One Drops returning to Gabe’s in Iowa City

Whenever Aaron Kamm and the One Drops hit the stage or retreat to the studio, it’s a sonic potpourri for fans. The veteran St. Louis based band will deliver an amalgam of reggae, dub, blues, rock, soul and roots music.

“We’ve always liked mixing up different styles,” Kamm said while calling from his St. Louis home. “A lot of recording artists just play one style of music but that’s not for us. There’s no reason for us to play one style. The great thing about music is that there are no rules. You can do whatever you want, and we love that.”

Kamm, who sings and plays guitar, and the One Drops, bassist Andy Lee Dorriss and drummer Sean Raila, have been intact since the group formed 15 years ago.

“That’s uncommon, but we love playing together,” Kamm said. “We have this undeniable chemistry and we are all about creating the best music that we can make.”

Kamm and the One Drops, performing Saturday at Gabe’s in Iowa City, plays in a gritty, blue-collar manner. The band’s catchy tunes are delivered in a passionate manner.

“We only know how to play one way,” Kamm said. “We just go all out every time. It’s easy to do when you play the kind of music that you love.”

Family ties

The love of many styles of music from another generation is due to Kamm’s father, who always seemed to have a record on in the family room.

“I was lucky, since my dad was not just a big music fan, but also a musician,” Kamm said. “My dad played guitar and ever since I was a baby, there was music on in our house. I owe my love of reggae to my dad.”

The recording artists ranged from ska legends Toots and the Maytals to reggae icon Jimmy Cliff and Led Zeppelin to jazz innovator Louis Prima.

“It was a great way to grow up,” Kamm said. “I don’t think I had a choice but to be a musician.”

Kamm, 43, is perhaps most influenced by the blues.

“I would listen endlessly to Stevie Ray Vaughn and B.B. King as a kid. It was inspiring stuff,” he said. “There is nobody that plays like Stevie Ray or B.B. It’s so sad they’re gone, since they’re irreplaceable.”

Kamm gravitated toward music in college.

“I shared a dorm with a bunch of guys that played guitar,” he said. “Once I picked up the guitar I never put it down. Look where I am 20-plus years later.”

A new album is on the horizon for Kamm and the One Drops, who will preview tunes at Gabe’s.

“We’re all over the map with the fresh material,” Kamm said. “We have some dub, roots and reggae, and we have a cool new one with a Delta blues feel.”

Iowa City ties

Kamm chuckled when reminiscing about prior Iowa City gigs.

“I’ll never forget the shows we played at the Iowa City Yacht Club,” he said. “I remember playing in the basement of the bar where the ceilings were so low. But it was always a fun vibe. It didn’t take us long to get pumping. The same goes for Gabe’s, which is one of the coolest places to play.”

The next chapter of the band’s career has arrived.

“We’re trying to be open-minded and work things out with each other,” Kamm said. “We’re all older now and we have children. It’s a balancing act. Life progresses and so does this band. The cool thing is that I’m just as inspired now as I was in college.”