A message in music

Laguna native Nick Hernandez (a.k.a. Nick-I), who is best known for his lead vocalist role in reggae band Common Sense, has got some heavy issues weighing on his mind and heart, which reach far deeper than his traditional feel-good lyrics about “lovin’ and beach livin’.”

“It’s so awesome to have five [talented] people put something into a song, and I love what we’ve done as a band, but I wanted to expand and play some of my own music that was different,” he said. “Sometimes no one gets what I’m saying so I also needed a way to express my own ideas.”

The passionate musician/singer/songwriter, who initiated a solo career three years ago and has performed with artists like Bobby Brown, Paula Nelson (daughter of Willie Nelson) and legendary guitarist Dave Mason, will soon release his debut album, “Happy Ending,” a compilation of songs that touch on political issues and injustices, racial divide, and the strive for acceptance and peace among “brothers.”

Hernandez will perform his new works every Friday in March at 8:45 p.m. at Mozambique.

The piano and acoustic pieces, which still have reggae influence with their non-transitional flow and Rastafarian references, aim to convey the overall sweet message that we should all “enjoy life, be happy, and not be judgmental.”

“We need to realize that we are all part of something so much greater than ourselves, but it can only be as great as we are together,” he said.

Hernandez said the song closest to his heart is “It’s Alright,” which shares the idea that we’re all brothers and sisters who come from the same place, and that we should embrace our differences and respect one another.

“As someone who is half white, half Mexican, and who loves their white mother and brown father, racism is something I’ve experienced but never understood,” he said. “People are people.”

He said his initial motivation to launch a solo career and “expose his soul” came from his experience teaching surf lessons to children with autism, something he’s done for the past eight years.

“Working with these kids has been so rewarding; it’s given me so much perspective and I’m so grateful,” he said.

Hernandez said he is already working on his next album, a project he is super stoked about.

“Putting this album together has gotten me past the technical [learning curve],” he said. “I have so many ideas I want to pose to the world, and now the music can just come out.”

Happy Ending can be purchased at Sound Spectrum in Laguna Beach, or at cdbaby.com.

For more information about Nick-I, visit www.myspace.com/nickhrnndz.