The Expendables’ Ryan DeMars on Upcoming Tour, New Album
by Tim Wenger
California reggae-rock icons The Expendables are heading to Colorado on their fourth annual Winter Blackout Tour, hitting the Gothic Theatre February 1. For those unfamiliar, their sound is a bit experimental for the genre, held back by no boundaries but always remaining true to its’ DIY reggae and punk roots. The progression and constant hard work the band has displayed over the years make it near-certain that they will see their fan base continue to grow. With a new album in the works and years of seemingly endless touring, The Expendables continue to make a name for themselves as one of the hardest working bands in the genre, and they intend to keep it that way. Colorado Music Buzz caught up with bassist Ryan DeMars and chatted about the new album, this massive tour, and the weed revolution that has boomed along with their style of music.
The guys have been in the studio finishing up their seventh album, set for release later this year. “We just finished tracking our album and we’re doing some overdubs right now, so our fans can expect some new music this year,” says DeMars. A solid drop date has not yet been set. “It’s still up in the air. It gets tricky, because we’re still trying to see what tours we might be doing towards the end of the year, and you want to release the album while you’re doing a tour. It will definitely be 2014.” The band recorded about twenty songs, and will be choosing their favorites for the new album. Single releases and promos will likely come in advance of the full album release.
“Denver is easy for us,” says DeMars. “It’s just like California but in the mountains. The fans love our music and it’s a lot different than if we were playing Mobile, Alabama. I always tell people that California, Colorado, and Florida are the three best states for our genre.”
The Expendables have met and meshed with the rising success of the reggae-rock genre, touring incessantly and dropping albums every couple years along the way. They are constantly writing new music and working hard to keep this labor of love as their full-time career. “We’re just hammering it out,” says DeMars. “There’s not really a specific goal or anything, we just want to make a living of this and keep it going. If we get more commercial success, that also comes with more work. I think we’re in a pretty happy place right now.”
Happy indeed, as the guys have retained rights to all of their music, keeping corporate hands out of their pockets and allowing them to steer the band’s progress in their own way. “I think that was a big part in us being able to finance our careers,” says DeMars. “I think as long as we can continue to make a living at it and see the business grow, that’s all that is important to us.”
Solid promotion has been a key to the band’s success, and they are all about the DIY ethics. “We’re in the age where artists can be hands on with how they market themselves,” says DeMars. “We’re always hitting the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, the internet stuff. Then we have street teams in all the regions that will go put up flyers and stuff, word of mouth. Any way we can network out to people, and doing it all the time, repetively.”
Being a part of a steadily growing movement and culture has also been a big thing for The Expendables. The increasing social acceptance of marijuana (including legalization here in CO and in Washington) and the continued popularity of pioneers like Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, and The Expendables have turned reggae rock into a national phenomenon. The California Roots festival has launched The Carolina Sessions on the Atlantic coast, and Colorado acts such as Coral Thief and P-Nuckle have enjoyed some national success. “I think it’s growing,” says DeMars. “But I also feel like it’s getting a little diluted. When we first started out, there was maybe a handful of bands that were touring and playing this kind of music. Now they have that California Roots festival. They get all the bands in the genre. We did it the last two years, and showing from that festival alone, it looks like the genre is growing and growing. I don’t think it’s peaked out yet.” Hopefully, the genre has many strong years ahead.
The Expendables last hit Denver on the Cabin By The Sea tour with Dirty Heads back in July of 2013, and since the tour’s conclusion have been home in Santa Cruz. “We’re super excited to get out on the road,” says DeMars. “Our Winter Blackout tour has been something that we’ve been building, and it just gets better every time. It’s becoming a name brand for our winter tour. We’ve been home for six months finishing the album and not playing too many shows, so we’re ready to get at it.”
Online: theexpendables.net
Category: National News
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