Sofasonic have released some music in the form of their debut EP sounding a lot more different then, than right now, as their current style is totally "new". As is their first debut full-length album titled "Get Made", in which will be released soon enough with performances in festivals and other showcases to occur straight away! That said, the band took the time to give the rundown on who they are and how much they have changed since forming way back when.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Sofasonic are Michael Wilson - Guitar/Lead vocals, Niall Turner - Guitar/Backing vocals, SJ Manarin - Bass/Backing vocals and Elliot Manarin - Drums. SJ started the band way back in 2007 and Elliot joined a couple of years later. Michael drunkenly invited himself to an audition back in 2010, and Niall joined in 2013 and we haven’t looked back!
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
The name has always been the same since the start back in 2007 with a very different line up. It represented a strong, fast paced sound in a laid back way which still rings true 10 years on.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We’re based in and around Hertford and we’ve been really lucky that Hertford is full of venues that are willing to support new music. The Hertford Corn Exchange are a massive support to us and is a great venue. Also The Lord Haig is one of our regulars and it is a great venue. Playing covers gigs helps us support the band almost ‘for free’, but I’d say it’s a great thing to do for any band. Yes play as many originals and open mic nights as you can, and having a covers gig to - not only help towards costs - but gain new fans is a huge opportunity. We’re really proud that some of our biggest fans have noticed us from covers gigs and they want to hear some at all of our covers gigs! We’ve been very lucky as well in getting slots on 2 of the biggest events in Hertford. Rock at the Castle and the Musical Mystery Tour. Both annual events with the Mystery Tour being an all-dayer, with gigs at pretty much every venue that can fit a musician from 12-12! Great exposure though and any new band in our area has to get a slot and get noticed.
Some great local bands to check out are ‘George and the Liabilites’, ‘Southbound’, ‘Wolf & Man’, ‘Bombshell’ and ‘Baron Goodlove and The Dreadful Noise’.
4. How would you describe your style?
Our music is catchy but not in a ‘pop’ way. The riffs and hooks drive each song and they don’t try to be anything clever or over the top just for the sake of it. That’s not to say our music isn’t thought about when we write it. Our uniqueness comes in the delivery and the drive of the tunes. Good, hard blues rock!
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
We released an EP a few years ago and it is very much the ‘old’ style of the band. It was more Indie and was where we were at the time musically. It’s catchy and is easy to singalong to! The new album is our newer sound and somewhere we’re much more comfortable with now.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We’re releasing our first album - Get Made - at the end of June! Available in all the usual online places but also as a special edition CD. Our website - http://www.sofasonic.co.uk - and Facebook page - www.facebook.com/sofasonic - will have the details as soon as it’s announced!
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
2017 has already been pretty good to us. In April we went on a 5 city-6 gig tour taking in Bruges (7th/8th April), Aachen (10th April), Amsterdam (12th April), Copenhagen (13th April) and Gothenburg (15th April). We were with some great friends BEUK, Redwire, Mother Gaia and Elisa and it was brilliant!! We showcased the whole thing on our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/sofasonic - so everyone can be there even though it’s been and gone! We’re busy though for the rest of 2017 and all of our gigs are on our website and will be posted on the band page on Facebook.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
This year is all about pushing the album and seeing where that takes us. We’re playing a few local festivals and some of them are having us back for a return visit and we can’t wait to repay their faith with our new songs!
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can download and stream from all the usual online platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. If you want to get any merchandise like tour t-shirts or a CD of the album, then you can email us at sofasonic@sofasonic.co.uk, or message us on our Facebook page. There will be a shop setup soon on there too so you can order direct!
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
We’d like listeners to be taken into the world of blues rock and be humming away, tapping their feet, or dancing like no-one’s watching! Once you’re finished partying, then simply remembering the riff from one of the songs and smiling - and wanting to do it again! - is what we’d like to leave people with.
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