Dale & the ZDubs

Who Are They?

Dale & the ZDubs are a reggae-rock band out of the Washington, DC area, born in Montgomery County, Maryland. Take the off-beat bounce of reggae, add a real horn section, a rock band's punch, and a ska revival's energy, and you have the sound.

What sets them apart is the writing. Frontman Dale Rodman spent three years incarcerated for a non-violent drug offense, and the band's recent music grew directly out of the lyrics he wrote on the inside. The result is a party band that is also, quietly, telling a real and hard-won story.

They are relentless live, playing 150-plus shows a year on the reggae-rock and festival circuit, the kind of band that turns a midday festival set into the best hour of somebody's weekend.

The Story

A long-running local band, a hard interruption, and a comeback that made them better.

1. 2011

   The band comes together

   Dale & the ZDubs start in Montgomery County, Maryland, solidifying their lineup by early 2013 and building a following on the DC-area scene.

2. 2014

   Clear the Smoke

   An early full-length that stakes out the band's reggae-rock territory.

3. 2016

   Tuna

   A fuller, more confident album, and a high point of the band's first era.

4. 2017-2020

   The hiatus

   Dale serves three years for a non-violent drug offense. The band pauses, but the songwriting does not: he writes on the inside, and those lyrics become the seeds of the next chapter.

5. 2022

   Dope Line and the comeback

   Back together, the band puts music behind the lyrics Dale wrote away, releasing the Dope Line EP and a run of singles that reintroduce a sharper, more honest band.

6. 2024

   Off the Rip

   A loaded album full of guests from across the reggae-rock world, and the record that had critics saying the band was breathing new life into ska.

Start Here

One official video, one live-in-the-street cut, one session. Watch the horns and the bounce do their work.

The Albums 5 to start with

Three full-lengths and a couple of key EPs. Start with the recent ones, then work back.

Playlists

One curated YouTube Music playlist of Dale & the ZDubs essentials, the sunny way in.

The Band

A five-piece with a real horn player, which is a big part of why they hit harder than most reggae-rock bands.

• Dale RodmanVocals / GuitarThe frontman, songwriter, and the voice at the center of the band's story
• Sean DunnevantBass / VocalsThe low end that anchors the reggae bounce
• Mike CandelaElectric GuitarThe rock muscle in the reggae-rock
• Brandon MoultrieSaxophone / EWIThe horn hooks that give the band its ska-revival punch
• Miles LiederDrumsThe engine behind the 150-plus shows a year

Influences

Dale & the ZDubs sit in the American reggae-rock lineage: the family tree that runs from Jamaican roots to sunny West Coast ska-punk.

Interviews

Two conversations, including the one where Dale tells the story straight.

Going Deeper

A few directions once the essentials have you.

• The guests. Off the Rip is a road map of the reggae-rock scene: follow the features to The Elovaters, Bumpin Uglies, Ballyhoo!, and HIRIE.
• The live show. With 150-plus dates a year, this is a live band first. A festival set like Yarnival is the place.
• The roots. Trace it back to Bob Marley, the source of the whole family tree.
• The early records. Clear the Smoke and Tuna show the band before the hiatus, for the full arc.

Related Guides