The age-old cry of ‘praise without raise’ inspired ‘Overworked and Underpay’, the upcoming song from roots singer Autarchii. It is scheduled for release in late August. It is produced by Anthony Abbinanti of The Drastics, a band out of Chicago. Autarchii is the single’s executive producer.
He spoke about the observations that led to him writing ‘Overworked and Underpay’.
“Look around and you see people working harder than any generation before them, holding down two and three jobs, and still coming up short when the bills land,” Autarchii said. “Now layoffs sweep through on top of that, so the ones left behind carry double the work for the same pay. That’s not a personal failing. That’s a structure designed to extract more than it returns.”
‘Overworked And Underpay’ is the artist’s first song for 2026. It follows ‘Rastafari Call’, which came out in May 2025. Both are expected to be on ‘Red A Red Forever’, Autarchii’s second album, which is scheduled for release late this year. ‘Land of The Free’, his first album, was released in 2017.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Autarchii learned the tenets of roots-reggae at the feet of Donovan Joseph, his father, who is also a singer. Through his ‘old man’, he listened to the music of grassroots musicians and artists such as guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith and singer Prince Allah.
With ‘Overworked and Underpay’, he addresses a global phenomenon.
“It’s not a complaint, it’s a condition. And it’s everywhere. You hear it from the youths just entering the workforce and from people who’ve given 30 years to the same labour,” Autarchii stated. “The cost-of-living climbs while the wage stands still, and the distance between the two is where the exhaustion lives. I didn’t invent any of it. I listened to what people are already carrying and gave it a melody.”