Passafire was formed in Savannah, Georgia in 2003 by vocalist and guitarist Ted Bowne and drummer Nick Kubley, both students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The early lineup added bassist Tom Heet and keyboardist Adam Willis, and the band self‑produced its debut Passafire, released on 29 August 2006. After Heet’s departure, Will Kubley joined on bass, and the group released Submersible on 18 September 2007, which iTunes named one of the “Top 10 Best Reggae Albums of 2007.” The third studio effort, Everyone on Everynight, arrived on 15 September 2009 under LAW Records. In 2011, Start from Scratch debuted on 27 September 2011, reached Number 1 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart, and introduced keyboardist Mike DeGuzman after Adam Willis left the band. The band signed with Easy Star Records in 2013, releasing Vines on 11 November 2013, which also peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart. Subsequent releases included the EP Interval on 24 March 2015, the album Longshot on 12 May 2017, and Strata on 17 September 2021. A later studio album, Remember a Time, was issued on 20 October 2023, featuring collaborations with Brendan Bayliss, Joe Samba, and Little Stranger. Passafire has toured extensively, sharing stages with 311, Pepper, Rebelution, Matisyahu, Michael Franti and The Wailers, and Slightly Stoopid, and has maintained a presence in the reggae‑rock scene through consistent releases and live performances.
