Singer Andrae Duhaney makes a statement with his latest single Swept Away.

The song, which Duhaney wrote from a personal experience, entered at number eight on the most recent Rebel Vibez Top Ten Canadian Reggae chart.

“I got the inspiration initially from the beat. The roots-rocking reggae vibe hooked me,” he said.

Swept Away was released in February and is produced by Patrick “Dr Watson” Quine for Watson Unlimited Music which is based in Montreal.

Said Duhaney: “This song is very relatable to me. I’ve had many experiences where I have been away from my spouse for weeks and I miss her so much that I have a deep yearning to return home to show her how much love I’m feeling for her. I’ll call her on the phone and let her know my plans and set the stage. I’m certain many people can relate too. Love is quite beautiful and powerful.”

He spoke of the storyboard behind Swept Away:

“In terms of the words, my aim was to use a lot of imagery to paint a scenario in which a man loves his woman deeply and was yearning to show her how much he loved her. A man who was busy with work and other activities and had not spent a lot of time with his lover in a while. I also felt that reggae music nowadays was very limited when it comes to a man expressing his love for his woman. This was very popular back then. This is one area I seek to address in my music.”

Duhaney said he has had a long relationship with music.

“Growing up I used to enjoy listening to reggae music from way back. The groove of this kind of music is usually very smooth and the lyrics and performances are typically laid-back. One artiste who came to mind when I heard the beat was Gregory Isaacs,” he said.

Duhaney is excited that Swept Away, his breakthrough hit, has made its way onto the Canadian reggae chart.

“I feel very happy that the song has made it to the Canadian Reggae charts. It validates the feelings we had when [the producer and I] were working on the track. We felt very positive about the possibility that the song would resonate with many people. The feedback from the people has been wonderful thus far, and this encourages me to continue doing roots rock reggae with a focus on love,” Duhaney explained.

Originally from Point Hill in Spanish Town the artiste told the Jamaica Observer he began singing in church and at school events at an early age.

“My musical journey has been a mixed bag. I have had many moments of joy and happiness and others where I’ve felt like giving up. What keeps me going is the joy I get from creating and performing as well as encouragement from various individuals,” he said.

Duhaney, who has resided in Canada since 2010, has to date released one body of work – an EP titled Quite a While. He is presently working on new material for release later this year.

“I hope to release music that is listened to by millions of people around the world and to be able to perform on some of the world’s biggest stages. I want to continue the work done by many reggae singers who made a huge impact on the genre, such as Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Gregory Isaacs, and Ken Boothe, to name a few. Sometimes I feel as if we have ignored lovers’ rock for too long, but I deeply believe that there is still a huge market for it, hence I have taken on the journey,” Duhaney concluded.