Hailing from Columbus, OH
Genre: Alt-Ska
Bio:
I never wanted to be famous, I simply wanted to change the world. I’ll never forget these words. Here was a musician (by night) and a software developer (by day), putting out some of the most intriguing music of anyone in the Columbus, Ohio area. Yet even back then, he shied away from the spotlight. So many people wondered… “what happened to Shrub?” Truth is, a recent three-year hiatus proved to be the ultimate low-point. Everyone thought the music was dead; but in fact, this story had just begun.
The high-powered tag team duo of Jay Shrub and Blaine Dillinger (current guitarist of HIRIE) have crafted an original sound all of their own. The songs can only be described as a tasty recipe of reggae, hip hop, and introspective pop, all baked with enough THC to melt you into the couch. Their music takes the listener on an emotional roller-coaster ride through the fantastic ups-and-downs of life. The highs and the lows. You’ll feel the “Shrub Love” from the moment the first beat drops to the moment the curtain closes.
Once a perennial staple of music festivals throughout the Midwest and east coast, Shrub has shared the stage and supported acts such as: Rebelution, The Dirty Heads, The Revivalists, Collie Buddz, The Expendables, Tribal Seeds, Don Carlos, The Mighty Diamonds, Fortunate Youth, Yellowman, Tarrus Riley, and Badfish – A Tribute to Sublime.
After debuting at #5 on the iTunes Reggae Charts in 2013 with the Midwest classic, Highceratops, Shrub started touring heavily throughout the US. But abruptly in the summer of 2017, they just suddenly disappeared. Fast forward to May 2020 and Shrub returned with a vengeance dropping their most suspenseful and overwhelmingly heartfelt album to date, Back to Earth.
One listen through this album and I can already tell you this… “Shrub you are indeed… back.”