Roots of a Rebellion

Roots of a Rebellion, known as ROAR, formed in 2010 as a high-energy progressive jam band rooted in Nashville, Tennessee, blending dub, roots reggae, rock, and hip-hop into their signature style. The six-piece lineup of Austin Smith, Marco Martinez, Adam Quellhorst, Troy Wiggins, Jeremyck Smith, and Justin Smith put out their first independent recording, the EP Inner Light, in 2012. Drawing from a broad range of touchstones including Sly and the Family Stone, John Brown's Body, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, and Flying Lotus, the group followed with their debut full-length album, Heartifact, which they released on their own in 2014. Opening slots with the Wailers, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, and SOJA broadened their reach and directly led to the 2016 arrival of their second album, Brother's Instinct. Honoring their longstanding independent ethos and hands-on approach, ROAR issued their third album, Shapes of a Soul, through the Roots of a Rebellion label in 2019.