Soudah, after recording and self-releasing his debut EP of unforgettable original songs was swiftly recognized as a serious talent. The powerful delivery on this EP caused London's Rise Magazine to rave, "Soudah's distinctive and passionate vocals are irresistible”. He now has a brand new debut album, self-titled, produced by Sylvia Massy and Michael C. Ross.
The release of the EP provided a path for Soudah to America. His song “Wallowing” had not only been play-listed on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 2, and MotorFM in Germany, but had began getting spun on several alternative stations in the U.S. including Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles, KNRK in Portland, and KTCL in Denver. Soudah returned to England and on the flight, saw the lead singer, Skin, of Skunk Anansie, whose first album Soudah loved. He did not approach Skin and “was kicking himself” for what seemed like a “missed opportunity”. Arriving home, he revisited Skunk Anansie’s album, recalling how he loved the sound of this record which was produced by Sylvia Massy. Pushed further by his inward ambition, he contacted Sylvia and told her his story. Sylvia suggested they meet in Austin Texas, at the South by Southwest International Music Convention. It was at this meeting that Soudah and Sylvia made plans to record the album.
Sylvia’s recording studio, Radio Star Studios, in a country setting, is located at the foot of Mt Shasta in California. The experience calibre of Michael C. Ross (Lisa Loeb, Vanessa Carlton) was brought in for co-production and mix duties. One of the hardest things for Sylvia, Mike and Soudah to do was to choose 12 songs to record from a large selection of 30 strong ones. “Sylvia really challenged me, while being an excitable and supportive force as well.”
The piano the rental company provided was in bad form and kept slipping out of tune in the middle of recording takes. The songs were written with piano as the lead instrument, so having a working piano was crucial. Soudah decided to drive 150 miles to the only 'local' piano store to find a better one, and on his way, was arrested for not having a driver’s license or any form of identification in his possession. Coincidentally, a “Soudah male in his mid-20s” was on the run and wanted for armed robbery in San Francisco. Soudah was handcuffed, photographed for a mug-shot, fingerprinted and put in a cell until the authorities could verify his identity. “In my mind I was in shock and a bit panicked but knew that I had to remain calm and polite, even though this seemed so extreme for merely not having an ID card! After 4 hours they let me go, once they had verified that I wasn't "WANTED"!”. The mission, however, was to get a piano that would suffice for the recording, so upon being released, Soudah re-embarked on his journey. “The piano I ended up with was definitely worth going to jail for!”
When starting out, Soudah was working toward earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He formed a five-piece alternative band and gained a large university following in Cardiff. Relocating to London, he played both piano and acoustic guitar with his band. He also endeavoured to pay the rent by performing at an underground piano bar in Kensington, where what started out as low-key affairs before the bar staff and a few friends were quickly sold-out performances, packed to the brim galas. Next, an appearance on national UK TV via ITV One's "This Morning" helped to further spread the word, as did a spot on U.K. BBC Radio 2, where Soudah interviewed. After recording the EP, the music was quickly recognized by Radio 2 who invited Soudah to perform live on-air, deeming Soudah “a gifted singer, musician and songwriter”. Soudah set up a small UK tour, while also holding down a variety of day jobs, the highlight of which was teaching music to three-year-olds.
Soudah started playing piano at age four, writing his first song by age 7. By the time he was 12, his singing and playing skills were rewarded with a music scholarship. He was born and raised in Japan until age 10. He says he can “speak Japanese like a 10-year-old!” He remembers his days in Tokyo as a city where he could leave his bike on the street without locking it, or have a lost passport or wallet be handed into the police station with all the money and I.D. intact. The experience influenced his opinion of people, as being inherently good and helpful. It had a positive effect on the way he interacts and this positive belief in mankind comes through in his lyrics. “Some of my songs are about relationship situations, whether romantic or friendships, but I also focus on turning to a positive, empowering perspective in my songs, such as in ‘This Wave’ and ‘Gasoline’.”
Soudah’s DIY approach to his music career has provided him steady incremental successes. He has played live at the Wychwood Festival (main stage) and in London at various venues including: The Borderline, The Troubadour, the Regal Room, The Half Moon, The Water Rats, The Spitz amongst others. He’s played in the States in both L.A. and New York at the Hotel Café, The Living Room, Rockwood Music Hall, The National Underground, and more.
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