The Slackers

The Slackers are the self styled masters of ska, reggae, soul, and rock n roll and are from New York City.

The Slackers started playing in 1991. After several years of local gigs around NYC and rehearsals in a dingy basement on 3rd street on the lower east side, the band released a debut album, Better Late Than Never, in 1996. The success of their debut album led to a signing by Epitaph records and the release of their 2nd album, Red Light. Since Red Light, the Slackers have released 10 more studio albums (The Question, Wasted Days, Slackers & Friends, Close My Eyes, Slackers in Dub, Peculiar, Boss Harmony Sessions, Self Medication, Lost and Found, The Great Rocksteady Swindle) 3 live albums (Live at Ernestos, Upsettin Ernestos, Slack in Japan), plus numerous EPs, singles,and compilation tracks.

The release of Red Light in 1997 started the slackers off a series of worldwide tours which have continued up through the present day. The slackers have played over 100 shows a year, every year, since 1997. They have played in 46 american states, 7 canadian provinces, 22 european countries, 5 latin american countries, and 2 asian countries.

The Slackers musical style is distinct from most of their contempories in that it is a mix of roots Jamaican ska, reggae, and rocksteady, anglo-american 60s garage rock and psychedelia, classic soul and RnB, and occasional touches of Jazz and Latin music. Bandleader Vic Ruggiero has coined this style, ‘Jamaican Rock’nRoll.’ You can hear the old ska in the bands style but its sung with distinctly American accents.

With the demise of record companies over the last 5 years, the Slackers have started using fundraisers as a device to release new music. The band is currently working on finishing a new studio album and has completed a successful fundraiser at www.bigtun.es/theslackers. The next album should be ready for general release in February 2016.