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Benny Pezzano, bass player for Eugene reggae group Sol Seed, says he heard someone say that reggae music is what happiness sounds like. "I've always liked that," he says. "What gives reggae its distinct sound is the emphasis on the two and four beat rather than the one and three, which most conventional music follows. It's constantly uplifting. You can't help but bob your head to it." Pezzano and his bandmates — lead singer and rhythm guitarist Michael Lennon, Kenny Sequoia Lewis on lead guitar, Sky Guasco on keys, didgeridoo and hand percussion and drummer Michael Sorensen — call their sound reggae fusion. "The wonderful thing about reggae is that it's versatile enough to mix with any other type of music," Pezzano says. "Hip-hop, funk, rock, jam. All of these can meld with that accent on the two and the four. It's a feel-good, infectious sound." Sol Seed will perform at 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at Lounge South, 66 Pioneer St., Ashland. The cover costs $5. Call 541-499-9651 or find Lounge South on Facebook for information. Sol Seed's beginnings can be credited to an all-ages ope-mic session organized by soul and funk musician Frankie Hernandez at Jackson Creek Pizza in downtown Medford. "It started with the three of us, me, Michael Lennon and Michael Sorensen under the tutelage of Frankie Hernandez," Pezzano says. "He liked our drive, energy and spirit and took us on the road with him. Getting the praise of an amazing musician that we looked up to was really crucial to our development. We've had countless, incredible shows together playing festivals as his backing band." In 2010, Sol Seed formed with Lewis and Guasco, who transplanted themselves from Medford to Eugene when their lead guitarist decided to attend Lane Community College and asked the band to come along. "That was the catalyst," Pezzano says. "Why not? We embraced the change and went to Eugene to pursue music, college, life and the evolution of ourselves. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made." It took a while to break into Eugene's interesting music scene, but now the band plays regularly at such venues as Sam Bond's Garage and the McDonald Theatre.  "We've found a perfect niche and developed a devout following of friends and fans that we have close connections with," Pezzano says. "We have a heavy presence because we stay busy. People love reggae here, love to dance and love the vibe." Sol Seed was named Eugene's Best Band in 2012 and 2013 by readers of Eugene Weekly, and won the title of Eugene's Next Big Thing in 2013, also bestowed by Eugene Weekly. The band also won WOW Hall Awards for Best New Act in 2011 and Favorite Local Band in 2012 and 2013. After recording several EPs, Sol Seed independently produced and released its first full-length album, "Grown Deep," in September 2012, which garnered air-time on a number of radio stations along the West Coast and in the Hawaiian islands. After a successful 2013 Kickstarter campaign, the band recorded and released its first studio album, "Family Tree," in March 2014. "Family Tree" was recorded and produced at Telos Studios in Eugene. With two albums to its credit and a continuous touring schedule, Sol Seed has plans to extend tours into Europe, New Zealand, Jamaica and Mexico. See www.solseedmusic.com for information.