Consistently active since 1968, the Wailing Souls are the consummate roots reggae band, evolving into a more and more foundational force as the years went on. The Wailing Souls grew alongside Jamaican music, beginning with the rise of ska in the early 1960s, standing alongside peers like the Wailers in the '70s and '80s heyday of reggae, and continuing to be an immensely popular live act through various changes in the face of reggae culture. They continued to record and perform into new generations, still exploring new approaches to roots reggae on albums like 2020's Back a Yard.