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C. Darrow - Drums T. Ranking - Bass/Vocals Formed in 1995 in Baltimore, the four original members of Colouring Lesson were brought together by fate (or something like it). Originally hired as a backing band for solo artists on the now defunct Jamaican Reggae label Del-Geo records, CL quickly realized that there was great music to be made on their own. Not to ignore the elephant in the room, the band started rehearsing their own material and promptly recorded Menagerie (1997). From the outset, CL has always made music on their own terms. Not to be penned in by the usual rules and regulations of roots reggae, CL blazed its own trail early on creating a sound that bowed down to no one’s rulebook. "We knew we were never going to be a proper roots reggae band; that’s not what we grew up on (T. Rankins not included). That’s not who we are as people. Sure, we love all that stuff. Bob, Lucky Dude, Burning Spear, Linton Kwesi Johnson. But we’re not about to try and fake it. Plenty of Reggae influence shows up in our music for sure- but we’re not pulling the woolover anyone’s eyes. We just do what we do, and people seem to dig it. -C. Darrow Armed with a solid first release, shows soon followed; first at the usual haunts and then regionally. It didn’t take long for Colouring Lesson to become known for their tight shows. They were always a sure thing every night, which was just the best thing about them. You could go to a Colouring Lesson show, no matter when it was or where it was, and you knew you were gonna have a great time. You knew they would play a terrific set. That's a very rare thing in a band. Their albums were just as good as their live shows.” -Mary Prankster After two years of constant touring, CL managed to garner itself a hardcore grassroots following. The year 1998 also saw a UK-only release of the single, “Mea Culpa Blues” (Deceptive UK), which hit the BBC Wales charts as “Screamer of the Week.” Things were definitely starting to come together. Not a band to sit on its collective ass, Colouring Lesson started work on its sophomore release entitled Targets (1999). Considered CL’s definitive work by most fans, Targets is where Colouring Lesson hits its stride. With a myriad of different approaches to the basic CL formula, the band manages to really stretch out. Initially released on Fowl Records, Targets was an instant hit with both fans and critics and continues to sell well to this day. If you listen, it’s all in there: Reggae, Rock, Ska, Dancehall, and Punk. At the core of the CL songwriting team is D. Hill. There are certain factors that can lead to the making of a great songwriter. Growing up on the Beatles and studying jazz composition formally are two; playing in bands relentlessly since the age of 16 makes three. “It’s all about the tunes—the arrangements. Any band can get on stage, wear eyeliner and jump around like idiots, but not every band can write a good song. Look at all the great bands whose material has stood the test of time: all of them had a songwriter.” -D. Hill Using a Beatles songwriting sensibility tweaked to his own style, D. Hill pours all of the harmonic elements and flow of a great song into the mix. Never short on real life subject matter, his lyrics range from scathing political commentary to stories of personal trials and tribulations. Rounding out the songwriting team is T. Rankins. Born in Antigua and raised in Westmoreland, Jamaica, Rankins is the source of the “bunx” in the CL sound. Dancehall music rears its rowdy head when T. Rankins steps up to the mic armed with his bass of destruction. Take a nasty bass line, pepper it with a tirade of sharp dancehall style chat and hooks, spread this all over a slick beat—and you have the basics of a Rankins tune. When he isn’t bringing his own songs to the table, T. Rankins can be found collaborating with D. Hill on arrangements, contributing additional vocal slices, and giving CL its signature low-end swerve. Colouring Lesson toured in support of Targets throughout all of 1999 and much of 2000. In addition to headlining their own shows and sharing bills with regional favorites, CL also opened for a diverse group of national acts such as Orgy, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy’s Chicken Shack, 2 Skinnee Jays, Placebo, and the Kottonmouth Kings. Colouring Lesson has also been a part of the HFStival for several years, sharing the stage with a plethora of international, national, and regional acts. To the dismay of its fans, Colouring Lesson disbanded in 2000. A long hiatus gave its members time to mature artistically, and when the band hit the scene with a sold-out reunion show in December 2004, the mandate was clear: Colouring Lesson was officially back. In May 2007, Colouring Lesson bid farewell to guitarist Rennie Grant. A new album, Consequences and Repercussions, with producer Steve Wright is underway and is slated for a May 2008 release. Select shows both domestically and internationally will follow. To Contact Colouring Lesson: Rachel Darrow P.O. Box 41274 Greensboro, NC 27404-1274 410.693.7447 redalert@colouringlesson.com On the Web: http://www.colouringlesson.com http://www.myspace.com/colouringlesson |