A new local reggae band, The Relics, have gained a strong following lately. Members Marco Escoba on bass, Noah Bonaiuti on guitar, Menlik Zergabachew on vocals and Obi Igbo on drums.

The Relics’ original name was “Rebel Music,” but they decided to change it because they felt it had no meaning. Bonaiuti came up with the new name because it ties more into their sound and, as vocalist Zergabachew states, “A ‘relic’ holds a strong historical/religious value to it.”

Their sound is modern reggae, and they like to sing about good times as well as things they like. If a fan listens carefully, she/he may discover the bands’ message of hope for a better world and some funny stories they feel like expressing through song, as well as some hardships. “The Relics”, fits perfectly for us because we’re bringing back an old sound that holds  historical and religious value to the  forefront of your TV’s, radios, laptops, phones, and more. For everyone to really listen to our music like how people listen to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, and Israel Vibration, Black Uhuru,  Jimmy Cliff, Dennis Brown, and more,” comments Zergabachew.

So far, The Relics have performed in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area including  the Velvet Lounge, Vita lounge, KISS Nightclub, Empire Club, and the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C. In Virginia, they performed at Fast Eddie’s, The Grog and Tankard, and FloydFest. In Maryland, they’ve played at Chapala Restaurant, The Recher Theatre, Noble’s Bar and Grill, College Park’s Radio Station and the Fillmore in Silver Spring.

The Relics currently have 4 singles and 2 covers featured on YouTube, Soundcloud and Reverbnation. They covered the songs, “Emergency Spliff” and “The Knowing.” The singles they have are “Sarah,” “Burn One Down,” “Get in Get Out,” and their most recent single “Militant.” They are now working on their demo CD called Edgewood. A benefit to them having a demo is that, if fans come to one of their shows, they can get a demo CD for free.

With their four singles out and current Demo CD, The Relics plan on releasing an album before the summer of 2014. Their album will feature all of their released songs, the four singles and the two covers on the demo CD ,as well as an additional 8 unreleased song.. They plan on a possible tour in the summer of 2014 on the East Coast.

The best experience the band has had thus far was at FloydFest 2013, which is a 5-day music festival in Floyd, Virginia. They described their experience at the festival as one with  amazing music, big crowds, nice people, great food, and beautiful scenery.

They do not have any current, upcoming show dates but in September they are going to have at least 11, as well as more within this month. Fans can access their music on Facebook, SoundCloud, and Youtube, and follow them on twitter @TheRelicsDC to stay updated.