SOLAR SOMA

Solar Soma biography
SOLAR SOMA have been together for many years with the core group of Cat JOHNS on vocals and guitars, Chris LAU on guitar and often bass, and Luke WHELAN on drums.

Recently they have been joined on bass by Shaun HOLTON, also of PROJECTED TWIN, a singer/songwriter who has collaborated with SOLAR SOMA and their studio for his first two albums.

The band is characterized by spending a lot of time in the studio rehearsing and writing, as they are lucky enough to have XPM Studios at their disposal twenty-four seven and it is a huge influence in the way they write and arrange. "Being able to multi-track ideas as you go along, from the earliest stage of a song 'til the final takes, changes what feels possible when you're writing" says vocalist Cat JOHNS.

It's clear the band loves layering, with walls of punching guitar and swirling vocal harmonies, as they attempt to contrast soft and melodic with loud and epic throughout their EP.

Another defining characteristic of the SOLAR SOMA sound is that all the guitars and basses featured on the EP have been hand built by guitarist Chris LAU, whose day job is as a luthier and guitar repairer. Under the name of Lauda Guitars, the studio (and band) has a collection of handcrafted guitars and basses built up over the years to hone the sound of the instrument he loves.

And they prove popular with other musicians too, often being the chosen to record with when people come to XPM Studio. Projected Twin's second album features them exclusively and they have become part of his signature sound.

SOLAR SOMA having broken the ice with their EP are going to continue to record and release tracks for the rest of the year, and build up to an album...watch this space!

::bio provided by the artist - reprinted with permission::