The Green is a reggae band formed in 2009 on Oahu, Hawaii. Their sound blends dub-heavy roots reggae, smooth lovers' rock, contemporary pop and rock with indigenous Hawaiian musical/lyrical references. The band consists of Caleb Keolanui on vocals, Ikaika Antone on keys/vocals, JP Kennedy on guitar/vocals, Zion Thompson on guitar/vocals, Brad Watanabe on Bass and Jordan Espinoza on drums. The group has released five full-length studio albums to date.
History
Self-Titled Album
After forming on Oahu in 2009, the band released their self-titled debut album The Green in February 2010. The album's single "Love I" was the band's breakthrough single on Hawaiian radio, and set a Billboard Reggae Chart record by remaining on the chart for 69 straight weeks. The album was also named iTunes' Best Reggae Album of 2010 and finished the year as the No. 9 album on the 2010 Billboard's Year End Reggae Chart alongside artists Rebelution, Matisyahu and Bob Marley.
Love & Affection, Ways & Means
In August of 2011, The Green released an EP titled “Love & Affection”. The EP quickly secured the #1 spot on the iTunes Reggae chart, passing Bob Marley, Shaggy and other heavy hitters along the way. The EP featured four tracks to be later seen on their sophomore album “Ways & Means”. In October of 2011, The Green's second album Ways & Means was released and spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Reggae Chart and won Best Reggae Album at Hawaii's 2011 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. With the success the band was finding with their recorded music, they were able to embark on a full touring schedule, supporting bands such as Rebelution, Iration, SOJA and Damian Marley, as well as participating in festivals such as Wakarusa and Sierra Nevada World Music Festival.
Hawai’i ’13
In 2013 The Green teamed up with producer Danny Kalb to record their third album at Hurley Studios. In August of that same year, the band released Hawai’i ‘13, becoming their third straight album to top the Billboard Reggae chart, selling 4,960 copies in its first week of release.. The album was also named to be one of AllMusic’s favorite reggae albums of 2013, and won several awards at the subsequent Na Hoku Hanohano Awards including Best Reggae Album and Artist of the Year. The band went on to perform at festivals worldwide, including California Roots Music and Arts Festival, Vans Warped Tour and One Love Festival New Zealand.
In October of 2017, The Green released their fourth studio album, "Marching Orders", through longtime label partner Easy Star Records. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae charts and remained in the top 10 for over 17 consecutive weeks, regaining the #1 spot multiple times during it’s run. The band's new album was once again awarded Reggae Album of the Year at the subsequent Na Hoku Hanohano Awards and won Album of the Year at the 2018 Island Music Awards. The band followed up their release with a winter tour that boasted sell out shows across the Mainland. In November of 2018, The Green performed at several sold out stadium shows in Honolulu with Bruno Mars.
Black & White
In March of 2019, The Green released their album "Black & White", an acoustic take on their greatest hits. Most of the album was recorded at Hurley Studios, where they recorded Hawai’i ’13. The album was mixed/mastered by Danny Kalb. The Green was awarded Group of the Year at the 2019 Island Music Awards.
