Topline:
The devastating Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed many beloved food and beverage establishments. We’ve collected a running list and some memories shared on social media.
What's been lost? The Reel Inn, Cholada Thai and Moonshadows in Malibu have all been destroyed, as have Side Pie, Fox’s Restaurant, and Cafe de Leche in Altadena.
Is there any way to support them? Many have linked to various GoFundMe pages to help them support their employees and rebuild.
The destruction caused by the Eaton and Palisades fires will undoubtedly be felt for a long time, and we're still learning more about the homes and businesses that have been destroyed.
Several of the businesses are restaurants and bars, often long-term anchors of their communities. In the immediate aftermath, many former customers have taken to social media to express their sadness and share their memories.
We’ve compiled a list of affected businesses, customers' reactions, and how you can help.
If other places you know of are not included here, please email me (gchabran@scpr.org) and let me know their significance to you.
The pizza joint on Altadena Drive began in a side yard during the pandemic, then moved to its brick and mortar location. It was known for its Grateful Dead inspired pies and fun neighborhood vibes.
Reactions on social media:
"You brought community to beautiful Altadena ❤️ we will rise up."
- Karineceyhan
“I saw your story on Instagram from Australia, and my thoughts are with you during this incredibly difficult time. Small businesses are the backbone of every community, and it’s clear how much you mean to yours.” - Leisah Beutner
Owner Kevin Hockin wrote online:
“Our whole neighborhood burned to the ground today. This is our community hub and pizza/coffee sanctuary. We have customers that have a standing order every week, same day, same time, for years. Not kidding…. I bet I know 90% of our regulars' dogs' names...we are that place.”
How to help:
Donate to their GoFundme page
Cafe De Leche began in 2008 in Highland Park, later expanding to the neighboring Altadena area. It was known for its dog and kid-friendly patio, as well as a handy pit stop before hitting the hiking trails.
Reactions on social media:
“Words can’t begin to express how saddened I am. CDL Altadena is what shaped me as a leader, a manager, a roaster, and more importantly as a human being. You will come back better and stronger.” - Sarahmakescoffee
“I lost my house too. And when it’s rebuilt I am coming to get my favorite coffee. Love everyone in Altadena.” - Rbexpaige
Owners Anya and Matthew Schodorf wrote online:
"It’s been an honor Altadena❤️ This isn’t goodbye - it’s see you later. We will rebuild not only as a business, but a community."
How to help:
Donate to support the staff on their GoFundme page
The Rancho Bar on North Lake Avenue was popular for its Bloody Mary cocktails and cozy atmosphere. It was also a gathering place for many from the local community.
Reactions on social media:
“My heart... 😢😢😢😢... God bless the Rancho.. the best BAR in LA County." - Freedom8teens
“The Rancho was a second home to so many of us. Thank you for that. I’m sure this community would support a Rancho Rebuild, I sure know I would !!! 💕" - Riotandahalf
"Your community loves y’all. Thank you for all the years. I have faith we can rebuild and lots will help." - Mimicocol
How to help:
Donate to their GoFundme page
Given its long existence, this one particularly hurts. Fox's has been open since 1955 and was sold in 2018 to Monique King and Paul Rosenbluh, owners of Cindy's, a nearby coffee shop and diner in Eagle Rock. It was known for classics, such as two eggs, two pancakes, two bacon breakfast combos and chicken fried smoked brisket plates.
Reactions on social media:
“I watched the news as Lake burned, I just cried, but held hope.….. I appreciate that special space you created.”
- justanotherj3n
“I CAN’T! I remember sitting there with the original owners and you as you were getting ready to seal the deal. I’m SO BEYOND sorry for you and the whole Altadena community. This is beyond devastating.” - Staymann
“Devastating! My Grandma lived on Allen Avenue in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. She used to take us to Fox’s for fried chicken. We loved it. This is heartbreaking."
- Renee_beachlife
The owners' daughter wrote online:
"The Eaton Canyon Wildfire has devastated the Altadena community, and unfortunately, Fox’s Restaurant has not survived. We are heartbroken by the destruction that’s occurred over the past 48 hours in our community."
How to help:
Donate to their GoFundme page
The small neighborhood market, which only opened in October of last year, but attracted a loyal following, offered farm fresh produce, sandwiches, and other niche pantry items.
Reactions on social media:
“Was just sitting outside on the stools a few days ago, drinking a topo Chico. Man how things change in 24 hours. 💔 our home is gone too.” - Callumhanlon_kinda
“Crying. I am so sorry Jon and Gamze. Working here and knowing you and our beautiful community has been an absolute joy. You’ve brought such light to sweet Altadena. 😢 sad sad sad day" - Indigo_violet
Owner Jon Johnson wrote online:
“As many of you know, we lost Minik Market in the fires. Minik Market wasn’t just a shop; it was a gathering place for our community — a space where neighbors became friends and where everyone felt welcome. Losing it has been devastating.”
How to help:
Donate to their Gofundme page.
The Black family-owned cafe restaurant had been serving the community for over 50 years. It was known for its soul food dishes, such as shrimp and grits.
Reactions on social media:
"So sorry to hear this! 🙏🏾 so many fond memories, especially of the patriarch chef of your family." - kamilahvmoore
"We lived on W Mendocino. We became regulars. We love you guys. We are ‘the sisters. Here for you …" - lesleyspageaboutnothing
"Wonderful diner. An Altadena icon! I hope you'll rebuild!" - jeffryder626
Annisa Shay, whose family owns The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, said online:
"Our family business, The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop on Fair Oaks, has been a staple in the community since 1955.
We are completely lost for words to see what my grandmother built, my uncle Lonzia, and my mom created, burn down to flames. If you can find it in your heart to help my family’s business to rebuild, we appreciate you so much. Thank you for your support."
How to help:
Donate to their GoFundMe page
The self-described "chef-driven hyperlocal pizza joint" first started as a farmer's market booth. It's fed the Altadena community for over a decade with its creative pizzas and unique specials.
Reactions on social media:
"So sad to hear. The community is here for you however we can. We will rebuild ❤️" - madelinetopet
"So sorry! You were my favorite place when I lived in Altadena. I hope you will rebuild. I'll do all I can to support you. 😢" - jeffryder626
"I'm so sorry! 😢 I have so many wonderful memories of going to POV! Especially your fungi pizza! I am thinking about you guys and hope you can rebuild." -madchengeist
Owners Sean St. John and Jamie Woolnder wrote online:
"We ask everyone to be kind, patient and understanding. Take care of one another, stay safe, and support those who need it most. Together we will rise from this tragedy."
The casual cafe space, with its sister location in neighboring Highland Park, offered "nourishing, health food, made with love and hope."
Reactions on social media:
"Our hearts break for you. We lost our home on Olive. We were regulars of yours and absolutely loved going there." - laurel.bayly.lee
"We love you Amara and Paola! The most generous business owner and purveyor of warm, healing, delicious food. We will be frequenting HP location even more than usual now." - janeonhlp
"Thank you to the whole Amara Team and to Paola for bringing your light and vision to the local food community. I will miss my sweet little friday cruises from my place near Allen to pick up delicious breakfast burritos and those cookies 💔 but you all are supported and will build back up fast i’m sure. We are here for you !" - valduve
Owner Paola Guasp said online:
"While we are deeply grateful that our staff is safe, many of us have been displaced and evacuated from our homes. Never in a million years did we imagine this could happen to our team or community. We are acutely aware of how many others in Los Angeles have been affected by this tragedy and are working with trusted partners to find ways to support ourselves and those around us during this challenging time."
How to help:
Donate to their GoFundme page.
Burgers For Life is a small pop-up regularly found at Benny Boy Brewing and in other parts of Northeast L.A. serving their duck fat smash burgers. It participated in last year's LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers, where fans voted them to the Flavorful 4.
Reactions on social media:
"Sending you lots of love. Please count me in for any support. We’re community. :brown_heart:" - lunalermanda
"I'm so so sorry. Altadena is one of the most tight knit and strong communities that I've ever seen. We'll get through this together. " - snakeywoman
How to help:
Donate to Ramon's GoFundMe page
One of the more well-known seafood shacks along PCH charmed locals and tourists alike for its casual approach, affordable menu, and outdoor seating, making for the perfect family hang or day drinking session.
Comments on social media:
“I’m the lady with the paper always ordering the same thing on a random weekday every week sitting in the back. You have been my happy place for close to 15 years.” - stefaniekeenan
“U guys literally shaped my time here in Los Angeles. I’m gonna miss u.” - Erc.3p
“Was there Friday (so thankful! ) and I commented to the kitchen staff how unbelievably hard the busboy works! How he’s out of a job as are all of you and we lost a place that means so much our family !” - Gia_moody
The owners Teddy and Andy Leonard said online:
"We are so grateful for the 36 years we've been part of the community. We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left. Hopefully the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles."
How to help:
Donate to their Gofundme page
The locally beloved Thai restaurant is owned by Sawai Theprian and her husband Nikorn Sriwichailumpan, who purchased the restaurant in 2000 after serving as head chef. Customers loved such dishes as spicy glass noodles, and seafood bonanza dishes. The couple also owns another location in Long Beach.
Comments on social media:
“I’m in Northern California and would make the 5 hour trip randomly over the years just to have your amazing Thai food. Many memories made on that back patio.” ❤️ - Wrx_ash
“This breaks my heart. Your restaurant & your family has been such a staple throughout my lifetime. So many memories made here and there were so many more to come 😔💔” - Haleycamille
”This was by far my favorite Thai spot in LA. I’m devastated along with the rest of your adoring patrons. Prayers to all of your family and friends. Please let us know if you will rebuild the Malibu location and we will be there!” - _shesme_iamher_
Owner Sawai Theprian said online:
"Cholada has been lost after serving since 1999. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has tagged us and shown their support during this difficult time. Your kindness and solidarity mean the world to us."
How to help:
Donate to their Gofund me page
The "tasting room with a view" as it described itself was much-loved by wine lovers, the only wine bar on the PCH. A place to sip the afternoon away chilling with chilled wine.
Comments on social media:
"My friends and I have created so many incredible memories with you, and celebrated many a milestone there….one of our absolute favorite places."
- Kberlyo
“My friends and I have been sharing photos and videos of our visit there a few years back. We had a blast. What a magical place. So sorry what happened to you 💔.” - Pho_stef
The owners said online:
"We're so grateful for all of the memories we've shared at that location, and although we don't know what the future holds. We will stay strong and keep everyone informed of our next moves."
A landmark beach restaurant, known for its romantic ocean views, where folks could watch the waves crash against rocks while eating and drinking.
Comments on social media:
“After i quit my job i drove myself out the Moonshadows to celebrate. I hold so many memories here. I am so sorry to anyone else hurt by the news of Moonshadows. Hoping to help when you guys are ready for it. 😢💔” - Valeriacardonaa
“I am so heartsick! I’ve gone to Moonshadows for my anniversary for the last 10 years. It’s our go to spot. We were supposed to go on Saturday. I’m so so sorry to everyone. My heart is broken. 💔” - Fireflyfree518
”My husband asked me to be his gf & proposed to me here, this is sooooo heartbreaking for us…💔 completely devastating our favorite restaurant.” - Stephamuzegar
The owners said online:
"For nearly four decades, the waves crashing against our patio provided the soundtrack to countless celebrations, shared laughter, and unforgettable moments. Now, that luminous chapter has come to an unthinkable end, leaving us heartbroken. Our employees, the lifeblood of Moonshadows, are grappling with the loss of not just their workplace but the cherished connection with customers they came to know as family."
How you can help:
Donate to their GoFund Me page
_
Topline:
The free book festival LITLIT, celebrates small independent publishers on the West Coast from Seattle to Santa Monica. It’s returning to L.A. the weekend of June 6 and 7.
Why it matters: The “Big Five” major publishers dominate publishing in the country. The literary fair highlights works from small presses on the West Coast.
The backstory: The Los Angeles Review of Books started LITLIT in 2019, to introduce LARB publishing workshop students to the industry; it has since grown into a festival celebrating independent publishers and other local literary arts practices.
Read on... for details on the event.
Held by the Los Angeles Review of Books since 2019, LITLIT, or The Little Literary Fair, started out as a way to introduce students from workshops to the publishing industry.
It has since grown into a gathering of independent West Coast publishers from Seattle to Santa Monica. This year’s iteration on June 6 and 7 is the biggest yet, with more than 50 publishers participating in the event at Sci-Arc in Downtown L.A.
The fair aims to get the public in front of books that don’t originate from the so-called “Big Five” publishers — behemoths like Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.
“They really get to control what people get to see, and so we hope LITLIT lets people see more of what is out there and what they can support directly,” said Emily VanKoughnett, public programs and engagement director for LARB.
One of VanKoughnett’s favorite independent publishers will be there. Two Lines Press, the publishing arm of San Francisco’s Center for the Art of Translation, deals specifically in translated works.
They’ve published authors from across the world, translating books from more than 100 different languages into English.
“ We do our work in quiet rooms, so it's really nice to be able to meet readers and talk to them about what's interesting them. These festivals are really valuable to us in that way,” said CJ Evans, publisher and editor-in-chief of Two Lines.
Local favorite Angel City Press, which operates under the auspices of L.A. Public Library, will also be there with one of their newly published titles, Los Angeles Central Library POPS, that celebrates 100 years of the Central Library.
You’ll also find LA-based Errant Press, which specializes in books that break the traditional form — like a poem printed on measuring tape or a matchbox sized poetry collection.
“It’s really cool to see the kinds of risks that people are able to take, the kinds of communities they’re able to serve and really highlight here on the West Coast,” said Irene Yoon, executive director of LARB.
The two-day fair also hosts various panels and workshops, including one on the art of comedic writing and another on how to tell the stories of Los Angeles through archival materials.
“This is, I think, the most panels we've ever done,” VanKoughnett said.
Workshops on how to navigate the literary world with a completed manuscript and making your own comics and zines are also on the itinerary.
And Carson’s International Printing Museum will demonstrate how to screen print your own bookmark.
“It's not until we're all in the same room with all our best books literally out on the table that you get to see kind of what a phenomenal publishing culture Los Angeles truly has,” said Terri Accomazzo, editorial director of Angel City Press.
Topline:
After the Eaton Fire displaced most of its customers, Altadena pet groomer Wet Paws faced a June 1 deadline to decide whether to renew its lease. A social media plea sparked an outpouring of community support.
The backstory: Wet Paws estimates its lost up to 90% of its customer base after the fire, leaving it struggling to stay afloat.
What's next: The business has decided to renew its lease banking on Altadena's recovery and more customers returning to the area.
Running a small business is tough under normal circumstances. Running one in a wildfire burn scar can feel nearly impossible.
That's the reality many Altadena business owners are still navigating nearly a year and a half after the Eaton Fire destroyed the community and the local economy. Businesses are grappling with how do you stay open when so many of your customers are gone?
At Wet Paws, a pet grooming business along Lake Avenue, that question recently came to a head.
The shop reopened in January but business remained slow. Wet Paws co-owner Stephanie Trujillo estimates the fire had displaced up to 90% of their customers.
Then came a conversation with their landlord several months ago that forced a decision.
"He reached out and said, 'Are you going to re-sign your lease?'" Trujillo recalled.
The answer wasn't obvious.
Marketing Lab+
Los Angeles County has launched a program offering free marketing assistance and storefront improvements to eligible Altadena businesses. The deadline to apply is June 8.
"I said, unfortunately, we're not even making it. We're paying out of our own pocket," she said. "So he said, 'I'll give you until June 1.'"
The deadline meant Trujillo and her mother, Linda Alashti, who have owned the business together since 2023, had only a few months to figure out whether Wet Paws had a future in Altadena.
Wet Paws is hardly alone. As businesses struggle, Los Angeles County recently launched a program offering free marketing assistance and storefront improvements to fire-affected businesses. The deadline to apply is June 8.
The county also operates a gift card program to encourage residents to spend money at fire-impacted businesses.
But relief has not arrived quickly enough for many businesses.
One particularly slow April Sunday at Wet Paws drove home how dire the situation had become, when they had only one customer.
As she drove home to Fontana, Trujillo began composing a social media post.
"So this isn't easy for us to share," the post began, "but I wanted to reach out with an open heart and hope."
In the message, Trujillo asked the community to book appointments and spread the word to help their business survive.
Before posting it, Trujillo showed it to her mother.
"We're very prideful, and it's very hard to ask people for help," she said. "I felt embarrassed that we had to ask the community for help."
Her mother's advice was simple. "Just post it," she told her. "The worst that's going to happen is nobody sees it or nobody cares."
Instead, the opposite happened. By the next day, the post had been viewed and shared hundreds of times across Instagram and Facebook.
The phone started ringing, said Wet Paws groomer Elizabeth Ranes.
"I got well over 50 calls," Ranes said. "We booked out for the last three weeks of the month when we made that post.”
Customers told Alashti that they “didn't know you were back, because they don't come this way anymore.”
Among those who returned was Penny Dahlstrom, a Pasadena resident whose 113-pound Cane Corso Marley had been a Wet Paws regular before the fire.
Dahlstrom had tried taking Marley to a large pet store chain while Wet Paws was closed.
"My husband went in to pick her up, and he hears crying, and it was her," Dahlstrom said. "That's not just her nature."
The social media appeal didn't just bring back former customers. It also introduced the business to new ones, Trujillo said.
But recovery remains uneven.
Some days are still slow. And the shop continues to deal with lingering fire-related electrical damage in the back of the building.
Wet Paws is operating on a temporary electrical system, limiting how much power it can use at any given time.
"If we run our AC, and the neighbors run their AC, we lose power," Trujillo said.
As the June 1 lease deadline approached, Trujillo and her mother weighed their options. They could walk away and cut their losses. Or they could commit to rebuilding alongside a community they had come to love.
Ultimately, they thought about the response to their post and the customers who had shown up when the business needed them most. And they had faith that Altadena would rebuild to its full strength.
They chose to renew the lease for another three years.
"I can't imagine what the community is going through, losing their homes and losing everything that they had," Trujillo said. "Yet they're still coming back."
And as long as they do, she said Wet Paws will be there for them and their fur babies.
Topline:
A collective of artists has painted more than 70 murals across seven elementary schools in and around Los Angeles to bring art to students in under-resourced communities.
Why now: The collective just wrapped up their latest murals at Breed Street Elementary in Boyle Heights.
The backstory: The idea to paint murals at schools came from Erik Caruso, a fifth-grade teacher in Paramount, after he found out that many of his students had never been to an art museum.
On a recent Monday, students at Breed Street Elementary in Boyle Heights started their day like no other — with a tour of the murals hand-painted over the weekend across the playground.
It’s the latest of seven elementary schools in and around L.A. to get the treatment. Over 70 murals in the last 13 years, brought by a collective of artists to students in under-resourced neighborhoods with little access to art education.
“The kids were so excited,” said Stefanie Barbee, a math teacher at Breed. “Just pure joy.”
The students snaked through the paintings on handball courts and school walls: cartoon animals, bright orange flowers, a circle of meticulously painted lines. The works span genres and sensibilities.
“It's grassroots. We're not getting money from anyone,” said Erik Caruso, the fifth-grade teacher in Paramount who's the group glue. To them, they are just an assembly of like-minded friends — and friends of friends — who spend one weekend out of the year hanging out and painting murals for school kids.
But the collective is anything but typical. It includes artists like the late Rich Jacobs, who died from leukemia this year; Tim Kerr; pro skater Ray Barbee; and Japanese artists Yusuke Hanai and hi-dutch. The vibe's always low-key, and somehow they've managed to stay under the radar.
“The kids have no idea that they show in huge galleries or have pieces hanging in museums,” said writer Martin Wong, co-founder of the pioneering Asian pop culture magazine Giant Robot. "Or they're famous in the skateboarding scene or surf or music."
Their reward is the Monday morning after, seeing the happiness on the kids’ faces.
“The artists are waiting all weekend — it’s that moment,” Caruso said.
James Hamblin was at Breed for the meet-and-greet earlier this month. He painted a mural designed by his partner Sandy Yang on one of the handball walls.
“Sandy's design is pretty abstract, so it was interesting because the kids were [asking], you know, ‘ What is it?’” Hamblin said. “It was great because I could tell them I had no idea and like, ‘What do you guys think it is?’"
The idea came to Caruso in 2011, after he took about two dozen students from his Paramount school to MOCA and discovered that only four had ever been to an art museum.
“I wonder if there's a way we can bring the art museum to the school,” he said.
Caruso, a 24-year veteran, was no stranger to bringing art — and artists — directly to his students. In 2009, he launched a monthly art project for fifth-graders that culminated in a year-end show where they met and shared work with living contemporary artists.
The murals were next.
They painted their first ones at his school in 2012. Soon, the project expanded to the rest of Los Angeles.
The painting takes place between Friday and Sunday, but planning takes months.
At Breed, the connection was made through math teacher Barbee — wife of Ray — who is on a two-year stint at the Boyle Heights school to help students catch up on the subject.
“I had sort of planted that seed that at some point I would love for a school I was working at to be the recipient of the beautiful work,” she said.
She brought Caruso out for a site visit last September.
“He has a really amazing kind of vision about where to place the artists … based on just their artwork and where it is in relation to the street view,” Barbee said.
Next came an introduction to the principal and the approval process.
“One of the biggest challenges with what we are doing is, you know, they want flipping dolphins and stuff like that,” Caruso said. “But we want to cross over into fine art pieces.”
Caruso estimated that as many as 40 artists and musicians have joined the effort.
The core group now, he said, is about 11 people, and friends and families often tag along to help out, given they have just 16 hours over three days to finish the job.
Among the regulars: Wong and his wife, Wendy Lau, who once organized DIY punk shows to fund music education at their daughter's Chinatown school. In Caruso, they saw a kindred spirit.
Caruso later brought the collective to paint at that school and eventually invited their daughter, Linda Lindas bassist Eloise Wong, to join his fifth-grade art and music project.
“All of these kids on the blacktop were all just screaming their hearts out,” Eloise said. “It's cool how Erik — Mr. Caruso to them — shows them, like, raw ways to express themselves through cool art.”
Topline:
Ziggy Marley is back with a new solo album that includes the first song he's written about his father, Bob Marley. Brightside also marks Marley's experimentation with recording at a different frequency.
What's the frequency: Marley said he recorded Brightside at 432 hertz — a departure from mainstream music recorded at 440 hertz — to change the emotional listening experience.
His own space: Marley recorded at Rebel Lion Studio, his newly-built facility in North Hollywood. After more than two decades in L.A., Marley said the city's concentration of creatives has played a major role in his own growth as an artist.
What's next: Marley says he's already working on his next album, a children's book and a return to film production of some kind, saying he wants to explore his creativity next in a visual medium.
Reggae star Ziggy Marley has spent decades carrying one of music’s most celebrated legacies. But until now, he had never written a song directly about his father, Bob Marley.
That’s changed with “Many Mourn for Bob,” a track on Marley’s ninth solo album Brightside, his first release recorded in his new studio in North Hollywood.
Marley was just 12 when his father died of cancer in 1981. Now 57, Marley says the song instinctually emerged after years of life experience and producing the biopic One Love, which revisited his father’s struggles like an assassination attempt amid political violence in Jamaica.
“He went through some things that was really tough on a human being – and just understanding him in that light is to have a little bit more emotional, deeper connection to his experience,” Marley said in an interview at his studio.
The deeply personal track is part of a splashy return for Marley, who's touring behind Brightside and will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on June 21.
Reggae Night XXIV featuring Ziggy Marley and Burning Spear, with a DJ set by Zuri Marley
When: Sunday, June 21, 7 p.m.
Where: Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles
The new album blends political themes, optimism and musical experimentation.
Its lead single, “Racism Is a Killa,” featuring Big Boi, pairs the heavy topic with an upbeat groove that he hopes will make the song more accessible to young people.
“We just wanna come out straightforward, like I never want to come out tiptoeing,” Marley said. “I want to say something that can catch your ears or catch your thoughts.”
That tension between darkness and hope runs throughout Brightside. Marley described the album as a reflection on enduring difficult periods – from the pandemic to the Los Angeles wildfires – without losing sight of optimism.
“Sometimes we get lost in that so much that we don't realize that there is always a bright side,” Marley said.
The album also experiments sonically: Marley recorded Brightside using 432 hertz tuning instead of the standard 440 hertz in most mainstream music. Advocates of 432 hertz believe it produces a warmer, more meditative sound better synced to the natural world. (You can hear the difference for yourself here.)
“It's a lower musical frequency, but it's a higher frequency in a next sense of your spirituality and emotion,” he said. “So even though the numbers go down, the frequency actually go up.”
Marley sees the move as part of a larger search for new creative approaches.
“I'm very open-minded and always trying to evolve and just experiment with life and music,” Marley said.
The Grammy winner, who joins James Blake and Ed O’Brien of Radiohead as the most high-profile artists to record at the lower frequency, floated the idea of a larger movement among artists.
“Let's just have a revolution in the music industry,” he said. “Let's change the frequency.”
Marley works out of his Rebel Lion Studio in North Hollywood, its name a nod to his 2018 album Rebellion Rises while also a play on the word “rebellion.”
He described the studio as an extension of the independent spirit his father built with Tuff Gong Studio in Jamaica.
“My father had a dream, and I had a dream too,” Marley said.
Like with Tuff Gong, Marley also plans to expand the studio operation to include vinyl pressing as records continue their resurgence in the streaming era.
“There’s always gonna be a vinyl present going on,” Marley said. “A thousand years from now, people that we're still gonna need vinyl records to listen to music.”
For years, Marley said, he worked out of smaller home setups and rented facilities before deciding to build a larger permanent space in L.A.
Marley said the city has become central to his own creative evolution over the last two decades of living and working here.
Drawn initially by music, friends and the city's small but tight-knit Jamaican community, he says being surrounded by creatives from different backgrounds helped push his artistry in new directions.
“I left my safety and my community, my tribe, and come out by myself to L.A.,” he said. “But it's a great experience. It really helped my growth as a human being being here.”
Fresh off the release of Brightside, Marley says he’s already working on another album – a notably quicker turnaround since his last album, the family-music release More Family Time in 2020,
“We're doing back to back,” he said.
He’s also busy writing a children’s book based on his feel-good hit anthem “True to Myself” and eyeing opportunities in front – or behind the camera – inspired by his time working on One Love and making the video for “Racism Is A Killa.”
“Same philosophy, same message, but within visuals, you know?” Marley said excitedly. “I want to create some stories and try out. I feel it coming. I can feel it.”
