soraia

Our Julie took this with her camera when we played The Chameleon in Lancaster, PA in December 2009

Live.....us....

Thanks to our Dave for doing a great job piecing some clips together from Project H.O.M.E. show earlier in December. Hope you cats and kittens dig the handiwork...

We're gonna go and do what we do best, hit the road, in mid-February and we got a good start on the first two weeks, but are still looking for a lil help from our friends for week 3 and maybe a little bit for week 4.

Here's the cities we're asking for help with venues you think we'd do well in and also if you have anyone's contact info, whether you're a friend of a band or a bar owners...please shoot us an email on here. We've got some of our BEST places from you guys...for example, Doc's Music Hall in Muncie,IN...we got from you...and we go back there like every three months now.

So, definitely lend a hand if you can!

Houston, TX

Beaumont, TX

Baton Rouge, LA

New Orleans, LA

Hattiesburg, MS

Birmingham, AL

Memphis, TN

Nashville, TN

Knoxville,TN

Charlottesville, VA

THANK YOU!

Sue

Throughout the past few years, I've seen people come and go in and out of our lives. We started all this round about 2004, with shows before, but truly as a united group in late 2004. I have to say, the ones who have made the impact the most on me are you guys who come out to the shows, support us, love us, tell us when we are growing, tell us when we are doing good, and just come out and be with us for those hours. The impact of your laugh, your smile, your excitement, is unmeasurable. The delight in looking off stage to see a face I haven't seen in a while, always lights up the night for me.

Some of you are new to us, some have been around since the beginning, some of you come from far to see us play, and some, well, we're right around the corner. We just never know when and if we'll be seeing you again, and it's something that never really crosses the mind....

The sadness and impact of losing one of those valuable faces is intense. I am sad when I hear of a move, but I am even more saddened when I hear of a death. It's happened a few times, and it never is easy.

So, know this if nothing else: we love to see you...whether to support or just to visit, we love to see you. Genuinely, we have been so lucky to have the friends we do, you have believed in us even when we have stumbled. We have had some INCREDIBLE times with you, whether the show was good or bad:)

Always know we are so incredibly grateful for you; your presence has changed us.

Have a great Thanksgiving, enjoy life, and we'll see you soon!!!

Sue

UPDATE: We want all the artists who submitted their work to Soraia's Artwork Contest for our singles covers for "Slave for Love" and "On the Horizon", we are currently in process of choosing a winner. The winner will be contacted and we will put out an email to all of you (so make sure you're all on our email list!) when the winner is chosen. Thank you for your patience, and it will be early next year when you will be contacted. THANK YOU to all who submitted...all the work is amazing!

YOUR ART/CREATIVITY IS NEEDED!!

Whether you are a picture taker or a picture maker, whatever medium you use to convey your art: we want it all!!!

Here's your chance to create artwork for Soraia's lastest songs, 'Slave for Love' and 'On the Horizon'! Upload your art on Flickr...just go to

Soraia Artwork Contest

Give a looksie for details and get those creative juices flowing 'cause YOUR design could become the official artwork for the new songs!! Contest deadline is November 30th at midnight.

The selected submission will become the official artwork used for the new songs, and will be used on iTunes, Amazon, et al!

NOTE: By submitting your artwork you agree to grant Soraia and Nailhead Records the rights to use, duplicate and replicate the submission in any form or fashion as artwork for these singles only. We will include your name on your piece.

Thank you, and we're really looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with. We know a lot of you are artists that come to the shows, hang out with us, and just know us....so...let's network our talents and unite our artistry, kids!

**IMPORTANT**

For your artwork to be eligible, it must fit the following:

* A JPG or GIF file

* The image must be a perfect square and at least 1600x1600 pixels

* All artwork must be in best-quality RGB Color mode (including black and white images)

* All artwork must have a resolution of at least 72 dpi (300 dpi is better)

Tunecrypt Soraia

Hey Everyone!

Sue here, and I wanted to do a quick one from the road since it's been over a week since my last tour blog. Just real busy and movin' around a lot...but we've just finished our show in Louisville, KY and are moving on to Muncie, IN for the last show of tour. One fan at a time, we are winning over people in each new city, and the greatest thing about tour is all the great people you meet in each new place, and the familiar wonderful friends we meet again. I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet new people and all the welcoming towns, bookers, venues, venue owners, bands, music lovers.....

The ability to get out of what we know and are comfortable with and venture out bringing our music to people all over the place...we are real lucky we get to do this. And we don't for a second think any gig's too little, too big, whatever...all of 'em...we love 'em all...even the ones where we don't feel like we made as much of an impact.

Going from one show that's incredible to another that's not so great, it's disheartening, but I think we've been doing it long enough to know that there's just some good shows, and there's some bad shows, and that's just the way it goes. You just keep on keepin' on as they say. Always with that fire in your belly like it's the last time you're gonna get to do it.

We have some great stories to tell, for sure, and every time we go out, you know, we grow and change.

This time, we really filled in dates last minute, which was a little stressful, but also great because it helps us see that in the end, it always works out. So next time, I won't get as stressed out when things/bookings/whatever go awry. Well, maybe I still will. But we played a lot of shows, and met a ton of new people, and we're looking forward to when we do it all again. I'll try to throw another blog out to ya on the way home Sunday...but if I don't...oh, boy, tomorrow night's gonna be so goooooood.

Until next time, kids....

As I considered the words that had just been spoken to me, I began to cry. I felt a strange soul hurt well up from my stomach into my chest and then to my throat. Particularly where my heart lies, there was an ache.

I am still crying here and there. And I'm not going to try and hide it, and I'm not going to think I'm weak because of it, and I'm not going to let that voice win. The voice that is old, the voice from a past that used to speak to me. The one that spoke to me in the flesh at a fold out table in a kitchen in Texas last night.

I sat across the table from her, as a guest in her home, as she spoke to me of the immature mistakes I have made and am making, how I wasted money on my career, my immorality, and my need to wipe the old makeup off my eyes. "Do you need eye makeup remover?" she barely moved her lips as she spoke to me. "Does it bother you I am wearing last night's makeup still? I will take it off before I go to bed..." I reply. I really didn't know what to say. I find when I'm faced with people that have this bitter bite in them, they often are extremely adept, though otherwise idiotic, at invading you, getting you to answer things you would never answer, making you doubt yourself and your actions...rethink your statements, and feel foolish. A survival mechanism? I have no clue.

I did notice one thing: Her biting sarcasm was always predicated by a genuine caring remark, or a con to get you to think she was interested in sharing with you about her life. Watch out for these people, they wrap their fists in silk before they hit. When they hit, you don't see it coming, and it's a way for them to humiliate along with the hurt. It's also a way for them to get you to doubt your gut instinct if given long enough an opportunity.

I will not go into any more detail about the ways I allowed her to steal my dignity for a short period of time. I thank her for the lesson, for the warning, as I'm sure I'll meet many more like her. Dream killers. They're all over. And they prey on the hope-filled. They prey on the ones who have a tender spot for humanity, who want to look for the good in people, because if they can get these people to doubt, then they are justified in their genuine distrust and dislike of themselves and others. Sad but true.

I have no empathy for these people. I have no empathy for anyone who hasn't taken a look at what's inside them, what's holding them down, especially when it's their own hand.

In my life, I've had to face a lot of darkness, and I'm grateful for it. From that darkness, I have reached a place where I am free to hope, dream, risk, love. I will not ever, and I say this to you with assured confidence from just below the belly area, I will NEVER allow these types near me or my career. It's dangerous not only to me personally, but to the people who love this band and the people who are just like me, or who have or are struggling with the same things I have: the people who most need me to succeed.

I love what I do, I love you guys who keep cheering me on, and I'm thankful that I'm tough enough to know how to handle situations like last night. And I'm so grateful for the ones who pick me up when I'm falling, cause sometimes, we believe the lie. It's gonna be a great show tonight!

FALL TOUR BLOG #4

Well, I'm up on a Saturday morning in Houston, TX...and last night's show at Rocbar in Houston was AMAZING. We killed it...but honestly, we've been killing it for a while. So, that being the case...the environment was just as wonderful with movies playing all over their walls and the servers all dressed as pin-up style gals...fishnets and skin...and they were supposed to swing from the ceiling, but we didn't see it. Maybe we shoulda hung out longer. Still, the dj came on after the last band and I was pleasantly surprised to hear the sounds of The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and many many more awesome rock tunes from the 60's thru the 90's...how great was that!?!? Anyway, aside from that, I wanted to quickly tell you the odd things I saw so far on tour...before I forget...and then I must go get me some coffee. I saw a roadrunner on the highway crossing right in front of us on the way to Lubbock, TX from San Angelo....we saw a two-humped camel being transported on an open truck on the highway while in Lubbock, TX last Sunday...and I'm at a loss for anything else yet..but I will remember and then valiantly tell you all I've seen. Interesting times....tonight's show in Tomball, TX at Gary's Spot...we love it there.

FALL TOUR BLOG #3:

I awake in Bryan, TX this morning with a firmer commitment---if that's even possible--to what I do and to the shows we are doing. We are already on fire...but I feel a smoldering inferno tornado coming on. We've been truly lucky that we haven't met too many misfortunes with all our times on the road...rarely missed a show and practically no problems ever. Knowing this, we realize that we are in the greatest career in the world....doing the greatest thing in the world. The boys and I are excited....ecstatic...and ready to go. See you tonight, Houston! Rocbar looks like our kinda place....

FALL TOUR BLOG #2:

Well, I'm so mad and frustrated right now. So, I shall blog. I understand this happens a lot, but honestly, this is the first I remember this happening to us on the road. There's plenty of things that come up to throw you off your square when you get out here. First, there's the lack of money, or maybe a lack of a place to stay...but somehow--that always works out. We've been pretty fortunate in those areas, but not always...and it's tough keeping track of your budget and knowing what you can spend when you're not sure what you're going to make from night to night. Tonight, we are low on cash, have been off a lot this week, more than we've wanted to be (as the whole thing about touring for us is getting as many people as you can to find out about and consequently LOVE your band), and found out when we got to Bryan, TX that we were not--in fact---booked for tonight, but rather for tomorrow night, when we already have a show. You must understand, if this was just one show, we'd be upset, but likely understand, look for another show in the area, then chalk it up to a night. However, we also don't have shows yet booked for next week before next friday, which made me...for the first time ever...almost ready to pack it in and head home. I was truly worried about our financials from this Saturday night to next friday night with no shows on the horizon. Now, why no shows? Well, normally I book all our show dates so I know and have confirmation before we take off anywhere that we're all set. Thing is, we have booking agent opp's this time around, and since I've been busier than ever at home, I figured, let's try this. Now, I'm finding everything is not all sunshine and lollipops as I had hoped. After I talked to the booking agent and the club owner....we realized there's nothing more that we can do about tonight...but we are all set for the weekends' shows. I've come to the decision-- with the help of some people I trust and who know how I fly off the handle when I feel the band's business isn't being handled well--that we are out here...we are meant to tour like banshees...so that's-a-what-a-we're-a-gonna-do. We are gonna make these things work, keep PMA, and push harder and are so ready for the shows coming up. Some of the frustrations of the road are inevitable: mis-communications with bookers and venues, maybe your equipment gets stolen (ah, how I remember 2005), you arrive too late for your set or the vehicle breaks down, you are too ambitious with your touring schedule or book shows way way way too far apart in too close a time frame...the list goes on. One thing for sure, nothing more heartbreaking than not doing what you know you're supposed to be doing because of one of these things. For a band to go on the road...it ain't all glory. In fact, the glory's when you get on the stage and rock the audience. It takes a lot of heart to keep fighting and forging ahead and keeping PMA when things go wrong. It's one of the toughest things in the world for me. But when we get the responses like we've been getting, especially this time around, well, you can't complain. You just are grateful for the opportunities and even more grateful for the great shows. Until next time, kids...

FALL TOUR BLOG #1:

Ok, kids, honestly, been so busy keeping the sites up to date with new pics and getting new tour dates...AND trying to catch up on laundry/personal hygiene/food intake whilst on the road...I'm gonna keep this real shorty short. It's been more of an adventure than ever before...the best time by far than ever before...and the best energy from the kids than ever before. Me and the guys are having the time of our lives...been playing a hectic schedule---so far in a week and a half have had one full day off...which is today..and the other two days we didn't play were heavy duty travel days. Right now we're in Texas...and wow...last night's Lubbock show and Friday's San Angelo show were really awesome...it's such a thrill to keep meeting new people and people we have only known thus far online. We love you guys...and we love the opportunity to be on the road. You gotts understand, once you're out here---it's tough to head back, though we miss everyone at home so much...I think I speak for all of us when I say that having the chance to play our music in front of new people and having them respond the way they've been responding...it's a dream come true for sure. It's a thrill. Like the kind you may find on Blueberry Hill even. Well, so far we've been to Jamestown, NY; Athens, OH; Muncie, IN; San Angelo, TX; Lubbock, TX...and on to Dallas area tomorrow. We still gots us plenty o' tour in front of us...so I bid you a fond farewell until we meet again. But just to let you know back at home and for all those of you tuning in to see how we're doing, whether it be on Myspace, FB, Reverbnation, Ourstage...whichever....we're winning them all over one fan at a time, kids! Thanks for caring about us and sending the love while we're out...it means more than you may know. Very inspiring all of you...SEE YOU ALL ON THE ROAD! When I have a few more minutes...I'll be giving a more detailed account of big adventures and each show...including my first roadrunner experience near Spring City, TX!!! Now, on to one more huge, dead, winged bug on our windshield....

Soraia Band Page

We've added our two brand new tracks, "Slave for Love" and "On the Horizon", to the playlist in our media section. Give 'em both a listen. If you like what you hear, click on the "Buy Now" button to download both tracks for $0.99 during our "buy one get one free" sale!

(Clicking the button will open a new window at "payloadz.com")

2 New Songs

--FACEBOOK: (BAND PAGE)

Soraia FB Band Page

Soraia FB Group Page

Soraia Myspace Page

Official Soraia Street Team Myspace Page

Soraia on Twitter

Soraia on Reverbnation

Soraia on Ourstage

The newest issue of Black Velvet Magazine (available in the U.S., U.K., and Australia) has Soraia/Bon Jovi review from Summerfest....You can also purchase directly from Paypal. Go to the link just below to see where to pick up your copy!

Black Velvet Magazine

Here's some of the quotes from the newest review (read the whole shebang at The Screen Door):

AND...Our newest review is now running on AntiMusic as well:

AntiMusic

More news coming in two weeks....stay tuned!!!!!

"Being an opening act is the toughest gig in the world. Few acts shine through in this environment and even fewer leave a lasting impression; Soraia did both."

"Soraia has songs that feel like home; as if you have been listening to them your entire life...."

"Watching the turbocharged tone of “Long Time” reminded me of why I love music. The way a song can give you goose bumps, the sheer resolve of a live performance providing consolation and the optimism that some tiny little record that is four-minutes long can change your life."

"At the Summerfest gig, you never would have assumed that this was their first time in front of tens of thousands of people. The band assaulted their instruments with strident assurance usually only seen in war torn stage veterans. The fluidity of the band was seamless from a small club to an amphitheater stage. What made the dichotomy of the two performances so lucid was their ability to bond with the audience. In a club, it’s easy to connect, but switching between the two can be tricky. I watched the cheap seats at the Marcus Amphitheater and there was unadulterated movement, people were on their feet rocking out as if they knew the songs...."

"Soraia stepped into the shoes of an arena act with ease. Only the rarest of talents can balance the two extremes of club and arena connections and Soraia did it with substance, style and stride and at the end of the day these are the bands that remain indelible and timeless...."

Here's some choice quotes from both this morning's Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel and 77 Square, Madison's paper (6/26/09):

"Opening for Bon Jovi was Philadelphia rock band Soraia, whose last album, "Shed the Skin" featured Sambora guesting on guitar. Singer Sue Mansour fronted the band with a voice and stage persona reminiscent of Janis Joplin."

"Opening band Soraia, a relatively new band out of Philly, breathed hard Southern rock fire into its 25-minute set. Guitarist Dave Justo lassoed thick lines of muscle around lead singer Sue Mansour's Joplin-esque wail.... Here's to seeing them back again in Wisconsin soon."

6/9/2009: Anthony Kuzminski of "The Screen Door" and "Antimusic.com" posted an amazing article about us on June 9, 2009, entitled, 'Soraia: The Real Thing (Opening for Bon Jovi at Milwaukee's Summerfest on 6/25/09)'

Read the whole article here...well worth it:

The Screen Door

Antimusic

Also, here's a few choice quotes:

"What makes Soraia different from other acts is that they feel real...."

"...Midway through the song, Mansour poured a bottle of water over herself, and as the band tore through their thick and pounding vintage rock riffs, she began to sway. Her hair flew, she shook her hips, and her sweat drenched body glistened with a sexual summer gleam as bright as a city’s lights....She sways her body like Gwen Stefani, howls like Janis Joplin and has a rock n’ roll attitude that’s akin to Joan Jett…but to say she’s intoxicating to watch because of the way she moves her body is an insult to the music; she merely happens to be a remarkable front woman."

"Soraia’s music is a commanding pre-punk celebration of rock n’ roll finding middle ground between late 60’s Rolling Stones yet packed with a breath of freshness that reminds me of the no-nonsense sound of the White Stripes. They do not fit into any specific genre of rock…"

"I wouldn’t be writing about this band if their live show was great but their music didn’t connect with the audience....this is the real thing. You can see it in the band member’s eyes, you can feel it in their music and most importantly, you can feel it in your soul."

Hey kids...in the interest of not clogging up our homepage, I've blogged about tour shows and some stories from the road thus far on our myspace site. You can subscribe to our blogs to keep updated on what's going on, or just read 'em straight here:

http://www.myspace.com/soraia

Just look for our latest blogs about mid-page on the right....stay in touch!

WOW!!! What news for us!!! Our record, "SHED THE SKIN", has made Screen Door, Unrated Magazine, and Antimusic's "Top 25 Albums of 2008"....We are number 7, just between Ryan Adams and Metallica. Here's what Tony has to say about the record:"Soraia is a five piece rock band from Philadelphia who has risen like a phoenix from personal calamities only to turn their tragedy into triumph. Of the upwards of one-hundred indie discs sent my way in the last year, this was the one that knocked me emotionally to the floor.....The entire album yields a windfall of truthfulness that carefully wields soul-searching lyrics that ring true especially on the title-track. Producer Obie O’Brien’s instinctive, enlivening and revitalizing production does the material justice and significantly brightens the album to A-grade levels, but always keeping the vibe organic and elegiac....As impressive as the sonic framework may be, the real star is Mansour’s cooing vocals paired with the elliptical lyrics which combined make Shed The Skin a harrowing, endearing and essential album." Read the rest and see the list (well worth the read, one of my personal faves for the year, The Black Keys, also made the list as well as a number of others....)

The Screen Door

Antimusic

YEAH!!!

You can buy any of the tracks off 'Shed the Skin' anytime on Amazon, ITunes, Napster,  and Rhapsody or the whole shebang on CDBaby...more digital locations to be announced soon....And add us now to your playlist from Playlist.com! (Or just go to our "Media" page and add them to your playlist from there)...ALSO, Positively records...the coolest record store we've ever been to...has started their own "Soraia" section, so you can buy 'Shed the Skin' there for $9.90. It's located in Levittown, PA...best independent hands down. THANKS!

Radio Orphans (Minnesota)

AmiciAmici.com (Italy)

Whitenoise (Ontario)

You Can't Make it Up! (Maine)

Read our new review on Here Comes the Flood (The Netherlands)

Dalecast.co.uk (United Kingdom)

Bestradiopodcast.net (Chicago, Illinois)

Nightguyundertherock.podshow.com (Israel)

"Here Comes the Flood" (The Netherlands)

http://mothpod.podshow.com/ (Indiana)

StrafeRight (North Carolina)

Wasting Time (Illinois)

Top of the Podsafes

Dj Ken Stone (New Jersey)

My Pocket Player (Poland)

Bernie's World (New York)

PSM Hitmakers (Japan)

The Red Light Zone (United Kingdom)

X Pat Radio (Wisconsin)

The Dawn and Drew Show (Wisconsin)

Spud Show (Ireland)

All of the above podcasts can be found on the podsafe network: www.podsafemusicnetwork.com

Hey Everyone,

Music Biz Advice has added a new commentary to their blog on their pages. I met with Randi last year when I was in Los Angeles...she talks about going to Irv's (a famous musicians's hangout...Oh, Janis!) and what she thinks of the new single. Check it out here:

http://musicbizadvice.blogspot.com

If you want to read the interview we did last year, go here:

http://www.musicbizadvice.com/Feature Interview with Sue Mansour of Soraia.htm 

Also, if you haven't checked out our new video for "Not the Woman" on Maxmouth, go on already! And leave a comment before you take off...love to read them.

6/15/08: Here's some new stuff for you:

A bunch of you at the shows have been asking about Soraia wallpapers, so here you go! Go to our "MEDIA" section and download any size you like. And they're FREE....for now >:>p So go on and get 'em, will ya?!?

Also new in our "MEDIA" section is a little behind the scenes video look at our recording in Sine Studios...just a little horseplay. Hope you enjoy it. We've added 2 new songs to the upcoming second pressing of "Shed the Skin"...very exciting...and been in the studio, recordin' it up. We want to give you a sneak peek..so stay tuned in and check that section often in the next few weeks for video updates....

 In a last itty bit of news, we started a new site on Ourstage.com 

We just started putting that together, but it'll be gettin' good over the next few weeks, so check it out here: http://www.ourstage.com/fanclub/soraia

And please join! It's free and you can get sneak peeks of videos, judge new music online, and hear about the newest news and bands in the music world.  You'll looooove it.

So, away we go at the beginning of the summer...the train keeps rollin', and we'll be heading out to Chicago and Indiana in late July. Help us celebrate Dave's birthday on July 17 at The Loft in Norristown, too. Late in the summer we'll be doing a live recording somewhere in fine, FINE Philadelphia. We'll let you know when that is so you can help us by adding your voice to it.  Until next time!

Soraia's "Shed the Skin" has a new review currently running on Tony Kuzminski's blog on Antimusic.com and The Screen Door:

http://www.antimusic.com/

http://the-screen-door.blogspot.com/2008/02/soraia-shed-skin-album-review.html

Here's some quotes from Tony's review...able to be found on The Screen Door's blog and Antimusic.com, a site with 3 million readers a month. Writer Anthony Kuzminski is a world-reknowned reviewer, articulate and graphic with his reviews and known for his unique and genuine style. Throughout his career, he has reviewed bands such as U2, No Doubt, Guns N' Roses, Talking Heads, and thousands more. Please go to the above links for the entire review:

"...It’s unlikely you’ll hear any album in the next year whose rock and soul architecture sounds this fresh...."

"....Soraia are not hopping on any bandwagons, they merely check vintage classic rock riffs and find a way to swathe them into a package that is intoxicating and enthralling. There is a profound depth to the lyrics which are enhanced by the layered roars of guitars that make you yearn for a time where albums and artists ruled the landscape....."

"....As Mansour belts out the title track, her voice crows with an immediate and defiant pulse which is nothing short of pulverizing. Her vocal styling’s are a throwback to the past but what’s integral is that she is well aware of the rich tradition of singers who have come before her as she reaches back further than just one decade but five decades to the inner workings of Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett before recording her dynamic, soulful and mesmerizing vocals...." 

 A huge thank you to Chicago-based writer/reviewer, Tony Kuzminski.

Black Velvet Magazine, one of the best U.K. rock magazines chock full of interviews, reviews, and new bands and music, has done a review of our new record in its latest edition out this month, Issue #55.

Visit them by going to http://www.blackvelvetmagazine.com/

There is a list on their site of where to order and/or purchase the zine, or you can purchase directly from their site using paypal.

 Our new record "Shed the Skin" keeps getting added to new podcasts worldwide every day. We are trying to update our list below as often as we can..so do keep checking back to see the new places we're being played. We just found out today that the Hitmakers Podcast in Japan, which is also broadcast live throughout several Japanese clubs, has a Top 6 that comes out every week: "Had Enough" is Number 5 for the week of January 21, 2008!  Check out their site for previous lists including artists such as Duran Duran and The Black Crowes. Take a listen!  

http://www.hitmakerspodcast.com