If saccharine lyrics, auto-tuned vocals, and repetitive beats have you breaking out in hives, the Black Seeds are the band for you. Named after the infamous herbal cure Nigella sativa, billed as “the remedy for everything but death”, the Black Seeds promise to heal the airwaves of terrible music.

Can the band also cure your irritable bowel syndrome? “Probably not,” singer-guitarist Barnaby Weir admits to the Straight on the line from Wellington, New Zealand. “But it might be worth a shot.”

The Black Seeds have come a long way since their humble origins as a jam band with a two-song repertoire. Spending the last 17 years tearing up stages with its reggae-roots sound, the group honed its dub-heavy bass and brass melodies in venues across New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. And now that reggae has become, as Weir puts it, “one of the most prominent global genres”, the band is well placed to finally take North America by storm.

“It’s a great time to be playing our kind of sound,” Weir says. “Reggae music started taking off in the ’80s, but now it’s on another level. You can see it in a lot of bass-driven tracks today, and it’s still growing. Reggae and dub is an international phenomenon, and every culture seems to have a version of it. It’s exciting to be part of that.”

Already boasting two double-platinum-selling albums in New Zealand, the band is hungry for more. Having gained a wealth of exposure after their single “One by One” made the official soundtrack of Breaking Bad and former band member Bret McKenzie rose to prominence in the TV comedy Flight of the Conchords, the Black Seeds are keen to maintain that momentum. And if that means switching up their personal plans for more international shows, then, by God, they’ll do it.

“It was unplanned for us to come to Canada, but we’re really looking forward to it,” Weir says. “We haven’t been to the country since we played the Victoria Ska Fest six years ago. It’s an absolute honour to be asked to do that event again, and to perform at our own headline shows in Vancouver and Whistler, too. We had a great response when we were last in British Columbia, and we loved it as well.

“This minitour is going to be special because we so rarely go to North America,” he continues. “We’re crazy Kiwis from a long way away, but I think our music really does resonate with Canadians. I don’t know whether it’s the happy-go-lucky attitudes of the people, the weed you guys smoke, or the outdoor adventure you share with New Zealand, but our countries have a lot in common. We both have skiers and mountain bikers and stoners, and great taste in music. So we’ve got to make the most of these opportunities to get together.”

Weir is so excited to be touching down in the True North that he has even more good news. With another Black Seeds record in the pipeline, the singer is already pushing to organize a full-length tour of the continent—and guess which city is first on the roster.

“It’s Vancouver,” Weir says with a laugh. “I promise. We’re looking forward to using this week’s performance to remind Canadians that we still exist, that we sound really amazing, and that your life will change forever after seeing us.

“We’re coming to cure you guys from the bad music coming out of the airwaves,” Weir continues. “And we will. For a whole hour and a half.”

The Black Seeds play the Rickshaw Theatre on Friday (June 24).