Sunshine Coast Roots/Dub/Reggae collective, Bearfoot release full-length debut album, ‘Remedy’

After a decade of performing, the Sunshine Coast roots, reggae and dub collective known as Bearfoot finally release their full-length debut album, ‘Remedy’. A culmination of coastal reggae flavours and dark dub roots, all blended together at the renown Sunshine Coast studio, Yama Nui.

Under the watchful eyes and masterful ears of longtime Bearfoot producer Paulie B, ‘Remedy’ was pieced together over three years, meticulously combed over, and baked until the outfit considered it to be just right.

Bearfoot have long be known to balance their reggae-ful odes to the beach with tracks like ‘Could Be Worse’ and ‘Nice Up’, with their take on darker subjects covered on ‘Choose Your Weapon’ (social media influence), ‘Fall’ (seeking truth and embracing growth), and ‘Jump The Gun’ (wealth and lifestyle inequality), and their full-length album perfectly displays their light and shade.

Full of textures and multi-layered, clean, slick production and tracks full of hidden gems, ‘Remedy’ sums up what is to be expected from the Sunshine Coast roots/reggae juggernauts. No matter how light or dark they get, the tracks are always dance-floor ready, and packed full of hooks. Bearfoot start ‘Remedy’ with the more stern tracks like ‘Luminate’, ‘Jump The Gun’, and the popular ‘Impolite’, before flipping the switch and shining light on their beach-inspired takes, including a re-working of an older track, ‘One Drop’. The Echo Dex Dub of the 2021 single, ‘Nice Up’ is a clever touch, before closing with the instrumental version of album opener, ‘Choose Your Weapon’. Bearfoot have always had a distinct sound, never over the top, just solid, rhythm heavy, full bass, skanked-up dub-by roots, capped off by vocalist Asher Chapman’s unique vocal take. It’s a (very) long overdue full-length release from the band, but the pay-off is worth it.

‘Remedy’ is as much immersing as it is energising, full of deep bass, tight drums, bubbling keys and synths, choppy guitar, full bore horns, and vocalist Asher Chapman’s ownership of vocal melody and toasting.

‘To us, ‘Remedy’ is an apt title for our debut album. It is something we have poured years into building up, working with the right people, collecting the strongest songs that best represent us, and to eventually pull it together and finally release it - to see the album come to fruition is the cure to the stress and time poured into it. But we also hope that our music can be the therapy needed for our fans, for the listener, to lift them up in dark times, and light that inner fire.’ - Bearfoot.

Not only does the album collate previous singles, there are some new gems to be discovered, including the dub remix of a crowd favourite track, ‘Nice Up’, and a re-worked version of an older track that has a new lease on life.

Bearfoot know how to bring the party, but also stir up thoughts, and ‘Remedy’ is a reflection of that, and at the end of the day, the Sunshine Coast roots gurus want you to start to take a look around, appreciate the finer things in life, and not focus too much on the forces that try to bring us down.

“Bugger up the system, they wanna take instead of giving / screw all that career nonsense, I wanna live for a living” - from ‘Soul Remedy’.

The debut full-length album, ‘Remedy’ drops on all digital platforms on now.