The Scorchers rocksteady reggae band™

The Scorchers™ was founded in 2015 by Steve Carley, however the professional musicians who make up the band have up to 25 years of experience (individually) playing with well-known bands and touring the U.K. and Europe, with TV and radio appearances and performances at major festivals in the U.K. and abroad to their credit. 

“The decision to retain Entertainment Works™ was an obvious choice. I loved the fact EW specialized in Reggae and had such an impressive back catalogue of artists,” said Steve Carley. “Once I had met Nan Lewis (virtually), I absolutely knew I did not want to trust the marketing and PR of The Scorchers Rocksteady Reggae Band™ to anyone else.” 

Nan Lewis, a professional publicist since 1974, opened Entertainment Works™ in 1989, and has specialized in promoting Reggae music and its makers. Lewis retired in 2001 and then reopened EW in 2012 to again represent recording and performing artist Ras Midas from Jamaica. “I’ve held off signing new clients since 2014 or so; however, Steve was persistent, and very patient, in his desire to have EW to represent The Scorchers™ and, after I heard their music and saw how professional and serious Steve was, l was happy to say yes,” stated Lewis. “I’m looking forward to spreading The Scorchers™ music around the world. I anticipate The Scorchers™ will be well-received by the hundreds of radio DJs and Reggae media around the world that I have worked with for many decades.” 

The band’s talented musicians bring the spirit of the Caribbean to Reggae fans with their devotion to creating the Island music sound. The band recently posted the single, Waiting For The Train, as a teaser on Facebook; it gained over 157,000 views and many positive comments in just a few days. The band combines classic Jamaican Ska, Reggae and Rocksteady grooves with great lyrics and memorable melodies to form a new and fresh sound, and are planning to release their debut album, Rocksteady Revolution, in Spring 2021. The album features 12 original tracks written by Steve Carley, and was engineered and produced by the band’s bass player, Ian Dunston, and Steve Carley. 

The Scorchers™ are signed to Beat Factory Records (England); their music is available on streaming platforms worldwide. All songs are FCC Clean and are also available from https://www.thescorchers.co.uk/shop. 

Meet The Scorchers™ 

Steve Carley, founder of The Scorchers™, drummer and songwriter: I have loved Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady since I heard my first Ska tune at the age of nine. I instantly fell in love with the infectious offbeat rhythm and then I collected and listened to as much reggae, ska and rocksteady as I could. My first band, “Buster,” was a fast and furious Ska band with me as the lead singer. We played very large venues in England, and toured with and supported top Reggae and Ska bands. I loved being in a band playing Ska and Reggae music but also, I have a passion for writing songs and, although we did really well, I had to admit I was not a naturally gifted singer. Inspired by such drummers as Brad Bradbury of The Specials, whom I meet on a few occasions, Stewart Copeland, Bernard Purdie and Carlton Barrett I had a big desire to play Ska and Reggae drums and dedicate myself to learning this wonderful style of music with respect to the traditional grooves from Jamaica. So, I started drumming, writing songs, and then set up The Scorchers Rocksteady Reggae Band™ in 2015. And now I feel it is time for The Scorchers™ to expand their public image and fan base – and start touring again after Covid-19 is under control. 

Melody, lead singer: I have always loved singing and found my voice at the age of five. I started singing professionally when I was 16 years, singing clubs in Birmingham (England). At 17, I was asked to voice a tune, Uptown Top Rankin, by Ali and Frazier. Unfortunately, at the time I did not have much confidence so declined the opportunity so I asked a young girl who worked in a record shop in Brixton if she could sing, she said yes, and the song was released in 1993! Since then, I vowed to have confidence in myself and I’ve built my skills over the years, singing Jazz, Soul, Gospel and Reggae. It was a natural fit for me to join The Scorchers™; I love the music and the original material, and I’m excited about The Scorchers™ moving forward. 

Ian Dunstan, bass and production: Born in South London, my parents are from Jamaica so I’m familiar with Reggae, Ska, and Rocksteady. I learned to play the guitar in church when I was 14; I also learned to play keyboards, drums and bass. At the age of 16, I started a band called The Beltones, which was active for about 2 years. In the late 1970s, I produced my first single, “For the Love Of You,” with a band called Simplicity. In 1979 I joined a band called The Cool Notes, playing bass guitar and singing backing vocals. I also managed the co-production of the band’s music for 7 years, resulting in various hits that charted and garnered two appearances on the BBC’s Top of the Pops, Soul Train, Pebble Mill at One, Wogan and a host of other TV appearances. The Cool Notes recorded three albums and received two gold discs for the Now Dance Compilation which sold over 100.000 copies. The Cool Notes was voted The Best British Soul Band of 1985. I was privileged to be on stage with Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, Sugar Hill Gang, Alison Moyet, Pet Shop Boys and many other top singers and bands. I have also worked with Carroll Thompson, Janet Kay, Das Band, Clear, Joe Jackson, Eddie Grant and too many more to mention; this experience helped me become more knowledgeable about the music business. I then spent 10 or so years as Musical Director in the gospel world, and formed a group called Three in One, with my sister and brother on lead vocals. After producing one album with Three in One, That Great Day, I then went joined a Ska band, The Dualers, for six years; I played bass, sang backing vocals and also was involved in the production on three more albums and various singles and videos. Page 2 of 3 I now run my own studio and I have been with The Scorchers™ for two years, co-producing Steve Carley’s original material. 

David “Baps” Baptiste, saxophone and flute: A sax and flute player and professional musician for over 40 years, I joined The Scorchers™ in 2019. I’ve been fortunate to play alongside several well-known artists. “Baps is a great addition to The Scorchers™, a really genuine and professional guy who is also very creative bringing awesome sax and flute to our tunes.” 

John Leonel, guitar and vocals: I was born in the Republic of Mauritius, an Island nation located off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. Coming to England at the age of 15, I got interested in playing guitar. My parents could not afford a guitar, so my dad attempted to make one for my brother and me. My uncle had a proper acoustic guitar, and he would let my cousins, my brother and me borrow it - but we had to wait for our turn to take the guitar home for practice. While I was still in Mauritius, I was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and other British rock bands, and American Jazz players. When I came to London, I bought a guitar, started guitar lessons and got into serious guitar playing. It was not until I lived in South London that I got interested in Ska, Reggae and Soul music. In the clubs and at parties, people were dancing to the music of Desmond Dekker, Toots and The Maytals and many other Ska and Reggae artists. Over the years I have enjoyed playing with many great musicians and singers. I have toured in France, Belgium, the channel island of Jersey, and in Australia. I went to Jamaica once, visited Bob Marley's museum, and had some very interesting talks with the locals about Jamaican music. I met Steve Carley five years ago, and soon became a member of The Scorchers™. 

Rueben Carroll, keyboards: I have been listening to and playing music from a young age, first learning to play the recorder at school. I quickly knew that I wanted to learn the piano and I began piano lessons. I joined a marching band when I was 10, with my brother and a friend. I learned to play bugle and snare drum and travelled to different places including Austria and France over the eight years I was with the marching band. I took trumpet lessons for four years and was in several orchestras (in and out of school); I also studied flugel horn and passed both horn and piano classes with distinction. I was also interested in guitar and drums, learning guitar from a friend who taught me Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze. When our dad got us a drum kit, my brother and I quickly created a band with his friends. At 13, I produced music using my brother’s 4-track tape deck to record drums, keyboards, guitar and my voice. I was a DJ for a few years, and now I produce my own songs as well as working on other people’s music. I studied music performance for a year at college, but dropped out to work at 19. I joined The Scorchers™ in 2020. 

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To book The Scorchers™, contact Steve Carley by telephone, 0 771 265 4841, or email contact@thescorchers.co.uk.