By Emily Ferguson
Rebelution band members and friends setting up for a show on Del Play, back when they were students.
When Wesley Finley first visited UC Santa Barbara he was “blown away” by all the bands playing shows at night. Back then he was set on studying music, aiming to major in Ethnomusicology. Years later, Finley graduated in 2006 with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. But his music career hadn’t come to an end. In fact, the vibrant music scene of Isla Vista and the classes he took at UCSB eventually led to where he is today — the drummer of Rebelution, a successful reggae band composed entirely of UCSB graduates. The group boasts 1.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Formed in 2004, Rebelution started as a college band of four roommates playing at their house at 6587 Del Playa. Thirteen years later in 2017, they received a Grammy nomination for their album ‘Falling Into Place.’ Even 20 years on, after playing internationally and amassing millions of fans, Rebelution stays true to its origin story – a college band defined by persistence, motivated by positive mentality and driven by friendship and a common passion.
Rebelution drummer Wesley Finley, playing a show at 6587 Del Playa, in the band’s early years.
“After seeing so many other bands come and go in our career, it’s amazing to think that we were able to stay successful and have a good head on our shoulders to make it work year after year,” said Finley. “Paying respect to your roots is important,” he added, thinking back to the UCSB years.
The band has gone from performing in the backyards of Isla Vista houses to playing on the most sought-after stages in Santa Barbara, appearing at both Extravaganza and the Santa Barbara Bowl. The band began to come together when Finley attended a World Music class and he volunteered to perform in front of the class on African log drums that a guest speaker had brought.
“I jumped at the chance and performed a big solo on them, sat back down in my seat, and the next thing I know, the guy in front of me turns around and asks if I have a drum set.”
That “guy” was Marley D. Williams, future bassist of Rebelution, who graduated from Film and Media Studies in 2006. Finley drove home, brought his drum set back to Isla Vista, and set it up in his small apartment. Bass player Marley had also met the band’s current singer Eric Rachmany in another music class at UCSB, where they bonded over their shared love of reggae. Rachmany graduated in 2007 after majoring in Religious Studies.
That left one final member of the band, Rory Carey, who was a member of another band ‘Iration’ at the time and was already playing shows. “We borrowed him, and eventually, he stuck with us,” Finley said. Carey graduated from UCSB in 2005, in Economics.
As Rebelution began to develop its own unique sound in Santa Barbara, the bandmates chose a name that would embody their spirit. “I believe Marley came up with it. It was a simple portmanteau that combined the words rebel and revolution,” Finley recalled. “We thought it sounded cool and represented a certain seriousness.”
Rebelution playing at UC Santa Barbara’s Extravagaza In 2012.
Rebelution has achieved many significant accomplishments over the years. “The first was probably getting paid to play shows, at first frats and the university, then bars around town, and eventually down in Carpinteria and Ventura, and then L.A.,” Finley said.
The band was gaining popularity quickly among residents of Isla Vista and California, and a following began to grow. As things started getting, serious as they began to travel more frequently. “We always made a point to put everything we earned towards new equipment and rent for rehearsal space and to not pocket anything personally,” Finley said. “We started traveling so much that we graduated to purchasing a used airport shuttle bus together to drive with our equipment, and that was a big deal.”
The 2006 release of their first EP, ‘Rebelution’ was a pivotal moment for them. “We caught on like wildfire in Hawaii, where they have reggae-only radio stations,” Finley recalled. This exposure led a promoter to contract the band to play a series of shows in Hawaii. In the months leading up to their shows in Hawaii, Rebelution played for Isla Vista residents at their house at 6587 Del Playa.
Even as their reputation grew, it was still a struggle to gain a foothold.
“As reggae gained traction, our sound developed in its own right and began to be termed Cali reggae, and derogatorily as white-boy reggae. So there was some pushback from reggae purists and we had to work a little harder to win over certain groups of people,” Finley said. “Now we have such a wide variety of songs it’s easier to not be pigeonholed, and we’re glad the scene has grown such that there’s more acceptance.”
He attributes their success to the band’s perseverance, adaptability and respecting others, which all encapsulate the group’s spirit. “Work hard and have respect for your craft. If you keep at it long enough people will start to take notice,” Finley said. By advocating for positivity, Rebelution was able to overcome pushback and paved the way for others within the industry.
Rebelution playing a show at Anisq’Oyo Park, now known as Estero Park.
Even though the band members now live in different cities, they remain steadfast in their dedication to one another, and frequently travel to share their music with a global audience.
“It’s crazy to think that we’ve been a band and a part of each other’s lives for over 20 years now,” Finley said. “We’ve all moved away, although I stayed in Santa Barbara for 15 years and was the last one left, until Eric finally moved back.” The distances are proving to be the band’s “biggest hurdle,” Finley said. “It takes a lot of planning to rehearse together and share music.”
Still, their musical journey has led them full circle back to Santa Barbara, where they will be performing at the Santa Barbara Bowl this August 14th and 15th.
Emily Ferguson is a third-year UCSB student majoring in Communication. She wrote this article for her Writing Program course, Digital Journalism.