So many newborn bands have an excruciating time crafting and articulating their aesthetic, especially in an industry that typically encourages conformity. Whimsical indie-rock band Söūp understands the elusiveness and versatility of genre in a way that not all can grasp. Their emphasis on utilizing imagery of the sea and the cosmos, melding the two with dreamy guitar riffs and heavy-hitting vocals creates a unique potency in their music and presence as a band. While Söūp has faced challenges getting to the place they’ve arrived at, they’re committed to further exploring what they can accomplish with their music and their artistic aura.
Söūp at The Stone Pony
Q. Your first single “The Captain” was released back in January. Has the reception of the song shaped possible future releases? What’s something that surprised you when putting the song out there?
A. Recording the captain was a bit of a process. It was our first time recording something that wasn’t a demo and the first time we ever recorded something that we planned on sharing. So naturally, there were a lot of things we learned from it. The song itself achieved the vibe that we were going for, and we’re so grateful that we had success in getting that through to the audience. The general vibe of “The Captain” is something that can be expected for so many of Söūp’s releases in the near future. We were very into the sound we got for the song, which has led us to stay with the same producer for our upcoming releases. The biggest thing we learned about recording is how humbling it can be. We can all agree that it has taught us to never be content with our abilities and to always strive for better.
Q. Your Instagram features the “if this is your aesthetic” trend which a lot of indie musicians are adopting to draw in new listeners. How would you describe Söūp’s aesthetic?
A. Each of us can agree that Söūp’s aesthetic is whimsically motivated. We are very big on sun, moon, and star imagery, as well as classic nautical imagery(as it ties into so many themes in our writing). When we write, we tend to tell stories of fantastical themes, so producing that physically as well as musically is part of what makes us who we are. We also have an interest in deep colors and shiny fabrics, which make up our wardrobe. The band identifies pretty strongly with the whimsigothic fashion movement so that aesthetic is very present for us.
Q. You’re playing a show Friday, March 15 at the American Dream Mall with indie artist Gabe Rivera whom we’ve spoken to a few times. Can you share any inside details about the event and what it’s like to be playing with Gabe?
A. We are absolutely elated to be playing the American Dream Mall with Gabe. To have the privilege to play on such an incredible stage in front of so many people is just so surreal. Possibly the coolest part about playing the show is having the opportunity to perform alongside Gabe’s band. Getting to know someone as kind, genuine, and motivated as Gabe has been equally exciting and inspiring. All I can say is that it is going to be a great show, and you’ll have to see it to believe it. Söūp will be playing some new material at this show, so don’t miss it!
Q. What does it mean to be a “soupy individual?” How does someone achieve true “soupiness?”
A. To love Söūp is to be a Söūpy Individual. Anyone who identifies or resonates with what we do is a “Söūpy Individual.” When we refer to ourselves as “Söūpy Individuals”, we are referring to our obsession with the eclectic. Our band is quite literally a soup of so many different ideas and forms of expression; be it through our themes, our stories, our aesthetic, our sound, our influences, our personalities, and even our audience. Each of these components are essential to our soup.
Q. You’ve started the year off strong with your first single, frequent shows, and a strong social media presence. How are you continuing to cultivate Söūp’s image? Where do you see the band in a year from now?
A. 2024 is a big year for us. Söūp is such a young band but has gone through so many lineup changes in its first two years, which resulted in our previous winters being bleak, and our band being incomplete. Long story short, the birth and infancy of our band was rocky. 2024 is the first time we’ve been able to start the year off with a clear vision of what we want and what we know we can achieve. We believed that releasing “The Captain”, our first original, was the perfect way to start the year off lucky. Seeing the success that we have experienced from that release has really proved something special to us.
We have also learned the importance of content creation, and how far a social media presence can take you in regards to being able to connect to others. This year we plan on improving our social media presence and becoming more and more active. We also plan to fill our schedule with as many shows as we can manage. Performing live is one of the best ways to gain exposure, build relationships, and improve as a band. We take our performance very seriously, so having the opportunity to play more shows at new and exciting venues is a great way to not only grow in following but to also grow as musicians. The bottom line is that 2024 will be the year of releasing new music, playing great shows, and creating more content.
Where does Söūp plan to be in a year from now? The simple answer is “reaching new heights”. Anyone can achieve anything they set their mind to and our minds are set on getting out there and getting big. We want to release an album, and we want to be touring. We want the real deal. We want to have a great experience. There is no other way.