MAINE ARTIST
Southern Maine’s Reggae Sensation:
GREEN LION CREW I N T E R V I E W E D B Y E . P. P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y G R E E N L I O N C R E W & T I Z Z Y T O K YO
A simple campfire requires a few seemingly ordinary elements: the kindling, made up of twigs, dried leaves, and broken branches grouped together; add a match; gently blow on the flame; and within moments, you’re feeling the heat. When you stoke a deep-rooted appreciation for reggae culture and Caribbean beats, introduce clean medicine with an inclination to live accordingly, and drop passion with a spark of opportunity, you get the Green Lion Crew. Zeke Stern and Dana Knowles lit up York, Maine, a beautiful beach town where they began DJing at house parties while they were still attending high school. Providing an alternative to the norm, their unique approach began opening doors for the duo. Playing beats rooted in ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dancehall, they became students of the sounds of Caribbean culture. Soon the students became messengers of not only a way of listening, but also of a specific lifestyle in which Zeke says “nothing gets left out.” This includes surfing, mountain biking, organic eating, traveling, encouraging diversity, and having a deep devotion to the celebration and legalization of marijuana. From playing at house parties to hosting the Mad Lion Reggae Show on WUNH Radio at the University of New Hampshire, the pair progressed brick-by-brick, gaining experience and
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wisdom with each beat. As the ratings went up and they built a fan base along the way, they began to travel to Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands to start producing their own music and work with the artists they looked up to. Their pilgrimages to Jamaica and the Virgin Islands turned them into fulltime music producers. They started sending homemade instrumentals to vocalists who connected with the soul of their music, and from these collaborations came songs that are listened to across the globe.
