Sonia Dada

by Richard SkellySonia Dada, an eclectic, exciting genre bending rock & roll group, was born in the spring of 1990. Like their labelmates the Freddy Jones Band, they are based in Chicago. The members take their songwriting inspiration from their experiences in that city as well as on the road. One day in 1990, songwriter-guitarist Dan Pritzker got off a subway train and heard the three-part harmonies of Michael Scott, Paris Delane and Sam Hogan. Pritzker had already been working with a group that consisted of his long time friends, guitarist Dave Resnik, drummer Hank Guaglianone and bassist Erik Scott. The three singers joined the quartet, and Sonia Dada had a new lineup: Paris Delane, vocals, Sam Hogan, vocals, Michael Scott, vocals plus the original four. Shortly after they began rehearsing in earnest, they added keyboardist Chris Hambone Cameron. The band has released two albums for Capricorn, Sonia Dada, (1995), their self-titled debut (originally released on Chameleon/Elektra Records) exceeded 100,000 in sales and spurred a minor radio hit, You Dont Treat Me No Good. A Day At The Beach, their follow-up, released in March, 1995. The groups intoxicating blend of blues-rock, rhythm and blues and soul music won them fans in faraway places like Australia, and led to the international touring schedule they now maintain. When the group toured Australia, they sold out all 19 concert dates, and in 1994, they opened 40 shows for Traffic while headlining some large clubs and theaters around the U.S. Songs like Deliver Me and We Treat Each Other Cruel are soul-gospel-rock celebrations that feature creative arranging and the messages that appeal to the audience for adult rock radio. The songs on Day At The Beach continue the bands genre-fusing traditions, with tracks like Lay My Body Down recalling the gospel-rock mix of their debut record, and the single from the album, Screaming John, which showcases a memorable melody, good harmonies and crafty lyrics. On their second album, the band continues the grooves laid down on its first record, adding funkier rhythms and melodies. My Secret Life followed in 1998, and a year later Sonia Dada returned with Lay Down and Love It Live. The richly layered soul album Barefoot Soul appeared in 2002. In 2004 they released the ambitious Test Pattern, a richly atmospheric collection of material that included a bonus DVD of multimedia centered around two short films by director and cinematographer Jeth Weinrich.