, Submersible, and Everyone On Everynight).{{cite AV media notes |title="Everyone On Everynight" |others="Passafire" |year=2006 |page=1 |publisher=LAW Records}}
• Tom Heet – Bass (2003–2006) (on album Passafire).{{cite AV media notes |title="Passafire" |others="Passafire" |year=2006 |page=1 |publisher=FlameGuy Records}}

• SCAD Notable Alumni

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• [http://www.passafiretheband.com/ Official Passafire website]

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Category:Rock music groups from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Easy Star Records artists

Category:American reggae rock groups

Category:Musical groups from Savannah, Georgia