The music of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad can be found on constant rotation here at Four Twenty Trading Co., and this week we were lucky enough to talk a little tunes and THC with James Searl (bass, vocals) and Chris O’Brian (drums) of the band as they continue to make their way down the west coast on the Make It Better tour, with a stop at Discovery Ventura on Saturday, January 28th.

Based out of Rochester, NY, the band has been officially jamming together since 2001, but their roots trace much deeper than that. The childhood friends, drawing on influences such as John Brown’s Body, Nirvana, and the legendary Bob Marley, have cultivated a sound that, while it may not be from California, certainly fits right in.

And their views on cannabis do as well! Like many of us have been experiencing lately, James keenly pointed out the new sense of freedom that has come with the cannabis legalization movement across the country as compared to previous stigmas that left smokers feeling like criminals! Chris echoed his sentiments, and hearing that puffing on a little herb has contributed to the tunes that these guys have put together, we can only hope this west coast trip and some California bud will spark a few new ones that we will be blazing to soon!

Speaking of blazing, these guys are clearly no strangers to a good strain, and they show their east coast roots with a clear love for Sour Diesel. But, as Chris put it, “Don’t fix it if it’s not broken, right?!?” And we couldn’t agree more! James also noted his particular affection for sativas in general, as the uplifting and creative effects help the process that leads to the music we are lucky enough to listen to!

As you count the hours to Saturday night at Discovery Ventura with special guest Drunken Kung Fu, make sure to stream GPGDS’s new album, Make It Better, at http://livepanda.com and check out their new stop-motion animation music video for their song “Signs” on YouTube. Follow @GiantPandaDub to keep up with all their latest info, including some free shows coming up this summer, and for some extra badassery, check out Chris’s page @chasetheart!

As the band said, love is the key, and right now its time to go love yourself some PANDA!