Outlaw Reggae outfit Lion Heights are excited to announce their long-awaited album False Reality. Lion Heights is an unforgettable reggae experience with talent destined for launch into international recognition. With their first full-length LP since 2017, the band is ready to showcase six years of hard work to the world. False Reality is due out on April 7th.
Based in Austin, TX, Lion Heights is a mighty band who have created their own musical trademark influenced by roots reggae music pumping out of Jamaica in the 70’s and 80’s. The band is comprised of Dane Foltin, Jeremy Carlson, and James Campbell. Since relocating to Austin, Lion Heights have become a prominent band in the diverse music community. They have opened for acclaimed acts like Kabaka Pyramid, Jesse Royal, Arise Roots, Lee “Scratch” Perry and Cocoa Tea. A truly unique musical experience, Lion Heights has coined the genre “Outlaw Reggae.” Not trying to fit into Jamaican Reggae or Cali Reggae scenes, the band is developing their own sound, stemming from their collective interests and musical inspirations, and making the music they want to create and hear. Bringing their sound throughout the Lone Star State for years has led to Lion Heights becoming one of Texas' most respected Reggae bands.
False Reality is Lion Heights first LP since their 2017 debut album “Same Situation.” The album was recorded at the band’s Tall Sky Studio in Austin. On previous projects, Lion Heights utilized sampling classic Jamaican records. This new record captures the bands live sound with mostly live instrumentation. On the decision, Jeremy says, “It feels like it’s more “ours” too. It’s an evolution. When you listen to both of these albums back to back, you’re going to hear the growth; in the songwriting, vocals, instrumentation, and arrangement. It’s cool for us to experience, and I’m sure as a fan of the band, it’s cool to hear also.”
This album is an accumulation of songs Lion Heights has been crafting for several years. The title False Reality carries a powerful message both for the band and for the nation. Dane explains,
“As a band, one part of the false reality is the world we are forced to create and live in on social media. In order to get our music out, to get shows, to work with booking agents, we have to put so much time into building these social media accounts. At this point, we have to play the game just to reach fans. Hopefully they reach the real us through the music.” He continues, “As a nation, the false reality is the system itself. Without getting too deep into it, there are many ways in which we are being exploited and used. They keep us docile with distractions so we don’t realize we have given our lives to the system. Essentially our sense of freedom is an illusion”
The songwriting throughout False Reality is purposeful, with each song having its own story. The title track was inspired by the Ferguson riots and became the concept behind the album. Dane says, “During the Ferguson Riots, I was seeing them create false narratives and fake enemies. It was so clear that fear and misinformation was the main tactic used by media and police.” Written in 2012 while they were still living in Chicago, Better Weather finds the young aspiring musicians dreaming of the sunny days that they would soon get later on. One Night is a clubby minimalistic track inspired by Popcaan’s 2020 FIXTAPE about going out with your girl and getting in a fight instead of having a good time. Ain’t What It Seems came about while Jeremy and James were living in a converted school bus. Jeremy states, “I put myself in a space where I WANTED to create, and nothing was coming. I sat there with no ideas. The concept that started the tune was ‘what if I write a song about not being able to write a song?”. Life Is Not A Race is an anthem to live life at your own pace and to keep moving forward. Resting Place is a more emotion-filled cut, written by Jeremy the day his aunt passed away. The band explains, “We had a show that night at the Double Door in Chicago back in 2013 opening for Mishka. Jeremy’s job wouldn’t give him the night off, even though he asked weeks before. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to make the show. In the morning, he was notified about his aunt’s passing. His job finally let him off work because of that. So, instead of going to work, he wrote “Resting Place,” and then we played the show that night. It was a great show too.”
Lion Heights are proud to present their new album False Reality on April 7th. The band concludes, “This release has been a long time coming; a good amount of our story is in there. More than anything, we’re just glad to finally share it with our fans.”
Stream Reggae on the Rise HERE
