Iration is one of those bands whose music instantaneously lifts your spirits. It’s the type of reggae music built for a summer day — the smell of Coppertone in the air, a sweaty beer bottle in hand.
On Friday, June 30, the band will roll into Asbury Park, New Jersey to perform at the famed Stone Pony Summer Stage along with Slightly Stoopid, J Boog, and The Movement.
We caught up with Iration lead singer Micah Pueschel (dubbed the “Rainbow Road Warrior” according to Wikipedia) to talk about their cosmic new single “Fly with Me,” new tunes on the horizon, and performing outdoors.
You just dropped a new single this year “Fly with Me” — it’s such a cool jam. Can you talk about your inspirations behind the writing/creation of the song?
I think the inspiration came from watching Cosmos and just a general fascination with universe. I had the chords on an acoustic guitar and they were purposefully very simple. We built a spacey kind of ethereal sounding beat and that gave way to the lyrics and theme of the song.
Is this a sample of what’s to come from Iration in regards to a new album?
Yes, but I wouldn’t say there will be any other songs that sound or feel like “Fly With Me.” I think it’s more indicative of the creative direction we are going in that it blends multiple styles together kind of classic/modern which is something we love doing.
Have you played for it live crowds yet, and if so how have they reacted?
We’ve been playing it on tour this Summer and the reaction has been great. I think because it’s so different from our other live songs that people love it.
You released an acoustic record in December 2016 — why did you decide to make a record that gave your hits and classics a new spin?
Firstly, our fans have been asking for an acoustic record for years so there was a desire for it. Secondly, we felt musically we were capable of doing something unique with the songs now that maybe we weren’t in years past. It was a great experience and I’m very happy that we gave some of our older lesser-known songs some new life.
Now that you have versions of your songs both in electric, and acoustic form — how does this impact your live show? Does it ever cause frustration over which version to play, or does it give you more creative freedom to plan a live show?
I think it gives us freedom. I think people love hearing both so the ability to do either/or is awesome.
You’re currently on tour with Slightly Stoopid, J Boog, and The Movement. How has the tour been so far?
Tour has been amazing. Probably the most seamless and fun tour we’ve ever been on. All the bands/crews are great people so it’s been a joy thus far.
You guys tour year round, but being a West Coast band, do you enjoy performing outdoors in the sun as opposed to club shows? I know there’s a lot of bands who prefer one over the other.
I think it’s a trade off. The intimacy of a small venue is great but the energy and size of a large outdoor stage is great. We love both.
Going back to new music for a second, when can fans expect new, original tunes from Iration in the near future?
They can expect a new single “Borderlines” very soon. It’s already spinning on select stations across the country.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2017?
We’ll be touring again later in the year and finishing the new album so a busy year for us.
