CREDIT: BIGSUGAR.COM
Big Sugar, a rock band with reggae influences, will be coming to the London Music Hall on November 22.

Big Sugar is a band that is greatly influenced by the reggae genre. Gordie Johnson (guitar/vocals), Garry Lowe (bass), Kelly "Mr Chill" Hoppe (harmonica/sax/melodica), Friendlyness (keyboards/toasting) and Stephane "Bodean" Beaudin (drums) are currently on tour and will make a stop in London on November 22 with reggae legend Willi Williams as their guest. I recently did an interview with Johnson, and we chatted about what it was like to work with one of their idols and why reggae is such a big influence for the band.

What has it been like to have one of your idols, Willi Williams, be on tour with you?
"Yeah, it's a real privilege for us. Our bass player Garry has known Willi all his life and I've loved his music all my life, and once I realized that Garry knew him I got his phone number and thought what a great opportunity (it was) for us to be able to work with one of our heroes. He's been on the whole tour with us and it's been just amazing."

Are you enjoying this tour just as much as the last one?
"It's been amazing. This tour has been very different from last year's tour because we have some new material and also having Willi on stage with us, it makes the songs go in a different direction. It's been really gratifying for us as musicians. I would hate to get up on stage and just walk through the same set list we played last tour. We don't want to just give people a rerun; we want to give them something fresh."

Why is reggae such an influence for you guys?
"I think it's because where we developed our sound in Toronto. That music was pervasive everywhere we went. A lot of the band members over the years have been born in Jamaica or Trinidad. It was really the music that was prevalent in our formative years."

What are some future plans for Big Sugar after this tour is over?
"We just put out a concert DVD called Eliminate Ya with a new song on it, and we also did a song with Willi Williams that is on iTunes now. The band is feeling really inspired right now so I can see us getting together and doing some more music in the new year."

For more information on the band and for tickets to their show at London Music Hall, visit their website at bigsugar.com.