'Old Soul' Stephen Marley brings father's legacy and new tunes to Indian Ranch

With a leisurely, acoustic guitar introduction, Stephen Marley's latest single "Old Soul" is a warm, catchy ballad that nostalgically looks back while at the same time contemplating that the singer has always known he's "been here before."

Marley is a son of the reggae great Bob Marley who died when Stephen was 9. He sings, "I'm an old soul/Lіvіng іn thе bоdу оf a 9 уеаr оld/І guеѕѕ І’vе bееn hеrе bеfоrе/І’m аn оld ѕоul/Тrіbutе tо thе оnеѕ whо mаdе іt аll/Роѕѕіblе/ Іnѕіdе mе уоur lеgасу lіvеѕ оn."

At 51, one wouldn't call Stephen Marley old, but when asked if he sees himself as as an old soul during a recent telephone interview, he replied "Yes, as far as I ever remember."

He was called that from an early age in Jamaica, Marley said. "Over the years, in certain aspects of my life, I've always heard that —'you have an old soul.'"

In Jamaica they say of an old soul in a young body, '''You didn't just come here, you've been here before.' So in that aspect, I feel I've been here before."

The single "Old Soul" may presage a new style of music that Marley is going to explore on his album, "Old Soul," to be released in September and his first solo studio project in several years.

'Some of the legacy, some of the new stuff'

Old soul or new soul, some surprises may be in store from Marley as a singer-songwriter.

However, Marley's Babylon By Bus Summer Tour which comes to Indian Ranch in Webster for a show at 7 p.m. July 27 won't forget the old classics.

"Very eclectic. Some of the legacy, some of the new stuff," Marley said about what he and his band will be playing. He often plays "deep cuts" from the legacy. He'll be joined by guests Roots of Creation, an electronic dance music, jam, reggae, rock, ska, world group, and Jesse Royal, a Jamaican reggae musician.

Indian Ranch is in the middle of two other Massachusetts Babylon By Bus stops. The tour will be at the Cape Cod Melody Tent on July 26 and South Shore Music Circus on July 28.

Marley's older brother, Ziggy Marley, has played at Indian Ranch before, but July 27 will be Stephen Marley's first date at the venue by Webster Lake.

But he's been through Massachusetts before. "I know Boston well," he said.

Marley, who lives in Miami, enjoys performing live, he said. "I do. It's definitely a healing component, touching the people live and in return being touched."

He said gets a good age mix for his shows, "a nice balance."

'As a father, as a mentor, as a freedom fighter'

The legendary Bob Marley was a reggae giant whose premature death at 36 from melanoma in 1981 was followed by a state funeral in Jamaica.

In 1979, Ziggy Marley and his siblings Sharon, Cedella and and 6-years-old Stephen formed The Melody Makers (named after the influential weekly Melody Maker) and debuted with a single "Children Playing in the Streets," written by their father. (All royalties from the single were pledged to the United Nations, to aid its efforts during the International Year of the Child.)

Stephen Marley has memories of his father. "Just his presence as a father, as a mentor, as a freedom fighter," he said. "How you feel around him. He was a strong presence and it still resonates."

As for musical memories, "Oh yes. We were on stage with him. Definitely."

In 2021, the musical "Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical" debuted at the Lyric Theatre in London to mixed reviews. Stephen Marley said he had nothing to do with the show and didn't see it.

But as for a Bob Marley musical on Broadway, he said "Sure," pointing out that his father had a song, "Reggae on Broadway."

The Melody Makers group’s 1988 album, “Conscious Party,” combined reggae, pop and rock, and was a breakthrough with the hits “Tumblin’ Down” and “Tomorrow People.” The record won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1989.

In 1999, Stephen Marley produced "Chant Down Babylon" a remix album of Bob Marley's music, modernixed to appeal to a modern audience, featuring hip-hop, R&B and rock stars.

'I didn't really plan it, to tell you the truth'

Stepping forward to be a solo artist, he released the albums "Mind Control" (2007), "Mind Control Acoustic" (2008), "Revelation Part I: The Root of Life" (2011), and "Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life" (2016).

His first three solo albums won Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album, and every one of his solo projects to date has topped the Billboard Reggae charts. Marley also has three Grammy Awards with the Melody Makers and twice as a producer of his younger brother Damian Marley.

Marley said going solo "was just people wanting a bit more from me. I didn't really plan it, to tell you the truth."

People said to him, "Come on, we need a set from you," he recalled.

"I had been a performer with the Melody Makers. I didn't think too much about it. I was always surrounded by my younger brothers. I didn't feel alone as long as I was surrounded by my brothers and such."

He continued to show an open mind and ear as an artist and producer, adding hip hop beats to the reggae as well as dance hall anthems, while "Mind Control Acoustic" was acoustic.

As will be the entire album "Old Soul" when it comes out in September.

In part it's because "the record was made in the middle of the pandemic. I didn't have access to my regular musicians," he said.

But also, "It's an acoustic album. A singer-songwriter album. A folk singer-songwriter vibe."

The acoustic guitar intro to "Old Soul" makes you feel you're about to hear a James Taylor song, although, of course, as soon as you hear Marley's voice it's distinctly his own.

When he went to the recording studio for the "Old Soul" album he was concentrating on "the writing aspect of the song," he said.

Marley has paraphrased Duke Ellington's remark that “Anything that sounds good is good."

"It's a different feel of music," Marley said of "Old Soul."

"I hope people will recognize that side of me."

Stephen Marley — Babylon By Bus Summer Tour with guests Jesse Royal and Roots of Creation

When: 7 p.m. July 27. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Where: Indian Ranch Amphitheatre, 200 Gore Road, Webster

How much: $30.50 to $70.50. www.indianranch.com. $1 of each ticket will benefit the mission of Ghetto Youths Foundation to provide aid and assistance, support and critical resources to people in need across the globe. Each year GYF programs serve hundreds of young people, seniors, families, and communities with transformative outreach initiatives supporting health and education, sports and arts, community-building and fundamental social services.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Stephen Marley makes Indian Ranch debut with both new and legacy songs