O
ver the years, the Washington, D.C. music scene has become best known for its hardcore (Minor Threat) and go-go (Trouble Funk) alumni, but as evidenced by the great Bad Brains, reggae has been represented as well. SOJA has risen to the forefront, picking up right where the Brains left off – creating their own blend of conscious roots music entwined with the traditional rhythms of reggae, it “comes across with passion and depth.” (Washington Post ’06)
That said, SOJA is not that easy to define. Although they are rooted in reggae, they are not limited to it; their fan-base reflects this with a very diverse population. The music includes and embraces all walks of life - it has no prejudice – it is for everyone. The band grew up listening to reggae, hip-hop, and rock. In their sound, reggae became the predominate influence because it is dedicated to a real message and promotes revolution.
The group, which includes a pair of lead singers who also pull double duty - Jacob Hemphill (guitar) and Bob Jefferson (bass) – as well as Patrick O’Shea on keyboard, percussionist Ken Brownell, and drummer Ryan Berty, originally came together in 1997. Since 2000, the quintet has issued three full length albums and one EP – their latest, ‘Get Wiser,’ is their third for the group’s own label, Innerloop.
Hemphill explains the meaning of the album’s title. “The new album is called ‘Get Wiser’ – that’s the idea. We as a society tend to have blinders on. We are trying to uplift peoples’ consciousness by breaking down what makes us blind. To do this, we got to bring back truth. People get wiser.”
“Every song is different of course.” Hemphill continues, “I found music to be a way to express myself - through my life I’ve never been able to express myself well in conversations, but I can do it through music. It’s like my way to talk.”
Ever the road warriors (SOJA averages 150 gigs per year), the group will be supporting their latest release with a healthy amount of live dates this year on the “Get Wiser Tour”. With such a list of accumulated live dates, a specific high point is hard to pin down, but Brownell remembers a particular performance. “One of the shows that remains in the front of my mind was playing in Guam for the first time for nearly 6,000 fans. That was an amazing experience.”
With SOJA calling their own shots, ‘Get Wiser’ proves that the band’s message and music will only continue to grow stronger with each successive release. In support of their latest album, “Get Wiser”, SOJA is embarking on a journey around the world.
The Band
Jacob Hemphill - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Bob Jefferson - Lead Vocals, Bass
Ken Brownell - Percussion
Ryan Berty - Drums
Patrick O’Shea- Keyboards
Discography
Get Wiser (2006)
Dub in a Time of War (2005)
Peace in a Time of War (2003)
SOJA EP (2000)
Venues
9:30 Club- Washington DC
Nation- Washington DC
The State Theater- Falls Church, VA
Starr Hill- Charlottesville, VA
Canal Club- Richmond, VA
Highlawn Pavillion- Harrisonburg, VA
Ram’s Head Live!- Baltimore, MD
The Recher Theater- Towson, MD
123 Peasant St.- Morgantown, WV
S.O.B’s- New York, NY
Lion’s Den- New York, NY
The Haunt- Ithaca, NY
OHM Lounge- Syracuse, NY
Terrace Club- Princeton, NJ
Up On The Rocks- Hartford, CT
Bill’s Bar- Boston, MA
Club Metronome- Burlington, VT
Stella Blue- Asheville, NC
Lincoln Theatre- Raleigh, NC
Soapbox- Wilmington, NC
Kefi’s- Wrightsville Beach, NC
The Pit- OBX, NC
Guava Jelly’s- Corolla, NC
Pantana Bob’s- Greenville, NC
Headliner’s- Columbia, SC
The Pour House- Charleston, SC
Rythym House- Myrtle Beach, SC
Brickhouse- Surfside Beach, SC
IO Lounge- Miami, FL
Culture Room- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Ocean Club- Jacksonville, FL
Royal Peacock- Atlanta, GA
Georgia Theater- Athens GA
Al Rosa Villa- Columbus, OH
Grog Shop- Cleveland, OH
Wild Hare- Chicago, IL
High Noon Saloon- Madison, WI
Fox Theater- Boulder, CO
Club Dread- San Francisco, CA
Catalyst Club- Santa Cruz, CA
The Blue Cafe- Long Beach, CA
The Drink- Ventura, CA
SLO Brewery- San Luis Obispo, CA
SOHO- Santa Barbara, CA
Ukiah Brewing Co.- Ukiah, CA
Temple Bar- Santa Monica, CA
The Roxy- Los Angeles, CA
Winston’s- San Diego, CA
Lola’s Room/Crystal Ballroom- Portland, OR
WOW Hall- Eugene, OR
Domino Room- Bend, OR
Pipeline Cafe- Honolulu, HI
Cassanova’s- Maui, HI
Uncle Mikey’s- The Big Island -Hilo, HI
Club Soda- Montreal, Canada
Jello Club,-Montreal, Canada
Anfiteatro Tito Puente- San Juan, Puerto Rico
El Patio- Caguas, Puerto Rico
Rakahanga- Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
Greenhouse- Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
Hard Rock Cafe, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Island Sessions- Polaris Point, Guam
Festivals
Reggae on The River- Humboldt, CA ‘06
All Good Festival- Morgantown, WV ‘06
Starscape Music and Arts Festival- Baltimore, MD ‘06
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival- Angels Camp, CA ‘05
Montreal Reggae Festival- Montreal, Canada ‘05
East Coast Surfing Competiton- Virginia Beach, VA ‘05
Midwest Reggae Fest- Huntsville, OH ‘05
Washington Auto Show- Washington DC ’04 & ‘05
Reggae On The Lake- Greenville, NC ’05
Floydfest- Foyd, VA ‘05
In The Street Festival- Frederick, MD ’05
Blocktoberfest- Arlington, VA ’05
Bob Marley Festival- Miami, FL ’04
People’s Festival- Wilmington, DE ‘01, ’04
Iron Lion Reggae Festival- Baltimore, MD ‘04
Reggae Solstice Festival- Norfolk, VA ‘03
One Love for Africa Aids Benefit- Fredericksburg, VA ‘02, ‘03, & ‘04
Supported
Damian Marley, Sizzla, Burning Spear, Steel Pulse, Capleton, Toots and The Maytals, Luciano, Alpha Blondy, The Wailers, Inner Circle, Maxi Priest, Morgan Heritage, Anthony B, Culture, Israel Vibration, Tribo de Jah, Midnite, Gondwana, and many many more…
