Big Sounds

Artist Bio / Album Info

From the ashes of local Paris Texas reggae rockers, Hostile Hippies, BASIC #5 was formed by Preston Hall, Justin Cox, and Chris Yates (later joined by Billy White and Max Jones) in April of 2011 to fill the void left by the demise of the local music scene in Northeast Texas.

With influences ranging from The Marleys to NOFX, and Parliament to Tupac, and of course Cas Haley (Halls uncle and "musical mentor"), these guys have turned reggae upside down and bring something to the table for everyone to enjoy. With their raw and thought provoking message against Babylon, driving energy, aggressive and melodic hooks, and grooves that you just can't help but dance to, this group is far from basic.

In addition to Hall, who has shared the stage with artists including Cas Haley, Jah Roots, SOJA, Josh Heinrichs and other national Reggae greats, Basic #5 features Chris Yates, formerly of local Paris Tx. Metal band Jolly Llama, Justin Cox, formerly of Left Hand Salute, Max Jones of The Tambourine Machine, and Billy White formerly of Six Bullet Roulette.

The band diverges from the traditional Reggae formula by adding bluesy guitar overtones and fat booming bass lines, along with aggressive, driving percussion to form dub and rock flavors that appeal to a wider audience.