By Jake Slater

Ever since I first listened to Stick Figure, an American reggae band, when I was a little kid, I have always felt a connection to the music. The upbeat and rhythmic sound seems like perfect summertime music, reminding me of good feelings and no worries. 

Scott Woodruff and Cocoa the Tour Dog. Photo credit: Joe Wilson via Wikimedia Commons. 

Scott Woodruff began writing and producing music under the name Stick Figure in 2006. Woodruff began his musical career at the age of 12 when he started playing the drums, eventually learning to play the guitar as well. When Woodruff began making his own music, he taught himself how to play the keyboard and bass as well to add to his tracks. Later, in high school, he began making his own music and continued this into college at New York University (NYU), where he studied business. 

Woodruff lived in Duxbury, Massachusetts when he first began his career but moved to California in 2012 to form a band. Woodruff gained most of his inspiration in his music from reggae greats, including Bob Marley and Slightly Stoopid. In Woodruff’s first six years as a solo artist, he produced and released four albums. 

Stick Figure live. Photo credit: Stick Figure via Instagram @stickfiguremusic. 

After moving to Southern California, Woodruff added members: keyboardist Kevin Bong, better known by his stage name, KBong; guitarist John Gray, better known as Johnny Cosmic; bassist Tommy Suliman; and drummer Kevin Offitzer. Stick Figure also began touring and recording with other prominent American reggae bands, including Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution.

Once the full band was formed, Stick Figure released Set In Stone in 2015, which marked the first album released with the new line-up. This album included hits such as “Smokin’ Love,” featuring Collie Buddz, “Sound of the Sea,” and “Fire on the Horizon.” Stick Figure then released World on Fire in 2019, which included hits such as “Above the Storm,” featuring Slightly Stoopid. Stick Figure’s next and latest album was Wisdom, released in 2022, and includes songs such as “Old Sunrise” and “Edge of the Ocean.”

Stick Figure has always been one of my favorite bands not only due to the music, but because of the mood.
Reggae is a very positive and uplifting genre of music, and I feel it is very easy to embrace and connect to it, because many of Woodruff’s songs are written about what is going on in his life at the time. Some of my favorite songs are “Hawaii Song,” “Just Another Dream,” and “Weight of Sound“ featuring TJ O’Neil. Stick Figure is also very popular among Collegiate’s varsity baseball team, and it can often be heard during practices and games. Collegiate intellectual and my baseball teammate Owen Prusek (‘26) is so fond of the band, he chose “World on Fire” as his pitching walkout song this past year.

I was first introduced to the band by my father, head varsity baseball coach and Assistant Athletic Director Andrew Slater (‘96). He has been an avid listener of their music for years now, and it is often something we bond over. My father and I, alongside my mother, Upper School English teacher Samantha Slater, were fortunate enough to see them in concert at Virginia Beach this past summer, and they did not disappoint. The crowd was huge, and the music was excellent. The sound of the bass rolled along with the sounds of guitars and keyboards, and the singing was all fantastic. The combination of all the many different sounds coming together to make a song was beyond impressive and only gave me a greater appreciation for the band.

Featured image credit: Stick Figure via Instagram @stickfiguremusic.