Born in Fresno, California, Grammy-winning musician Scott Abels has played with some of the biggest names of the ska/reggae scene (i.e. Hepcat, Aggrolites) in the Los Angeles region and has contributed to other notable acts such as: Lars Fredericksen and the Bastards, Cypress Hill and remixes for Depeche Mode.



Emerging with Los Angeles’ Hepcat, Scott Abels began to accumulate a style that became recognizable on every album that he played on: from cool and collect rim-shots to rib-trembling snare hits, he translates the elements of the earth into each musical project in which he has played on.



Longer biography:

Scott Abels plays drums in The Bastards, the band that backs up Lars Frederikson.



Previously he played drums in Hepcat and The Phoenicians (which used to be known as the Venusians and featured Hepcat's guitarists).



Scott Abels also has been working with Lawrence Muggerud, better known as DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, doing remixes for Manu Chao and Depeche Mode. While recording with DJ Muggs for Muggs' solo album, Scott also worked on several tracks for Cypress Hill's album "Stoned Raiders".



The independent film Zig Zag, which stars Wesley Snipes and Oliver Platt, also features a song that Scott not only wrote, but played drums, keys, guitar, bass, percussion, engineered, and mixed.



More recently Scott Abels played with The Aggrolites, delivering what they call dirty reggae. He joined the highly energetic band in 2005, replacing original drummer Korey Horn. The Aggrolites are focusing on the early years of reggae (1969-72). Their debut album was released on Hellcat Records in May 2006, with 19 tracks of pure funky/soulful reggae, followed by intensive touring in the US and Europe.



Also with The Aggrolites, Scott Abels did a whole record backing up Tim Armstrong (from Rancid, Transplants), which was released later in 2006.



Scott Abels also has a side project called the Evolvers, with members of Flogging Molly and the Aggrolites. He co-writes, plays diffrent instruments and records it all in his studio. Their first single was out on Axe records in 2006.



Jimmy Cliff's album 'Rebirth', on which Scott plays drums, won a Grammy as Best Reggae Album at 2013's ceremonies.