Interview: Tribal Seeds

Interview: Tribal Seeds

As Tribal Seeds embarked on another cross country journey spreading their soulful roots-rock-reggae sound, the band caught up with The Pier on their second night on tour in Tempe, AZ. Steven Jacobo (singer/guitar), Joe Rodriguez (percussions/keys), Carlos Verdugo (drums), Tony-Ray Jacobo (keys) and Victor Navarro (bass) of Tribal Seeds took the time to sit down with The Pier before they hit the stage at The Marquee Theatre.

Tribal Seeds expressed their gratitude after working with producer E.N. Young on Soundwaves, as well as future recording sessions with the special guest on tour. New music is also on the horizon for Tribal Seeds. So, take a look at what the guys had to say. Enjoy!

The Pier: You guys are about to rock out in Tempe, AZ for the second night of the fall tour. Can you give us a quick recap of the first night back on the road in Tucson?
Tribal Seeds: It was a good solid show. Tucson was cool as usual. We have been there a few times now. We are just getting the tour started. It is new and fresh, so it was good to get back on the road, you know?

The Pier: Since the band began touring a couple years ago, Arizona has been a mainstay each go-around, is it turning into a second or third home behind San Diego and Hawai’i?
Tribal Seeds: The whole West Coast region is a big part of our fan base. So, it’s great to come to a place like Arizona and play all over the state. Arizona kind of feels like home, living by the desert. We have come through with Fortunate Youth and Through The Roots, and now we have E.N. Young, so we are excited to be back on tour.

The Pier: You guys released a five-song EP “Soundwaves” in July, and E.N. Young helped produce that album. Now that he is joining you on tour, will there be any future projects with him?
Tribal Seeds: We were really happy with his work. He has a real good feel for the roots-reggae sound. We are just happy to have him with us. He is a dope musician and a great person. Happy he is with us on this tour.

The Pier: So, now that you are on the road together and interacting for an entire tour, when can fans expect the next album?
Tribal Seeds: Hopefully spring time! Maybe it will be an EP, possibly a full-length album. Right now, we are keeping our options open. We don’t have anything in mind yet in terms of collaborations, but we just want to keep getting our music out to the fans.

The Pier: As a band, you have developed a catalog with four studio albums, including your summer EP. Most of the bands in the reggae-rock community are independent. Are there any plans to create your own record label much like Slightly Stoopid and Pepper?
Tribal Seeds: No. We don’t have plans for anything like that. We are sticking independent with our sound. That’s just a rumor.

The Pier: Along with your entire catalog, you are bringing out hard copies of your first ever recording “Youth Rebellion” exclusively on this tour. So, the fans have to come out to the venue and pick it up. What sparked this?
Tribal Seeds: Yes. It has been on the internet for awhile since the band started and released it. But we are actually taking it on the road now, so you have to come out to the shows to get it. It’s like a collector’s item. We recorded the album in our garage and Steve was only 17-years-old at the time. So, it is definitely a vintage collector’s item. Guaranteed!

The Pier: Now, just to wrap it up, the fall tour has officially kicked off and you are hitting some major spots heavy in Florida, New York, Chicago, and everywhere in between, before returning back to the west coast. Any spots you are looking forward to?
Tribal Seeds: Each night is a party. We have 27 dates on the tour, with all the big cities included. Come out to the shows to hear the new music we have been working on. We have all sorts of new tricks for the shows, mixing in some electronica and dubstep music. We are playing a lot of the new songs with the oldies, so come out and have some fun with us at a hood near you!

The Pier: Thanks guys, we appreciate it!
Tribal Seeds: Thank you to The Pier for always checking us out and coming to the shows! Much Love!

Tribal Seeds Links:
Tribal Seeds Website
Tribal Seeds Facebook
You can read The Pier’s official Album Review for Soundwaves by clicking HERE


Interview by: Kris Siuta
Photos by: David Norris