THE REGGAE-INFLUENCED “ALL ALONE” IS THE LATEST SINGLE FROM MONTASIA!

Growing up in Boston during the 1980’s, Donald Poole and Chris Emerson appreciated the city’s multi-ethnic music scene which included the rock of Aerosmith and the J Geils Band, to the pop/R&B of New Edition and the reggae sounds from West Indian clubs.

Fans can hear a bit of the latter on All Alone, the first song from their group Montasia.

The recently released single is a comeback of sorts for Poole and Emerson who first met in 1989 as aspiring musicians. Now signed to British company In-Ex Records, they called on their reggae influences for All Alone.

“I stay current because I have a great passion for old and new music including reggae. That is very important because it keeps you extremely interested to learn as much as you can about it,” said Poole.

Co-written and co-produced by Poole and Emerson, All Alone features Canadian dancehall duo Black Lion. Its sound recalls reggae-influenced European bands like The Police and Ace Of Base.

Poole said he and Poole’s reggae listening pool is deep. Their personal playlist includes Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, The Police, Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, Steel Pulse and Shabba Ranks.

Poole’s older brothers were in a Rhythm and Blues group called Planet Patrol which was signed to hot independent label, Tommy Boy Records, in the 1980s. He was also close to Maurice Starr, the mentor for New Edition and New Kids On The Block.

Emerson and Poole enjoyed some success in the early 1990s with So In Love before moving on to solo careers. Emerson went on to record three solo albums, and had songs that appeared in the popular television show, Dawson’s Creek.

While they hope All Alone will go on to be a commercial success, Poole said music has never been just about money for him and Emerson.

“Music is just not a hobby for me, it’s a form of life and love and magic. That’s the way Montasia expresses ourselves to the world.”