about soulfound // press // Post hoc ergo propter hoc

Soulfound is:
Disqo - drummer.vocals
Ivan - vocals.bass
Sam - guitar.vocals
Jonathan - guitar.vocals
and introducing
Paul - percussion.drums
Brad - trumpet.vocals

Biography
Soulfound is a Rock Band.

Drawing from the bravado of progressive, the attitude of punk and the sensitivity of indie rock to create their trademark sound, Soulfound has been named "the workaholic and stylistic multitasker of the local music scene." by tbt* magazine.

Soulfound was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1999, when the original lineup used to sneak into UF's music building late night to practice. For the first three years of the band's existence, Soulfound was only a means to meet girls, party and get laid. Every show was a drunken orgy of progressive and pop tunes, delivered with a ferocious energy and blatant disregard for morals.

In 2001, Soulfound released American Anything/This Bootleg Operation and hit the road to promote it, visiting Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio and Georgia in their first-ever, self-financed tour. Without support from a label, Soulfound sold over 500 copies of this demo. After this tour, Soulfound decided to chuck it all and migrate from the alcohol-soaked Swampland to Clearwater, Florida – a sleepy beach town that once served as Jim Morrison's stomping grounds. Why the move? Clearwater was close to Tampa and St Petersburg, two of Florida's largest cities.

In early 2003, Soulfound released Tomorrow Can Wait, the band's first full-length album (previously, they had released three EPs) to rave reviews from both fans and critics. Everyone agreed, Soulfound was a promising rock juggernaut, creating their own blend of progressive, punk and pop music led by dueling guitars and anchored by a thumping rhythm section. Shortly after the release, Soulfound fell in good graces with both rock radio stations in the area (98 Rock and 97X) and played radio festivals and clubs all over the Tampa Bay area, including Livestock and an opening slot for Jet. Soulfound was also a regular on 97X's Local Motion, a one-hour radio show dedicated to Tampa Bay music.

In the summer of 2004, after touring the Florida/Georgia circuit heavily, Soulfound went back on the studio with renowned indie produced James Wisner and recorded The Lives We Lived So Far -- a three-song EP that was voted among the top 10 Editor's Picks on CdBaby.com's Rock charts in August 2004. The three songs: "Win Over You", "The Boy" and "After the Rush" blew up. The video for "Win Over You" won Soulfound the award of "Best Unsigned Band" from FUSE TV. Also, the song was the third place winner in American Idol Underground's Rock Song Content. In addition, "After the Rush" was featured on MTV's show Laguna Beach and "The Boy" was played on more Internet radio stations than any of the previous Soulfound songs. They were up to something here.

Three songs can only take you so far, so in February 2006, Soulfound released For the Sake of Trying, a five-song EP filled with anger, frustration, existentialist dilemma and disillusion. RAG Magazine wrote "'Fire!' is definitely a song that you could picture hearing right between Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance on your local rock radio station. With all of Soulfound's recent achievements and triumphs, it is very apparent that they are only going to continue to soar to stardom. Although their latest effort For the Sake of Trying features a meager five songs, it is definitely still something worth adding to everybody's CD collection."

“Every show we play, our crowds grow, our fans anf friends sing along more and more and the club owners get nicer and nicer,” stated Ivan. “Being in this band is the only vocation any of us have ever had and we have sacrificed our lives for it. This is not a hobby, but a heavily-cultivated obsession.”

Soulfound is currently working on their second full-length album.

“When there’s an excited crowd full of music fans waiting to hear your music, you are glad that you have the experience to always bring out a great performance,” stated Disqo. “We play every show like it is our last and our fans always appreciate that.”

Below are some Soulfound’s accomplishments:

• Selected Unsigned Band of the Week on Fuse TV’s Steven’s Untitled Rock Show

• Third place winner in American Idol Underground Rock competition

• Music featured on MTV’s Laguna Beach Season 2 DVD

• Voted Local Band of the Month for two months in a row (October-December 2005) by Florida’s New Rock Alternative, The Buzz 103.1 (West Palm Beach)

• Picked as one of the five bands you have to know about by 97X (St Petersburg) on-air personality and program director, Shark.

• Voted "Best Shot at Modern-Rock Radio" by Creative Loafing Magazine.

• Performed live on morning television shows for ABC, The CW, NBC, and FOX

• Music featured in radio stations across the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, Germany, Dominican Republic and Indonesia

• Have donated time to worth-while causes such as March of Dimes, PETA, Toys for Tots, Truth, and MADD

Radio
Soulfound has been on the following radio stations (that we know of):

press

Rock with a splash of soul
from tbt* Magazine, March 23, 2007
By Julie Garisto

You must get to know Soulfound on a first name basis. No, really. Ivan, Disqo, Sam and Aaron won't divulge their last names. They've got the mono-moniker gimmick going on, like Madonna, Prince and Charo, but their first-name basis derives more from down-to-earth familiarity no persuading fans to learn about Kabbalah or temporary glyphs.

Ivan plays bass; Disqo's the drummer; Sam plays guitar; and Aaron also plays guitar. Neither one plays lead or rhythm guitar exclusively, Ivan says. They're equal-opportunity guitarists.

It makes sense, listening to the bobbing and weaving of Soulfound's rock style. You don't get a sense of one predominant trait coming at you. To us, it's a tasty blend of modern and classic rock elements that overlap in ingenious ways. Influences range from Pearl Jam to Rush to Foo Fighters.

"It's sort of active rock," says Ivan, who gets in a sweaty workout with each lively performance.

Soulfound's lineup has morphed over the years. Ivan and Disqo formed the band up in Gainesville in the late '90s and moved to this area about five years ago. Since then, an ever-growing fan base attends their animated, impassioned shows, with a stronger showing on the Pinellas side, where the guys are tight with fellow musicians in the Southeast Music Alliance. They often headline hometown Clearwater venues like the Majestic and Gasoline Alley.

Soulfound's full on tight rock has earned the band recognition in some big-name competitions and by various media. They were the selected unsigned band of the week on Fuse TV's Steven's Untitled Rock Show; third-place winner in the American Idol Underground Rock competition; featured on MTV's Laguna Beach Season 2 DVD; and chosen as one of the five bands you have to know about by 97X on-air personality and program director Shark. (For Soulfound en Espanol, www.myspace.com/soulfoundmusica)

REVIEW OF "FOR THE SAKE OF TRYING" FROM THE WEEKLY PLANET
(SEPT 2006)
The third release from this popular Pinellas unit finds it moving away from the muscular pop-rock that made its bones, into trendier emo territory. The hooks, musicianship and visceral compulsion remain intact, and Ivan Pena is still one of the best singers in Tampa Bay music; what's new are the more jagged grooves, cut-time choruses and call-and-response vocals that are all pat hallmarks of the hundreds of young acts currently aping Taking Back Sunday. All in all, Soulfound's new aural clothes fit it well. This is mostly a great-sounding EP. The galloping "Fire!" and huge "Prove Me Wrong" are highlights, and only on the opener "Under This Silent Spell" do the aforementioned elements feel somewhat forced. Still, some of the band's sonic individuality has been diluted. (www.soulfound.com) 3.5 stars

"FOR THE SAKE OF TRYING" REVIEWED ON KUDOS MAGAZINE, UK
Stylish emotional rock. Soulfound have produced a great EP with this release and the collection of songs are sure to please listeners. Their style is a mix of rock and emo with powerful, heartfelt vocals. Fire! with its vibrant verses and arena ready chorus is a great introduction to the bands sound. However songs such as the shimmering Prove Me Wrong are strong cuts but lack the energy of Fire and in some ways opener Under This Silent Spell. Soulfound are only just beginning to show what they are capable of. One to watch. Try out: Fire!

RAG MAGAZINE REVIEWS "FOR THE SAKE OF TRYING"
"It is truly rare to see such a young independently driven band assuming the position as one of the top unsigned bands not only in Florida, but the entire nation. Hailing from Clearwater, Florida, these four young men have quickly built a country wide following with their mature song structures and hectic tour schedules. Having already given birth to three self-released CDs, the band seems to have more accomplishments under their belt than they do combined years of living on Earth. Their most recent release entitled For the Sake of Trying is a collection of five well developed songs strategically laced with powerful palpitations and catchy hooks. The opening track “Under the Silent Spell” jump starts the record with dynamic vocals and a guitar melody worth noting. The stand out track, however, titled “Fire!” purely defines Soulfound’s style and dignifies their potential future position on modern rock radio. “Fire!” is definitely a song that you could picture hearing right between Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance on your local rock radio station. With all of Soulfound’s recent achievements and triumphs, it is very apparent that they are only going to continue to soar to stardom. Although their latest effort For the Sake of Trying features a meager five songs, it is definitely still something worth adding to everybody’s CD collection. At the very least, you will be able to brag to your friends that you liked this band way before they made it big. Jump on the Soulfound bandwagon before it is too late."
Logan Lenz, RAG Magazine, March 2007

REVIEW OF "THE LIVES WE LIVED SO FAR" FROM FloridaBackStage.com
The act I selected is a band called Soulfound @ www.soulfound.com I like the singer what can I say. I'm not a huge fan of the production, even though they hired a producer as their website states, with a nice resume to his name as well. The producer does claim to be an indy guy on his website and I'm the opposite so that probably explains why we differ. I also am not a fan of someone engineering a record and producing it as well, it takes some of the juice out of the process. "Don't focus on tones focus on takes that's my motto". Let the engineer focus on his job and you the producer on yours. Since we're getting to know each other allow me to let you in on this... I'm a junkie for huge hooks, bigger then life hooks, so big the first time you hear the song your scrambling to download it or running to the record store to buy it! Not the second time you hear the song but the very first time. Big Hook= My Chemical Romance's "Helena" big or Yellowcard's "Only One" big now those are huge hooks. This singer is clearly the focal point in this act with a very original voice. As a producer myself with major label credits is simply sounds like the has so much more to offer the listener to make the songs better. When I produce an act if I don't feel the vocals or hooks are strong enough to land the band a deal then I make them go back to writing and write even bigger hooks musically and vocally. Simply put, if there are parts not big enough for the rest of the song lets go back to writing and lets write better parts. The song "the boy" and "win you over" are so on the right track but the hooks simply are not big enough in my opinion yet to raise the eyebrows of the people in New York and LA it takes to pull this off. The songs are good I rocked the fuck out to them while reviewing the songs, there just not great. And good is not good enough, great is all the top executives are looking for. There is a ton of good all over the globe, its gotta be great man. "This is a good band" potentially a great band. With better future songwriting and better production these guys have what it takes.. I can hear it clear as a bell its just not there yet. As a writer and band member of this act you simply have to be honest enough with yourself and listen to your music outside of the box, be your worst critic. But we musicians and writers know how hard it is to do that don't we?

"The Lives We Lived So Far" was voted among the top 10 Editor's Picks on CdBaby.com's Rock charts in August 2004.

CDBaby.com
August 2004

Soulfound voted Local Band of the Month for October-December 2005 by Florida's New Rock Alternative, The Buzz 103.1 (West Palm Beach)

Soulfound was picked as one of the five bands you have to know about by 97X on-air personality and program director, Shark. Other bands include: Brand New, The Shins, Secret Machines and Muse.

Soulfound's "Win Over You" was selected by American Idol Underground as one of the Top 3 Rock songs in their initial Rock competition.

"From the very first note I was hooked. The amount of care and craftsmanship found in their tunes is rare for an 'unsigned band'. It is clear that every member of the band is a master of his art as the musical composition is excellent. Their music is filled with raw power, soul, and just the right amount of emotion. Why these guys are not signed yet, I have no idea." House of Gigs.net

BEST OF THE BAY!
Soulfound was voted "BEST SHOT AT MODERN-ROCK RADIO" by the Weekly Planet. Here's what they had to say: "They came from Gainesville a few years back, bringing solid but somewhat generic modern rock. Since then, they’ve refined the hookier, more youthfully energetic aspects of their sound to the point that you can’t listen to their latest EP, The Lives We Lived So Far, and not wonder why they’re not booting shite like Nickelback and Hot Action Cop out of the Top 5 at 5 on a regular basis. Maybe they will before long, if they can resist the temptation to get all screamo on our asses."

"...Seriously, Clearwater's Soulfound could easily be the next big national modern-rock buzz-band — they're ready."

"...whose energetic modern rock should by all rights hit the radio itself before too long."

Scott Harrell
Weekly Planet/Creative Loafing
Tampa.FL (2005)

"Opener Soulfound, a band from Clearwater, did its mightiest to rev up the crowd with a fiercely energetic set of original rock. Fronted by dynamic Ivan Pena on bass and vocals, the quartet worked the stage better than most musicians in the big leagues, and the crowd responded as such."

Gina Vivinetto
Write up in the St Pete Times

REVIEW OF "TOMORROW CAN WAIT" FROM TAMPABAYMUSICIAN.COM
The Soulfound CD "Tomorrow Can Wait" is a showcase of a tight performing band with a mainstream sound than encompasses many familiar style influences. The first cut “Now is Yours” was pleasantly surprising to me as a musician as it is in 5/4 time. As a rule, I tend to appreciate odd-meter tunes and I think it’s a musical skill forgotten in nearly all modern mainstream music. It’s a great song, and maybe the best on the CD. The second track “American Anything” is a straight-ahead Rock/Nu-Punk tune. I liked particularly liked the guitar licks toward the end. “The First Time” and “Don’t Go” have a Gin Blossoms feel to them. One of the things that struck me about “Don’t Go” and the following track “Own Generic Way” is that they sound very similar. While both good songs, they just seemed to kind of run together from a listener’s standpoint and I admit my attention drifted. Perhaps they should have been separated on the disc. I thought “So Long Pretender” was a brilliant piece with a great groove during the verses although the chorus format lost me at first. Along with “Now is Yours”” I’d say this one of the best tracks on the CD. Rounding out the rest of the CD were “Real Full of It,” “Repair” and “Ghosts of Sunset Strip” Which are all very listenable tunes. Production wise, everything is solid. Personally I might have done something a little bigger with the drums but that’s me. The guitars, vocals and bass sound great. The CD also has some tastefully placed of great ear candy in and around the songs utilizing effects, samples and some minor keyboards. Definitely not overdone. All the of musical performances were great with Ivan Pena’s voice reminding me a lot of a cross between an 80s New Wave singer and Tool’s Maynard James Keenan on a tune like “Prison Sex.” The packaging is all-pro with the requisite bar code. I did have to deduct a point for the lack of lyrics on the insert. Although I DO realize the cost differences between a single fold and an 8 panel foldout, the whole “lyrics available on our website” bums me out when I’m listening to a disc and want to follow along. Contrary to the common perception these days, we don’t all listen to music through our computers! Ivan is an expressive singer and I would have liked to see the lyrics included on the disc insert. Soulfound’s “Tomorrow Can Wait” is a great CD with true commercial potential. I’d keep my eye on this band if I were you! They really seem to have their act together.

Tampabaymusician.com
May 2004

REVIEW OF "TOMORROW CAN WAIT" FROM THE WEEKLY PLANET/CREATIVE LOAFING
My reaction to the couple of times I've so far seen Soulfound live has been the impression that their energy and presence were top-notch, but the material was a little weak. Listening to their full-length, oddly, gives the opposite feeling: the songs are better than I thought, but Tomorrow Can Wait lacks a bit of the oomph I saw in the set. Of course, that can be said of about 90 percent of self-produced releases, right?

Here, standard alt-rock hallmarks benefit from just enough muscle, inventive elements (off-kilter time signatures, harmony guitar lines) and earnest self-investment to rise above the same ol', same ol'. Textured hints of New Wave/'80s pop-rock influence shine through the manly hooks, adding substance to a sound that, at first listen, might be dismissed as a fratty FM take on the last Jimmy Eat World release.

Highlights include opener "Now Is Yours," the swinging "So Long Pretender," and "Repair." Were this a "Most Likely To Succeed" competition, they'd win. As it is, this is better-than-average melodic rock from guys who know how to do it well.

Scott Harrell
Weekly Planet
Nov 2003

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