Acclaimed author Gregory David Roberts delivers reggae-infused debut single, ‘Drive All Night’
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24.09.2020

Acclaimed author Gregory David Roberts delivers reggae-infused debut single, ‘Drive All Night’

Words by Tom Parker

The first single from his forthcoming album, Love&Faith.

Gregory David Roberts has just released his debut single, ‘Drive All Night’, a reggae-infused track featuring the vocals of Janeel Mills and Saine ‘Red’ Rapley. The song was co-produced by Roberts and Dale ‘Dizzle’ Virgo (Florence & The Machine, Kendrick Lamar, Drake) and has received the endorsement of illustrious Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.

Roberts has lived an extraordinary life. From growing up in Melbourne and becoming a student activist to enduring a collapsed marriage in the late ’70s and becoming a drug addict and criminal, Roberts went onto spend time in Coburg’s Pentridge Prison before then fleeing to India and spending ten years on the run.

After being captured in Frankfurt in 1990 and spending more years behind bars, he then penned the seminal 2003 novel, Shantaram, which draws on Roberts’ raw experiences of life as a fugitive. Since its release, Shantaram has sold over six million copies worldwide and been translated into 41 different languages.

‘Drive All Night’ is taken from his forthcoming LP, Love&Faith, set to be released on Friday December 4, which was co-produced by Virgo at GeeJam Studios in Jamaica. The album is a mash up of pop, country, reggae and house.

With all the characteristics of a reggae track – its steady tempo, buoyant keyboard sections and swirling guitar lines – ‘Drive All Night’ embodies Roberts’ journey touching on lost love and the need to move on.

While he was a fugitive, Roberts began writing songs, busking and singing in piano bars and slowly came to understand his potential as a songwriter. ‘Drive All Night’ and the 15 accompanying songs that will make up his debut album are a celebration of Roberts’ evolution in the music world.

Check out the new track below.

‘Drive All Night’ is out now and can be purchased and streamed here. For more on Gregory David Roberts, head to his website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

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