Downstairs

The history of DownStairs officially begins in 1995. Or 1994. Or even earlier. You know what? The question of when doesn't matter. It was a year as many others... it was groundbreaking at Kingston College in Kingston, Jamaica. The first Jamaican alternative rock band was beginning to form. The idea began in the mind of lead singer / songwriter and rhythm guitarist Brian Jones, a second form student, fascinated with hard rock, alternative rock and metal music. He set out on a mission to form a rock band and asked his friends, Andrew Campbell (bass) and Alvin Peart (drums) to join. They agreed. Only one problem stood between our heroes and eternal stardom. No one knew how to play an instrument. After forming their group, the boys chose their instruments and studied tirelessly under the trained musicians of the Unique Vision band. Practice, along with the early mentorship of the Fab Five Band and the influence of Peter Tosh, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, and many others did the rest. In 1996, Neville 'Bas' Lane (lead guitar), a visual artist joined the band to make the formula for DownStairs complete. After releasing their debut album Reggae Metal in 1999, DownStairs had been on a steady uphill road. One that’s tough, due to the extremely limited acceptance of the rock music genre in Jamaica, but one they’ve stuck to for their love of alternative rock. Loyal fans continued to follow the band and new converts were made with each show. Brian fought hard to create music that was true to his vision and the reward is the production of their second album, 40 Days , which was recorded in 2011 (under new management and produced by Jones and musical stalwart Steven Stewart) and officially released in 2015. Hard driving riffs, soaring guitars, energetic drums and menacing lyrics come together in a unique, but undeniable combination. Vocals at once plead and demand to be heard. In 2013 Alvin had to leave DownStairs for personal reasons and Craig 'Flea' Lee, a longtime friend of DownStairs, took over on the drums. DownStairs' music today is the result of nearly 20 years dedication to a music genre the band loves - attacked with the same creativity, dedication and force of which Jamaicans are famous for. In 2015, still performing live frequently, the band is focusing on recording new material for several new release projects. That leaves us with the most important question: why? Why does DownStairs exist? DownStairs began because, at the time, the world didn't have them. They were unlike who they saw already present in the Jamaican music scene. What they wanted to see was not available, so they made it. They did it wherever they could, and as often as possible. The BIG question: WHY? Why does DownStairs exist? DownStairs began because, at the time, the world didn't have them.