'Lean budget' tours pay off

Lead guitarist Charles Lazarus puts Rootz Underground's treks outside Jamaica succinctly, saying, "We have been fortunate enough, to tour on a lean budget." This has seen them growing their audience "from 100 people in a room to where it is today".

Lead singer Stephen Newland adds that the main draw is the quality of their concerts. "Our show is the pull," he said. "We intend for it to grow to be the biggest thing."

On the road, he said, "We do it mostly by bus, city to city, small town to small town". In doing so, they get to see aspects of other person's culture close up and Newland said, "The big thing we can do for Jamaica as international artistes is bring back positive culture from other nations to help fill the gap. Our culture is constantly being exported."

In addition to the range of concerts the band plans to do, there are also a number of upcoming releases to add to the albums Movement and Gravity. There is a live DVD of their first sold-out club date in France, the Roots Tonic EP with Dubtonic Band, the acoustic Music From My Soul, Steve Lightning, Lost Tracks and a two-part album.