Roll Mega

For years, Aaron Livingston and Eric Krasno were traveling on different roads. As R&B raconteur Son Little, Livingston not only released a handful of impactful albums but produced an EP for Mavis Staples and collaborated with The Roots and RJD2. Krasno, on the other hand, co-founded soul-funk band Soulive and has been an in-demand writer/producer for artists such as 50 Cent, Chaka Khan, Talib Kweli and Justin Timberlake. But when Livingston’s vocals ended up in front of Krasno while he was working on a song for the electronic artist Griz, the guitarist became an instant fan of Livingston. It was only a matter of time until the pair were destined to create something together.

While The Eric Krasno Band was playing at Peach Festival in 2017, he officially met Livingston and they hit it off. In 2018 they worked on their first collaboration called “Apples,” which landed on Krasno’s 2019 album Telescope. Soon, Krasno moved from NYC to Los Angeles and within no time the pair decided to start collaborating in-between touring. In 2022, the pair even hit the road together, sharing the same backing band while performing their own sets.

But it was only in early 2024 that the duo and began turning the project into a reality. The two artists gathered in Krasno’s studio and passing around instruments and creating the basis of what these debut songs have become. Both artists being multi-instrumentalist led to a collab….

When it was time for them to land on a name, Livingston and Krasno went through a ton of concepts and ideas and after a trip to a super-market in the paper towel section, ROLL MEGA was born.

When Livingston was asked “Why this collaboration?” he responded with “A very open concept: two artists throwing paint at the wall with very little regard for who played what without aiming for a specific result. We didn’t set out to start a band. We were just making stuff we liked. Out of dozens of eclectic instrumentals, certain pieces seemed to draw out melodies and lyrics that stuck in my head over the weeks and months, and that’s how we ended up with ROLL MEGA”.

Krasno adds, ”I loved working with Aaron. I was already a fan of his voice and songwriting, but once we were in the studio I discovered he was also a great player and producer. We are both massive music fans and love the process of making records. This project grew out of us just having fun in the studio and making music we liked.”

When it came to the sound of ROLL MEGA, Livingston and Krasno were intent on not making anything derivative. Together, they wanted to craft a dusty blues-meets-rock sound that also channeled the guitar tones of Jimi Hendrix. That vision helped shaped the handful of singles that will be released throughout 2024, leading to a full-length record in early 2025.

To kick off the single releases ROLL MEGA shared “U Shake Me,” a sensual song driven by an up-tempo groove flanked by a spooky, transistor organ sound. “When you call my name / I’m coming right your way,” Livingston teases on the rack. On the guitar-riff-driven “Bloodshot”, ROLL MEGA channels the rock ‘n’ roll ethos of Hendrix, which is further enriched by Livingston’s intoxicating lilt: “When I’m bloodshot / I ain’t out of my mind / I can run with the devil / at an appropriate time.”

Originally named after Krasno’s guitar pedal “God Vibe,” the bluesy/moody vibes of “These Days,” is a hypnotic slow burner that channels ‘70s R&B love songs. “Baby, loving you / Loving You’s always on my mind,” croons Livingston. “If Not Soon,” which was cheekily titled “Top Gun,” (a nod to Krasno’s wife Lauren here) was at one point being considered for the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick and hinges on Krasno’s bouncy funk guitar riffs. The project’s closer “Ultimate Beautiful” takes the blues rock bedrock of “Bloodshot” and turns it on its head — into an airy, optimistic cut that toys with tension. Very notable contributions on the recordings from Otis McDonald (joe bagale), Will Blades, and Jeremy Most.

For Livingston and Krasno, ROLL MEGA is a labor of love — a feel-good endeavor driven by the spirit of creativity and collaboration.