HotStar: SOJA

The first time Elliott Harrington of Red Light Management/New Legend Music saw reggae band SOJA perform was at a charity event in the band’s home town of Arlington, Va. The young group’s talent was obvious.

“They were a local band at the time and it was one of their first gigs. I remember being drawn to the stage,” Harrington told Pollstar. “It seemed everyone else in the room felt the same way.

“We were all drawn to the stage and fell in love with this band halfway through their set. Since then I’ve seen them do it every night in every city in every country across the globe.”

The lineup of vocalist/guitarist Jacob Hemphill, bassist Bobby Lee, percussionist Kenneth Brownell, keyboardist Patrick O’Shea and drummer Ryan Berty has grabbed attention with its positive message and high-energy shows for more than six years. Tour slots with Matisyahu, Michael Franti, John Brown’s Body and others further established SOJA’s army of fans.

“Word-of-mouth has been huge for this band. You can see it on SOJA’s Facebook wall any given day,” Harrington said. “Because of those amazing fans all major markets on this tour have sold out.

“There is a special vibe about this group and their music that you simply cannot explain. Even though I can’t describe the feeling, I know there are many people around the globe that know exactly what I’m talking about – we are all connected.”

The band is touring the States, including some dates with O.A.R., through early October. Plans to go to South America are also in the works.