Ten years ago on a beach in Jamaica, actor Matthew McConaughey heard the voice of reggae singer Mishka. “I was just sort of entranced,” McConaughey told The Canadian Press. “I’ve always liked reggae, but Mishka’s got a melody. Then I got to know his lyrics. It was incredibly relaxing, and at the same time, it was fun to party to.” As the years passed by, he couldn’t get Mishka’s music out of his head, so he contacted him over the phone, saying “You want to join Just Keep Livin’ records? I just started it five minutes ago.”
Needless to say, Mishka agreed, and the pair have gone on to debut at number one on the Billboard reggae charts with their album, Above the Bones. McConaughey worked with producer Daryl Thompson in recording the album because the actor was not well versed in studio lingo or technology. “Half the time, it was charades,” McConaughey said about his struggle to express himself during the recording process.
“He’s intense,” Mishka said of the Hollywood star turned hit record producer. “Like I say, he’s a very grounded person, but he can be very meticulous. Going over everything with a fine-toothed comb. He wouldn’t overlook a single millisecond of recorded sound.”