New York Is for Lovers (Rock)

“New York has a rich history with reggae music and it was calling my name.” It was the summer of 2011 and Maddie Ruthless left New Orleans and moved to the city with “a vision of self discovery”. Since that summer, she has become a staple of the NYC reggae scene, both as a DJ and as the lead singer of the Brooklyn band The Far East. As they release their first album “New York Is for Lovers”, Maddie tells us about the past and future of the Punky Reggae Party.

All photos by Miki Marcinkiewicz

NOUVEAU YORK: You were raised in New Orleans, but you used to spend some summer time in London during your teenage years. How did London and its music scene look like through the eyes of a New Orleans teenager? 

MADDIE RUTHLESS: It was a really liberating experience to spend so much time in a beautiful place like London. That was a big enough city to discover lots of new and exciting music. I spent tons of time going to record stores and punk and reggae concerts alone and I spent a lot of time exploring alone too. Alone time felt really crucial for self discovery. Really a blessing. I’d love to go back. It was a brand new world for me where reggae albums are sold in grocery checkout aisles and dancehall posters are pasted up everywhere. A very exciting place to be.

NY: What made you fall in love with reggae? Was it love at first sight or a slow build?

MR: I’ve really loved reggae for as long as I can remember, but early on, it was a focus on [two precursors of reggae] ska and rocksteady specifically. The Specials, a 2 tone era British band, was the first album I remember owning [2 tone is a British version of ska]. I like other genres of music, of course, but reggae has been my favorite. My parents really instilled a love for New Orleans music into my brother and I. Rhythmically, it doesn’t feel too far off. The Wailers and The Meters have a real connection, musically.

NY: While growing up in New Orleans, you said your name Ruthless “was given as a youth involved in punk rock music.”

MR: I was in punk bands as a teenager and “ruthless” was kind of a joke because I’m sort of friendly. So the name was a joke on that really, and a tease. I’ve tried to live up to it, but I could stand to be a little more ruthless. I was – and still am – a weird kid and punk rock was a safe place to experiment with music. Especially in New Orleans, where people are just generally very accepting of genre bending and experimentation.

NY: How was the punk rock scene in New Orleans?

MR: After Katrina, the punk scene was very close. It felt like we were sort of left up to having shows anywhere they could happen and with very few people around. I spent a lot of time in those days playing reggae records in abandoned buildings with generator power. We were just happy to all being together. And the name “ruthless” really stuck.

“New York is like an invitation. Historically, the door has been wide open for artists and weirdos and ambitious people to come here.”

NY: What was your fantasy of NYC before coming here for the first time?

MR: My desire in moving here was to be more closely connected to other kinds of Caribbean music, and contribute my own musical perspective to the fabric of the city. I had a vision of self discovery that lead me here. Something similar to the reason everyone comes here. I couldn’t get a job in New Orleans either. I was broke and I needed to get out and change my perspective.

NY: Were you into NY reggae before you were into NYC?

MR: I had collaborated with some musicians from NYC in New Orleans: The Forthrights, The Frightnrs, The Slackers… and it just felt like there was more work to do. I was a huge fan of a lot of the dancehall contributions New Yorkers have made before I moved here. New York has a rich history with reggae music and it was calling my name. That’s what’s great about the city, though right? New York is like an invitation. Historically, the door has been wide open for artists and weirdos and ambitious people to come here. 

NY: Can you describe your early impressions of the city?

MR: I moved here in the summertime and the city just felt really alive. I still live in the first apartment I came to. It’s a work/live rehearsal space that my friends rehearsed in and we jammed constantly in those first days. I loved that nothing ever closed and you can sort of live in a suspended state of caring about the time of day. I was blown away by the weekly reggae night hosted by Deadly Dragon in the upstairs room at Happy Endings. It was really exciting. Happy Endings was a downtown club built in an old spa business. The drinks were strong and the music was loud. People danced. It was a happy place to be. Really felt like the downtown NY culture of fashion and music was alive in that space and there was a wonderful diversity of people from all parts of the city together there. My earliest moments here were very electric.

NY: There is no better way to become a great DJ than working in a record shop, as you did in New Orleans. Do you agree?

MR: I couldn't agree more. I really appreciated all of the alone time I spent in Domino Sound in New Orleans and it was like going to reggae school. I memorized riddims and labels and practiced mixing them together for hours. I spent so much time there.

NY: Does any NY record shop have a special meaning for you?

MR: So many special record shops here in NYC, but again, Deadly Dragon had a shop in Chinatown, that was a real treasure chest of all reggae music. These days, I have to say I really love Human Head, Record City and Superior Elevation. All first rate shops with great reggae sections!

“Reggae is deeply tied to a sound system and to gathering around it. The past year has felt a bit lost without that.”

NY: Talking about actual records, is there a physical record from NY that you own and have a very special value for you?

MR: It’s so hard to choose just one. So many of the greatest records of all time were made here. Many of my Wackies label and Studio One label reggae records were pressed here. Probably the one that is closest to my heart is the first one we pressed at the Hit Bound record press in Williamsburg, “Can We Make It Up” by the Far East. The day I picked it up from the press, I got to meet the owner of the pressing facility, Channel One producer JoJo Hoo Kim (rest in Peace) and his wife Joyce. Mr. Hoo Kim was instrumental in creating some of the greatest roots reggae recordings of all time. He moved his pressing business to NYC in the early 80’s and I admire him so much. It was a special moment to pick up our band’s record from his press and to meet him. I will always remember that!

NY: With your band The Far East, you released your first album “New York is For Lovers” last December. Did the pandemic have any impact on the recording and release?

MR: The album was finished right around the time everything shut down here in New York, in February of 2020. We had our last show on March 8th at Pioneer Works and we were excited to shift focus to the record and to a couple of tours we had booked. When those things fell through, it was a depressing moment. At that time, we also lost a good friend and mentor in the reggae community, Fatha German. He was instrumental in promoting and organizing events here in NYC. Sadly, he transitioned in April. The time surrounding his passing and the full shut down feels like a very bad dream. We couldn't even think about the record, for a few months. We just felt sad. Then, we decided that it was important for the record to be released and to let people hear it. Forward ever. 

NY: The Far East is first and foremost a live band and you were able to do some remote shows. We know it’s not the same as the real thing, but did you learn something good about those remote, digital performances?

MR: We definitely did. We’re improving when it comes to live sound recording and visuals. It’s a learning curve, but we felt that it was important to find a way to keep going. We all feel so lost without music. Connecting with each other and staying rehearsed was important to the band. It’s strange, of course, but it feels like some way of connecting with the people who like our music too.

“Our New York golden age is yet to come. I have faith in the city.”

NY: The album is an ode to Lover’s Rock, “the style filled early 80’s dance halls and radio airwaves alike”. The 80’s were also the beginning of hip hop, the very early house… Do you believe in this 80’s golden age of the New York music scene?

MR: It’s hard for me to tell, having lived here for only ten years, how this time compares to before. Maybe that's a good thing, because it seems like some New Yorkers are disappointed with New York now comparative to that time. It’s a blessing, in a way, to only know the present. As far as pop culture contributions, it seems that the late 70’s and early 80’s were really on fire for music in NYC. So many underground sounds were beginning to take shape. Some things have definitely changed since then. We no longer have the legendary dance clubs of past New York eras. We can also point to the way the NYPD has evolved into the paramilitary of today and wonder if some of the heavy police presence is to blame for the lack of underground music events. 

NY: Do you think a new ‘golden age’ could come up?

MR: In the 80’s, I really wonder if New Yorkers felt that it was a golden age in the moment. Or can we only say in hindsight? That’s kind of how I feel about the next golden age. We might not ever know in the moment. It seems to be a time when creativity is flourishing and when the city is tenable. I can see my golden age is yet to come. I don’t think it happened yet, but I can see it’s meant to happen here in New York. I have faith in the city.

NY: What’s your favorite NY love story?

MR: Such a hard question! So many real life love stories happen here all around me. I can see them when I walk around my neighborhood. So much love in NY! Fictionalized, there are so many great New York love stories. I’m obsessed with Cher, so ‘Moonstruck’ comes to mind. As cliche, and maybe corny, as it sounds – I still love ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s!

NY: What does the future of the NY reggae scene look like?

MR: The future of reggae in NYC is bright. There are new sounds evolving from friends across the city. It’s hard to imagine what music will look like without reggae events in the city in the near future. This kind of music is deeply tied to a sound system and to gathering around the sound system. The past year has felt a bit lost without that. Still, the music will always survive here. 

NY: Do women hold the keys?

MR: There are more women involved in reggae now than ever before. Women are dominating the newest dancehall coming out of Jamaica and I think that’s reflected in the way queens are holding a place in NYC as well. I'm really impressed by the selectors in our community like DJ Sweet V, Ayanna Heaven, DJ Mishap, Grace of Spades, Queen Majesty, Isis Swaby, and many more!

Maddie Picks Five New York Classics

Milton Henry (aka King Medious), “This World” (1972)
“Milton Henry is a roots reggae artist, from Jamaica, who lives and performs in New York City. I admire his catalog of music a great deal, much of which was produced and released through the Bronx based Wackies production house. Miltons contributions to reggae in New York helped to solidify the place of roots reggae here. This song is special to me because Mr. Henry performs it across New York on special occasions when available. Every time I see Milton sing this song I get goose bumps. Jamaican culture is one of the most special contributions to music in New York and has influenced our band immensely.”

Shelly Thunder, “Kuff” (1989)
“This song was an explosive hit in New York City when it first came out. To me, it embodies the tough feminism, women in New York exude. Shelly’s lyrical confidence is through the roof. Something special about her, as an artist, is that she is also an incredible rapper when she uses her New York accent. Jamaican music is part of the story of the birth of hip hop in NYC, the fact that Shelly effortlessly switches up these styles makes her one of the greatest New York artists of all time and reflects the beautiful history of our city.”

Shinehead, “Jamaican in New York” (1992)
“This is a classic New York anthem by an iconic New York artist. This song is anthemic for folks who have immigrated here and Shinehead is just absolutely one of the greatest artists of all time. Something about the fusion of musical styles (dancehall meets hip hop) really speaks to the blend of musical styles here as well. Shout out to all of the streets he mentions!”

JonnyGo Figure, “Life Ina Brooklyn” (2017)
“Jonny is a good friend and one of the most talented up and coming artists in New York today. He is New York born and raised. You can hear it in his inflections and accent and cadence. He has been educated and immersed in Brooklyn hip hop and dancehall culture his entire life and it reflects in everything he creates. Listening to his music immediately transports me to a late night music session deep in the heart of NYC.”

Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, “Love Come Down” (1982)
“This song is forever attached to New York City in my brain. I can just see the M train coming down the track in my head from the very first note! I don’t know if it’s only my perspective, but I hear this song absolutely everywhere I go in New York. There is a real appreciation for classic hits like this one in our city and in the summertime, I swear this song is playing somewhere in every borough at any given point in time.”