The Upbeat

The Upbeat was formed in 1985, and has been pumping out a unique blend of ska, roots reggae, and rocksteady, with politically and environmentally conscious lyrics, for the last 24 years. In 1993, driven by their desire to promote the music they loved, The Upbeat released their debut 5 track demo under the moniker “Upbeat Recordings”. This stark freshman effort garnered them airplay across the country and a series of compilation offers from the likes of Epitaph/Hellcat Records, Moon Records and SRH Productions.

In 1995, the band released their first full length album on the indie label Reset Records and sold 4,000+ units locally. By this time their live reputation preceded them, sending them into a series of surf, skate and snowboard videos including Transworld Video Magazine and The Fox Sports Network. This brought the band even further praise, securing them a world-wide fan base and setting the stage for the band’s subsequent, prolific west coast touring.

During this time, The Upbeat shared the stage with the likes of such varied artists as The Skatalites, Burning Spear, Sublime, Sugar Ray, No Doubt, Bad Manners, The Specials, The Kottonmouth Kings, The Wailers, Fishbone, Steel Pulse, The Toasters, The Twinkle Brothers, The Toasters, and The Voodoo Glow Skulls, just to name a few.

In 2000, The Upbeat released their second album, "Backyard Knowledge", and in 2010, a host of new songs were released on their album, "Shuku". Shuku is proof that the dedicated, original lineup still has all the passion they started with, so many years ago.