SOJA

Specializing in a hybrid of traditional roots reggae and rock fusion, SOJA are an American reggae combo hailing from Arlington, Virginia. Through heavy touring and a series of independent releases, the band built a sizeable international following before signing with ATO in the early 2010s. Beginning with their 2012 breakout release, Strength to Survive, SOJA notched three consecutive reggae chart-topping albums, two of which received Grammy nominations. After 2017′s Poetry in Motion, the group focused on a series of singles and shorter projects before returning to a full-length format on 2021′s Beauty in the Silence.
SOJA (Soldiers of Jah Army) was formed in 1997 by D.C.-area high school friends and musicians Jacob Hemphill (lead vocals, guitar), Eric Rogers (keyboards, harmony vocals, guitar), Bobby Lee Jefferson (bass, vocals), Ryan Berty (drums), and Ken Brownell (percussion), who made their recorded debut with 2000′s SOJA EP. Their debut album, Peace in a Time of War, followed in 2002, while its dub version, Dub in a Time of War, appeared in 2004. By this time, Rogers had left the band and been replaced by guitarist Patrick O'Shea. Get Wiser arrived in 2006 and was premiered back home with the album being played live in total, a concert that was captured on that year’s DVD release Get Wiser Live. The group’s 2009 release, Born in Babylon, featured guest appearances from German reggae singer Gentleman and members of Rebelution and gave the band their first chart placement, hitting number 11 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Heading into the next decade, SOJA had amassed a significant fan base and soon signed with the ATO label for the 2012 effort Strength to Survive. It proved to be their breakout release, topping Billboard’s Reggae Albums chart and ushering in the group’s most successful period. Two years later, ATO issued Amid the Noise and Haste, an album with Damian Marley, Michael Franti, and Collie Buddz as guests. Another chart-topper, it netted SOJA their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Reggae Album. A concert LP, Live in Virginia, appeared in 2016, giving the band their second Grammy nod. With their sixth studio long-player, Poetry in Motion, arriving in 2017, SOJA notched their third consecutive number one on the reggae charts. By this time, the group also included saxophonist Hellman Escorcia, trumpeter Rafael Rodriguez, and guitarist/singer Trevor Young.
Over the coming years, the band continued to tour internationally while shifting their focus to releasing singles like 2019′s “A Brief History” and 2020′s “Beacon of Light” with the Movement. In early 2021, SOJA offered up an EP of covers that included their take on classic cuts by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh as well as more rock-oriented groups like Crowded House and Jimmy Eat World. Later that September, the band issued their next full-length, the Grammy-nominated Beauty in the Silence. ~ David Jeffries