Duane, if we're going to talk about you, we have to start with To-Isis, the group you were part of. That band wasn't that well-known in Europe, so what can you tell us about it?
Duane Stephenson: "To-Isis was a six member singing group that really evolved out of a young people's performing arts core called The Cathy Levy Players, which was basically almost like a school for teenagers providing courses in dance, theatre, music, choir singing and so on. It was there that the foundations for To-Isis we laid. We were just a bunch of friends really that decided to take things to the next level. I was in the band for about nine years, but it never went further than some local success in Jamaica and some stints in the United States. When I left the band, at first I just started writing for other people, but eventually I found my own way."
And now of course there's your debut album 'August Town' with the hit single of the same title. Why did you decide to dedicate the album to your home town?
Duane Stephenson: "One of the reasons I decided to move on from To-Isis was because I wanted to get a little more personal in my music. I wanted to do some songs that were more in tune with myself. 'August Town' is basically my own story, it's a statement saying: "This is who I am and where I'm from." Everything you hear in the song 'August Town' is based on reality, not necessarily my own life, but definitely on experiences I saw and lived in my community. The song is dedicated to a friend of mine who was killed in gang violence. 'Ghetto Pain' was the first recording we did back in the day with To-Isis, but when I did this solo album I really wanted to re-record it. I wrote that tune when I was only fourteen years old, long before I had any hopes to be in the music business as a professional. Basically all the songs on the album are like words from my diary that I put to music."
The interesting thing about the 'August Town' song is that you can listen to it on two levels: on the one hand there's the story of a father and a son, which you also illustrated in the video, and on the other hand the father part in the song can also be interpreted as being God or Jah.
Duane Stephenson: "In Jamaica most people have a Christian background, something that comes with a whole set of rules and values. Parents really tell you how to live and what to do. For example I had to go to church, not like nowadays where children can choose, no, come Sunday morning I just had to get up and go to service. That was a part of who we were. I wrote the song in that way because I knew people would relate to the story because it's so recognisable. That one-on-one thing, father to son or mother to daughter, kept the song on a more personal level."
You just mentioned your friend who was the victim of gang violence. Does that make it a topic you relate to more intensely?
Duane Stephenson: "Yes, definitely, but one shouldn't be too fast in thinking Jamaica is worse of in that aspect than a lot of other countries. In reality it's not. Nonetheless these things happen and it is a growing problem, so you have to make people aware of it, and whenever you can be a spark of light, an inspiration to people, it's always a good thing."
Together with Tarrus Riley, Jamelody and a host of other young artists, you seem to be part of a new wave of singers taking the forefront again after a period where it was mainly singjays who were in the spotlight.
Duane Stephenson: "Well, as in real life, things come and go. You had the golden age of reggae with people like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Jimmy Cliff, but then, at the beginning of the eighties, the sound changed. The sad thing is the people who have the power to play and promote music, often get caught up in these new things and forget about the ones that are already there. But, as I said already, these things come and go in cycles, so now it is young singers again who are getting more opportunities."
You've also been active as a producer for people like Tarrus Riley and Jah Cure. Where do you see that fitting into your career?
Duane Stephenson: "I spent most of my time as a professional musician around Dean Fraser and he's into producing as well. I picked up a lot of things just from being around him in the studio. Right now though, I'm focusing less on my production work because my own career is really moving to the next level, but I still do a little bit of pre-production work on my own songs. It's all a natural evolution."