Official Bio

The Band:
Dominic Balli: Vocals, Guitar
Jenkins: Vocals
Zoe Overton: Rhodes, Organ, Keys
Chris McMahon: Bass

Biography:
Promoters, venues, and fans alike are catching the fire of this Southern California Rock Reggae posse. With soulful melodies, pounding bass lines, and Hip Hop background vocals, experiencing the passion and authenticity of a Dominic Balli live show will leave you sonically satisfied in more ways than one. However, the sound of Dominic Balli doesn’t simply boast creative and truly genuine musicality, but hard hitting, and transparently honest, lyrics of freedom, hope, and love.

While 2007 brought opportunities to play at California’s Largest Free Festival, share stages with artists like Reggae Super Stars, Ziggy Marley and Eak-a-Mouse, and to take home the second place prize at Southern California’s Battle of the Bands hosted by BB King’s Blues Club in Hollywood, 2008 will usher in a brand new season for the band as their first full length CD is released. The Santa Barbara based band is taking a different approach in publicizing the new release as they are set to give away a third of their 12 song CD, via digital download, for nothing more than an email address. By simply joining the Dominic Balli mailing list, a listener can download the first four songs from Dominic Balli’s “Public Announcement” for free. Commenting on his approach Balli says, “… it’s just more important to us to get the music out there than it is to sell records at this point. I’d rather have kids listening to our music on their iPod’s than have a few more dollars in the bank account.”

Backed by an all star team including Hip Hop MC “Jenkins”, Reggae Bassist Chris McMahon, and Keyboardist Zoe Overton, Dominic Balli promises to be more than just another short lived west coast reggae band. For Dominic Balli it’s more than just music. “… it’s an expression, a medium, a way to live”, Balli stated. “We never wanted to be rock stars. We still don’t. We write about real stuff; about life, the struggle, the success, the victory, and the defeat. To me my music is an expression of my world. It’s like a canvas. Hopefully I can convey with a lyric, and create with a melody, a picture of what’s going on inside my heart, mind, and life. It just so happens that people are starting to really enjoy listening to it.”

Exclusive Interview with GospelReggae.com

GR: I know that you have written a whole heap of songs in the past, but what's your favorite one? Now, if that is too hard for you to answer, then tell me this; if you spent 5 minutes with an avid reggae fan and only had enough time to play them one of your songs, which one would you play them?

DB: If my band was with me, we’d play “Arise”, but if it was just me and an acoustic guitar, I’d either play “Zion Mourns” or “All we need is Love”.

GR: What were the last 5 CDs that you put in your disc changer?

DB: Jack Johnson-Brushfire Fairytales, Bob Marley-Legend, John Mayer-Gravity, Damian Marley-Welcome to Jamrock, No Doubt-Underneath it all (Single)

GR: What's your favorite verse in the Bible and why?

DB: Eph. 3:20 “No to Him who is able to exceedingly, abundantly above all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works within us…”
- In my life, this is who God has always been to me. Even now, He’s doing more than I could’ve ever asked or imagined. What’s crazier is that often he does this stuff according to His power that works in us. He let’s us be part of it.

GR: As Christians, God is of course our true inspiration, but beyond the generic response of "Jesus," what are your muses in your life (for lack of a better word)? For example, what are the people, places, or things that trigger a fresh musical idea and ultimately a new song for you?

DB: Mostly just everyday life and circumstances. At least three quarters of the songs on this new Record were written in response to something happening in my life. My son was born so I wrote the ghost track “Roots from my soul”. We lost our twins, so I wrote “Babies”. I experienced freedom from addictions so I wrote “Conquering Lion”. I read a cool Psalm so I wrote the intro to “Warrior”. For instance the melody and lyrics for the hook in “Rebel Movement” was written in response to a music critic telling us that he loved what we were doing. We were like Rebel Culture because people who follow God are Rebel Culture and Reggae is Rebel Music. Every once in a while myself of someone else in the band will start playing a riff or progression that inspires a hook or a melody, but often the melody and lyric will just pop in my head as I’m walking, reading, or just sitting around thinking about life.

GR: Name one thing that fans do not know about you.

DB: Until I was sixteen years old I was one hundred percent tone and rhythm def. I couldn’t hear that a note was off pitch or that a rhythm was off time. Nor could I could I sing a note on pitch or even tap my foot in time. For real! Well… the rhythm thing kind of just began to develop as a played the guitar more, but the pitch thing is a different story. Up until then I was in a Ska band where I wrote and sang all the songs. My mom, who’s a phenomenal musician, and songwriter, would hear the songs and say, “Dom, I think that maybe you wrote a cool melody here, but did you know that you’re singing in a totally different key than all of the instruments?” When I was sixteen, I was asked to lead the music at church for the youth. Knowing that I was totally tone def, I refused. After a while I just stepped out in faith. It’s crazy but as soon as I started singing songs that brought attention to God, I started being able to hear pitch--Crazy!

GR: Name something personal that gives you great satisfaction.

DB: My wife, Emily, and my two amazing Children: Selah and Solomon. I get all teary just thinking about how much I love them.


GR: What are the three things you enjoy most about touring? And least?

DB: We play a lot of Clubs and stuff, so I love just connecting with fans, promoters, and club owners that I otherwise would never meet and build relationships with. I hate being away from my family.

GR: What is the best audience that you have ever played in front of?

DB: I think it’s a toss up between the couple thousand die hard reggae fans at the Ventura Theater when we opened for Ziggy Marley, or the couple hundred die hard Dominic Balli fans that showed up for the second night of our “Public Announcement” CD release shows.


GR: What goes through your mind before you go onstage at the average show?

DB: Man, I hope I don’t mess this up!

GR: Do you prefer being in the studio or on the road??

DB: On the road.

GR: Why do you do music? What is your primary goal?

DB: Well it’s definitely not for the money. I guess it’s the hope that somebody somewhere will experience the life, freedom, and love that I experience everyday through my relationship with God. Maybe one of our songs, records, or shows can help make that a Reality in someone’s life.

GR: Are you working on any future projects/releases that we should look out for?

DB: Jenkins, my Background Vocalist and Rapper will be releasing his Reggae/Hip EP entitled “Exodos” in early 2009. It’s gonna be off the chain!

Ministry

"Our goal is to write and perform quality Roots-Rock-Reggae music that causes the listener to not only hear what we’re saying, but to feel and experience it with heart, mind, and soul.” – DOMINIC BALLI

Discography

2008 – “Public Announcement” (LP)
2006 – “ep” (EP)

Dominic Balli Public Announcement

Concerts

There are currently no upcoming events listed.

Contact / Booking:

Paul at The Boardwalk Agency, Eugene, OR. Myspace: myspace.com/boardwalkagency
Email: paul@boardwalkagency.com
Phone: 1.800.994.3705

Official EMail:

dominicballi@hotmail.com

Official Website:

http://dominicballi.com/

Photos