Sonos is a collective of vocalists: Jessica Freedman, Chris Harrison, Paul Peglar, Katharine Anne Hoye, Ben McLain and new member Rachel Bearer. Their self-titled debut introduces the indie-capella powerhouse with ten unaccompanied vocal reinventions of songs from critics’ darlings Fleet Foxes, the bird and the bee, Imogen Heap, Rufus Wainwright and Bjork and features guest Sara Bareilles, whose exquisite vocal on “Gravity” is augmented by the Sonos voices in a remarkable version of the song.
The album will be released March 31, 2009 independently on bigHelium Records and distributed through various channels both digitally and physically, with a series of special editions and bonus tracks offered on Itunes, Barnes & Noble and Amazon. All songs are arranged by Chris Harrison, except “Bittersweet” by Katharine Anne Hoye and Jessica Freedman. The album was produced by Harrison, Hugo Vereker & Gabriel Mann.
The Sonos singers each came from the collegiate a cappella circuit, a flourishing community of about 15,000 groups in the U.S. Collectively with Sonos, they have shattered the mold with innovative reinterpretations of 21st century classics, showcasing the diversity of their vocal range. Another highlight of the sound is Ben McLain’s astonishing vocal percussion.
Newcomers to the thriving Los Angeles indie music scene, Sonos created a buzz at their debut performance in December at The Hotel Café. The crowd included up-and-coming singer-songwriter Oren Lavie who collaborates with the group on the bonus track “The Opposite Side of The Sea.”
The Sonos album has quickly become a staple on influential Los Angeles radio station KCRW who have invited to band to perform live on Saturday, April 4. The first single, Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” was also heard January 10 on KROQ and Westwood One radio stations nationwide, with Jed The Fish selecting it as his “Catch of the Day” on the Modern Rock Top 20 Countdown. January 20 sees the single’s release on iTunes, where it will be featured as an iTunes Spotlight.
The next performance will be at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on January 17 as part of the “Best New LA Bands Night” followed by a number of warm-up gigs in SoCal as well as in Austin at SXSW before Sonos embark on their first tour in April.
Sonos will perform in the following cities:
February 2 LOS ANGELES @ The Hotel Café
March 12-16 AUSTIN, TX @ SXSW
April 4 LOS ANGELES, CA @ KCRW