If you’ve been dreaming of summer weather from inside your winter coat, gloves and beanie, don’t worry: the closest thing to a tropical escape is coming your way.
Iration, the Hawaiian-bred reggae-rock band, will be stopping to heat things up here in Colorado, playing two shows in Boulder this Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15, at Fox Theatre.
303 Magazine caught up with Micah Pueschel– guitarist and vocalist of Iration– just before the upcoming shows…
303 Magazine: What are your biggest musical influences?
Well, the influences come from a lot of different places. The Beatles, for me, have always been the benchmark of music. Weezer is another band that influenced me a lot in high school and college. We’ve really come from a lot of different places… a lot of classic rock, a lot of Motown, even pop music.
On your latest album, Automatic, you guys worked with Cage The Elephant guitarist Lincoln Parish. Where did that connection come from, and what was that experience like?
I think all of our albums that we’ve made in the past have all kind of come from a specific type of focus, whether it be trying to make a reggae album or trying to make a reggae album but mix it with a pop sensibility. With this one, we really wanted to bring out more of a rock element into the mix. We met Lincoln through our manager, and he expressed that he was looking to do some producing and work with new bands. We just got in the studio; we did about five songs. I think we used three or four of them for the record.
What were the main ideas behind the most recent album, Automatic?
The album definitely has a very eclectic feel. There are a lot of different styles and sounds, and I think that’s indicative of what kind of band we are. We like to think that we push the genre of this new reggae-rock. We’re the band that is trying to push the genre to do new things, to branch out, to experiment and not just try to sound like the other bands that have already done it.
The Colorado reggae scene has seen a lot of growth and expansion over the past couple of years. Is this something you’ve noticed?
We enjoy going to Colorado a lot. The crowds are knowledgeable, they have lots of energy, and obviously it’s a beautiful place to play. 
So, we have to ask you… how do you feel about the new legalization of marijuana in Colorado?
I think that it’s a big step. Anybody who smokes marijuana knows that it’s not a dangerous drug. It’s also not just about marijuana, it’s about the whole hemp industry, the economy and how we can create and change things. I applaud Colorado for being on the forefront of that.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have anything else to add?
We’re just excited to be back in Colorado. If they could turn the heater up, that would be nice. And we also accept donations. [laughs]
–Don’t miss Iration at Fox Theatre this Friday, Feb. 14th, and Saturday, Feb. 15th! Grab tickets here.