Satsang

Satsang is a trio that combines soul, folk-rock, hip-hop, folk and reggae. The group centres on songs built around change, growth, awareness and imperfection, and its live performances are presented as a gathering in which people share their stories and perspectives.

Formation and style

The project is led by singer and songwriter Drew McManus, who writes from a personal focus on growth and reflection. McManus draws on a difficult upbringing in Des Moines and time in Chicago, and his writing is shaped by later recovery from addiction and an intense spiritual experience that changed his outlook. He describes beginning to write every day as a way of working through the lessons he takes from that experience. The songs often present the difficult parts of a personal history as part of what gives the story meaning.

Releases and reception

Satsang’s second album, Pyramid(s), reaches number one on the Billboard Reggae chart and number two on the iTunes chart. The group also releases the EP In Between Another Blink without advance promotion, and it enters the top 20 of the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart. A third full-length studio album follows in the band’s discography.

Live activity and collaborations

The band tours widely across the United States and shares stages with Michael Franti & Spearhead, Steel Pulse, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Trevor Hall, Chris Berry, Mike Love, Jon Wayne and the Pain, Tubby Love and others. It also supports tours with Michael Franti, Trevor Hall, Wookiefoot, and Nahko and Medicine for the People, building an audience in different regions of the country.

Background

McManus connects the music to life in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, which he describes as a place where he finds beauty and a sense of purpose. The group’s name reflects the idea of people coming together to listen, speak and share experience.