Dre Island bringing ‘Love is in the House’ stateside

Dre Island is preparing to take his Love is in the House project stateside later this year. His upcoming United States tour is expected to include stops in Boston, Massachusetts; Bridgeport and Hartford, Connecticut; Elizabeth, New Jersey; Brooklyn, New York; Providence, Rhode Island; and Atlanta, Georgia, among several other cities.

The 11-track album released in July explores themes of love, loyalty and emotional accountability through his roots-conscious reggae style, contemporary sounds and modern production. Speaking about the project and his music, he said love is more than a recurring theme. It is a lesson shaped by childhood, relationships and, increasingly, his own growth as a man and artiste.

That perspective is at the heart of Love is in the House. The compilation, released with Ineffable Records and featuring production work from CJ the Chemist and Iotosh, took two years to complete. For Dre Island, who garnered success with his 2022 effort High Times, the album reflects both his childhood influences and growing maturity as an artiste who has become clearer about his message and mission.

“The album’s title was inspired by the love that I received as a child in my household and my community – love that I saw was given to my mom from my dad. I also learned that, in order to give love, I first need to make sure I love myself to give it effectively,” he said.

For Dre Island, the album’s greatest strength lies in the message it delivers to both men and women. “What I enjoyed the most about this album is the fact that it’s educating the kings how to treat a queen, while motivating the queen to honour, respect and value herself in times like these.”

Dre Island, whose given name is Andre Johnson, hails from Red Hills Road in St Andrew. He credits his early appreciation for music with helping him to hone his craft while attending Calabar High School. He released his first single, Reggae Love, in 2013 and followed up a few years later with the hit We Pray, a collaboration with dancehall artiste Popcaan.

The songs on Love is in the House, he shared, draw from situations he has experienced. Working with producers who know him and understand what he wanted to accomplish also helped to shape the finished product. “It’s always a joy creating music with people who are like family. [Them] actually knowing who I am, what I like, and also understand the project that needs to be created makes it much easier for them to produce and create songs that you hear on the album,” he shared.

The album features songs such as Never Had a Love, Roses, Situation, Diana (with Projexx and Zion De Lion), Senseless Conversation, and Never Too Far (featuring Tayjah).

Beyond his musical development, Dre Island said creating and releasing the project expanded his knowledge of the industry and how it continues to evolve.

“Especially in times like this, where promoting music is more focused on social media, it was more about learning and understanding the new method on how to promote, while applying the knowledge that was gained from past releases,” he added.

nicola.cunningham@gleanerjm.com