Soul Glo

Soul Glo are a lyrically pointed and sonically eruptive post-hardcore band from Philadelphia. Their songs confront the personal and the political with equal fury, as vocalist Pierce Jordan howls about the inequities of the culture around him while offering a look at the conflict inside his head and heart. Their music reflects the defiance of punk rock while embracing the punishing influence of extreme metal. And their songs find room for traces of funk and hip-hop amidst the punishing guitars and over-the-top drumming. Their name was inspired by the fictitious hair care product advertised in the 1988 Eddie Murphy hit Coming to America, but the musicians also feel it represents the potential of music to impact listeners. The band’s assaultive approach was at its most direct on their untitled 2014 debut album, while a pair of 2021 EPs, DisNigga, Vol. 1 and DisNigga, Vol. 2, were more accomplished and stylistically ambitious, and 2022′s Diaspora Problems saw them adding more instrumental flavors and guest musicians than ever before.
Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Soul Glo began to take shape when guitarist Ruben Polo (previously of Facts and Secret Ploy to Destroy the Entire Universe) invited vocalist Pierce Jordan (ex-Teens and Trucks) to form a band with the intent to play heavy music. The lineup was filled out by bassist Ethan Brennan and drummer Justin Sokol, and Soul Glo were less than half-a-year old when they debuted in December 2014 with an untitled EP-length tape. A second cassette EP, Soul Glow II, followed in 2016. Untitled LP combined the two releases on vinyl later that year. At the point in 2017 when they cut the songs that became Tour Tape 2k18, the rhythm section had changed to bassist Gianmarco “GG” Guerra and drummer Jamie. The Case Closed by Migos EP followed in 2018 and was combined with Tour Tape 2k18 for another cassette edition in 2019. Over the next two years, the band continued to offer short-form releases on a steady basis. Among these were The Nigga in Me Is Me, Songs to Yeet at the Sun, and DisNigga, Vol. 1 and DisNigga, Vol. 2, the latter two being their first releases for the revered punk label Epitaph. These recordings integrated noise rap tracks as riveting as their more punk-rooted material. During this period, TJ Stevenson was installed at the drum kit. March 2022 brought the release of their first full album for Epitaph, Diaspora Problems, which was an eclectic effort produced by bassist Guerra with guest spots from rappers Mother Maryrose, McKinley Dixon, and lojii. ~ Andy Kellman & Mark Deming