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SONiA and disappear fear return to Asheville by Lin Orndorf Changing the world one song at a time is what SONiA of disappear fear has been doing for almost twenty years. This Maryland native, and her sister CiNDY, generated a following on college campuses and the festival circuit when they started performing together as disappear fear in 1987. During the next seven years, they produced three albums on their own label before signing with Rounder/ Philco in 1994. That year their award winning self-titled CD was released \featuring guest artists Janis Ian and the Indigo Girls. In 1996, CiNDY left the touring life on tour to be a mom. SONiA continued on as a solo artist. Since then she has recorded five albums of her own work, often with CiNDY adding to the vocal tracks. Her most recent solo recording, No Bomb is Smart (2004) was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Contemporary Folk category and for an Out Music Award for Best Female Artist. SONiA missed playing with a band and had the urge to re-form disappear fear in 2004. “I talked to CiNDY about putting the band back together. I asked if she could do it,” she said. CiNDY, now a mother, put her off a couple of times and then told her to go for it. So, SONiA teamed up with Laura Cerulli (percussion and vocals) and Angela Edge (bass and trumpet and hit the road. They premiered at Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival in April last year. Within six months, disappear fear released a full length CD, DF05 Live, including 17 music tracks all recorded live during their first 50 concerts. “We stay busy, very busy, touring,” she said. “We play 150 to 200 shows or appearances a year, maybe as many as 250 and sometimes three appearances in a day. That includes things like radio appearances before a concert.” Their current tour will end at World Pride in Jerusalem in August 2006. SONiA explores a variety of issues through her music, ranging from social injustices to personal relationships, as well as her own experiences being an openly gay Jewish woman. disappear fear (past and present) have a reputation for political folk music with lyrics offering sixties style societal critiques but SONiA is trying to think of those songs differently. “I’m trying to call them universal rather than political,” she said. “The root of politics is people. Our music is about giving an equal say, or an equal shout, to everyone.” SONiA and disappear fear perform at the Grey Eagle, in Asheville, N.C., on Thursday, February 2. |