Fortunate Youth, Bumpin Uglies

Fortunate Youth is a collaboration of South Bay reggae stand-outs. Rising from various bands, they’ve created a phenomenal 6-piece masterpiece bringing more fire to the stage than ever before. Combining rootsy vibes and unique bass lines united with multiple harmonies, boisterous guitar solos, and heavy keys separates Fortunate Youth from every other mainstream reggae band. With their high energy approach and positive stage presence they provide an unforgettable show to every music fan. Fortunate Youth’s objective is to ensure a performance that leaves you feeling euphoric and curious of what might happen at the next show.
In 2011 they supported Tribal Seeds on their nationwide Tribal Youth Tour to spread their conscious music to the nation. F.Y. linked up The Green, from Hawaii, for a Midwest/Westcoast run before jumping back in the studio to record. They have hit the masses promoting only their 6-song EP titled “Up-Lifted EP” and just released their full-length album, “IRIE STATE OF MIND” on July 1, 2011. Fortunate Youth will also be touring very heavily through 2011 including a Naitonwide CD Release Summer Tour.

Upon Releasing their full-length album they quickly rose to #2 on the iTunes Reggae Charts and also locked in a #13 position on Billboard Top 100 Reggae Albums. Receiving great praise for early success Fortunate Youth strives to spread their interpretation of Reggae music to Music Lovers worldwide.

Fortunate Youth toured very heavily in 2012 supporting Headliners such as The Expendables and Tribal Seeds. FY also headlined their own Nationwide Summer of Sweet Love Tour proving they can pull their own weight. Making their first international departure, Fortunate Youth played 4 shows in Costa Rica spreading the love of reggae music internationally.

2013 release, “It’s All A Jam”, hit numerous charts including #1 on Billboard Reggae Charts, #10 Billboard Pacific Heatseekers Chart, #23 Billboard National Heatseeker Chart along with #1 on iTunes Reggae Charts and #46 iTunes Overall Charts. FY followed the album release with a 55-Show nationwide Spring Headline Tour seeing great response from the album’s successful release.

Fortunate Youth just finished a Spring 2014 Headline Tour and are gearing up for their Fall with Friends Tour which boasts a solid lineup of support bands including: New Kingston, The Expanders, The Steppas, Ease Up, Thrive, Ashes of Babylon, and more. Keep an eye out for a show in a city near you. All Tour Dates can be seen at www.fortunatemusic.com

Bumpin Uglies

Bumpin Uglies spawned from an Annapolis, MD scene awash in musical history over a decade ago. They are rooted in East Coast ska, punk, and reggae, making their mark up and down the Eastern Seaboard. In the past ten years, Bumpin Uglies have worked to carve out their path by relentlessly touring, and releasing one album after another. With each release came more focus, more creativity and more desire to always experiment and try new things with their music. The band is psyched for their latest EP, Buzz, which released on March 22 via Ineffable Music Group based in Oakland, CA. Ineffable is a name synonymous with the likes of Collie Buddz, Stick Figure, The Movement, and many other prominent artists.

Their last album, Beast From The East, is proof positive that Brandon, Wolfie, Chad and T.J. have meshed into a dynamic quartet as the album topped reggae charts, drawing interest from Billboard’s editorial team for their debut in the pole position. With fellow Maryland rocker Howi Spangler of Ballyhoo! working on the production, the alchemy was right for their breakthrough release, so naturally they are keeping that intact with their current album, Buzz, while continuing the trend of evolving their sound, always experimenting in bold ways that keeps everything fresh from beginning to end.

Their climb hasn’t always been easy and as Bumpin Uglies have grinded their way to their current place in the music scene, they’ve shown that hard work pays off and by putting your heart and soul into it and by taking risks, you can achieve great things. It’s why they’ve springboarded from The Whiskey in Annapolis (RIP) to slots at major festivals like Firefly, Peachfest, and Reggae Rise Up, and are selling out several markets around the nation. Bumpin Uglies are also proud to have announced their own Headlining Festival, Weekend at Wolfie’s, set for June 13-15, 2019 in Bedford, PA.

As a band they are clearly intent on doing things their own way, it’s how it’s always been done.  This philosophy has grown Bumpin Uglies into a prolific music-making beast, has devoted fans tattooing Brandon Hardesty’s poignant lyrics on their bodies and has them growing into a nationally recognized touring headliner. Bumpin Uglies is on fire with no end in site.