While in Hawaii, Hirie fell in love with reggae music, and took to the culture naturally. On the radio, and in conversation, she would hear the exclamation “irie.” The popular reggae term is derived from a Jamaican patois, and it encompasses warmth and positivity—it’s a greeting, an affectionate term of approval, and a mindset. In these painfully complex times, we could all use some irie in our life.
San Diego’s seven-piece band HIRIE is ready to offer a global spiritual uplift. Melding the balmy island touches of its singer’s beloved home—as symbolized by its moniker’s first letter, a “H” for “Hawaii,” with that feeling of irie, the award-winning group offers a soundtrack of hope. Now, with its masterful new album, Wandering Soul, brimming with invigorating female-fronted shamanistic reggae an oasis of positivity is just an album away.
“Hirie is a lifestyle choice, it’s about healing the body, the mind, and the spirit. Our fans and our band are always saying ‘let’s get HIRIE,’ it’s a way to detach from the painful complexities of the world, and bask in joyous energy,” says the band’s lead singer and sage who has taken the band’s namesake for her own.
HIRIE is poppy and purposeful, harnessing the power of accessible songcraft, social consciousness, world class musicianship, and the disarming and spellbinding qualities of reggae, the band exudes mainstream appeal without diluting its artistic vision. HIRIE is Hirie lead vocals, guitar, uke; Chris Hampton saxophone, flute, melodica, and accordion; Andrew McKee trombone, guitar, didgeridoo, and percussion; Andy Flores bass; Blaine Dillinger lead guitar; and Joey Muraoka on drums.
The mission to spread HIRIE began in 2013, and, since then, the septet has garnered some high watermarks. HIRIE was nominated as San Diego’s Best World Music Award, and its video for the hit “Sensi Boy” has accrued over 545,000 views. The group has received airplay nationally and internationally, with strongholds in Hawaii, Guam, New Zealand, and Tahiti, and in the college market. Its self-titled album debuted at #4 on the iTunes Reggae chart and rocketed to #9 Billboard Reggae chart. For three years, the group toured tirelessly, building a robust and highly dedicated fanbase. Select live performance highlights, past and present, include nationwide tours with Tribal Seeds, Iration, J Boog, and The Rebelution Tour. In the fall of 2016, HIRIE will tour with Nahko & Medicine for the People.
Onstage, the band is comprised of formidable performers. A collective of virtuosic musicians united in the selfless power of serving the reggae skank. At the center of it all, leading the way to spiritual musical enlightenment, is Hirie. Her signature aesthetic conjures the seductive expressiveness of divas like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, the raw emotionality of Lauryn Hill and Tanya Stephens, and the mystic sensuality of Enya. Together, HIRIE put on a polished show complete with choreography that offers big-production entertainment and big-heart transcendence.
Hirie’s immersion into the reggae lifestyle came at a young age through growing up in Hawaii, after stints living in the Philippines and Italy. Reggae is the top music in Hawaii, and it was only natural when Hirie emerged a singer-songwriter she would be vocalizing over skank reggae rhythms. “It’s just how I write music,” she says. At 19, when she moved to San Diego, California she made the leap from open-mic intimacy to craving the power and majesty of a full band.
In 2013, she issued her debut, but it would take three years of touring to produce the septet’s defining work, thus far, Wandering Soul. True to its title, the album explores spiritual searching, the life-changing experiences of meeting new people and sharing in the profound emotions that bond music fanatics. The album also celebrates the band’s solidification as a creative powerhouse. Working together nonstop for three years sharpened HIRIE’s chops, group musical interplay, and distinct pop-reggae vision.
“Living like a gypsy, I began to pose a lot of foundational questions, and being in touch with fans and people on the road enlightened me. So there is this soul searching quality to the music, it’s not religion, it’s just a general feeling of spirituality,” Hirie reveals.
Wandering Soul’s lush construct reflects this depth. The songs feature chord sequences that have a sophisticated, tension and release accessibility. The musicianship is high-level restraint, showcasing that point of mature virtuosity where laying back implies instrumental prowess. The album’s trippy production—the bulk of it courtesy of Danny Kalb (Beck, Ben Harper, Sia)—replete with adventurous textured passages, heady dub segues, and subtle psychedelic flourishes, make it a rare headphone experience for a pop oriented record.
The album opens with the smoldering and ambitious title track—a sonic journey through heartfelt longing, and heady dub passages. The militant “Renegade” features Nahko Bear of Nahko and Medicine For The People and boasts stately horns, simmering grooves, and call-to-arms individuality against the massification of culture. The personal “Melody of a Broken Heart” and “You Won’t Be Alone” shine a light on personal domestic struggles. “I wrote ‘You Won’t Be Alone’ for my daughter with the hopes that she understands my life when she hears me on the radio. I hope she understands how much I love her and how I can be a role model by showing her she can be anything she wants,” Hirie confides. The sleek futuristic electronic textures of “Boom Fire” represents HIRIE’s party vibe and exudes vivaciousness of in the moment HIRIE living.
Reflecting on the power of HIRIE, Hirie shares this story: “I met a fan who was suffering from of six tumors. He shared with me ‘Your music is the reason I get out of bed, you’re my medicine.’ That drives me to push this movement forward to share conscious music. I feel a responsibility and a duty to share a positive message.”
Come Alive
Hirie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in the moment I am feeling alive
Take my hand and let′s go
To the kind of place we can lose control
My heart is racing the beat
Close your eyes and get lost in the heat
Take my hand don't think twice
Come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
'Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
′Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Sound waves crash on my skin
No return once the goosebumps begin
Take my hand and let′s go
To a darker place
We can lose control
My heart is racing the beat
Close your eyes, and get lost in the heat
Take my hand, don't think twice
Come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Baby let your worries go
Ain't nobody have to know
Follow me into the night and
Come alive, alive, alive
Baby let your worries go
Ain′t nobody have to know
Follow me into the night and
Come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Ooh la la la
Let′s drink to the night
Ooh la la la
Till the sun is bright
Ooh la la la
Let's drink to the night
And come alive, alive, alive
Come alive, alive, alive
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooh la
Come alive, alive
Come
The lyrics to Hirie's "Come Alive" describe the feeling of being completely free and alive in the moment. The song is about letting go of worries and surrendering to the night. The opening lines, "The sun just fell from the sky, and in the moment I am feeling alive," suggests that the singer is experiencing a sudden, almost euphoric feeling of being alive. The singer invites someone to come with them to a place where they can "lose control" and experience something deeper. The idea of losing control is associated with feeling alive in the moment, with passion taking over rationality.
As the song continues, the lyrics focus on the sensory experience of the moment, with "sound waves crash[ing] on my skin" and causing "goosebumps." The singer encourages their companion to take their hand and get lost in the heat of the moment. The repeated chorus of "Let's drink to the night till the sun is bright/And come alive, alive, alive" emphasizes the idea of surrendering to the moment and cherishing it. The final lines of the song, "Come alive, alive, alive/Yeah, yeah, yeah/Ooh la/Come alive, alive/Come," are a triumphant declaration of the feeling of being alive and present in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun just fell from the sky,
The feeling is as if something extraordinary happened, an impossibility occurred, setting the stage for something amazing to occur.
And in the moment I am feeling alive
The singer is presently feeling a sense of heightened energy and possibly even euphoria.
Take my hand and let′s go
The singer wants the listener to join them and embark on a journey.
To the kind of place we can lose control
The artist suggests going somewhere where they can let go of all inhibitions and unapologetically enjoy themselves.
My heart is racing the beat
The listener can feel the artist's heart beating excitedly and rhythmically.
Close your eyes and get lost in the heat
The singer invites the listener to ignore their surroundings and focus on themselves, feeling the heat of the moment.
Take my hand don't think twice
The singer reassures the listener that they can trust them, and that they should dive into the experience without hesitation.
Come alive, alive, alive
The artist wants both themselves and the listener to fully embrace and enjoy the present moment.
Ooh la la la
An exclamation of excitement and anticipation.
Let′s drink to the night
The artist suggests that they should celebrate and enjoy the night by drinking together.
Till the sun is bright
The singer suggests that they should continue drinking until the sun rises again, emphasizing the longevity of their fun.
Sound waves crash on my skin
The music and energy of their surroundings is having a physical impact on the artist.
No return once the goosebumps begin
Once they have truly embraced the moment and begun to genuinely enjoy themselves, there will be no going back to their previous emotional state.
To a darker place
We can lose control
The singer suggests going somewhere more intense and wild where they can truly abandon themselves to their surroundings.
Baby let your worries go
Ain't nobody have to know
The singer encourages the listener to forget their worries and let loose, emphasizing that nobody needs to know about their actions.
Follow me into the night and
Come alive, alive, alive
The artist wants the listener to wholeheartedly embrace the experience and trust them to lead the way.
Come alive, alive, alive
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Ooh la
Reiteration of the earlier statement, with added enthusiasm.
Come alive, alive
Final encouragement to embrace the moment and live life to the fullest.
Writer(s): Christopher Hampton, Patricia Jetton
Contributed by Joseph P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vladimiralvarez1162
Wow those horns are Massive!!!!! Great job I. Keeping this a real roots reggae sound !!!!!
@lordkrishna7045
i love u hirie :)
@theluke19
such a JAM!!!
@samnadim9913
So underrated
@SebastianThais
Dope