Savory James

"Gentleman with a heart for the sweat beneath the music." (Mark Redding, lead singer of the Shackeltons, Loveless Records)

Born from the ashes of punk-influenced, epic-political rockers, The Soma Solution, Savory James began in the spring of 2005, in Baltimore MD. as a singular vision of Rob Soma. Rob had a backlog of more personal material written before, during, and after his regionally phenomenal, but short-lived days in The Soma Solution.

After receiving early local success playing the material solo, he was approached by Chris Brohawn, of their previous band, to bring the material into a more powerful, full band format.

Later, after enlisting Josh Lundi of local indie powerhouse, Sylvan Screen to play bass, the band realized band realized they had a unique chemistry.

The band carries an odd array of influences ranging from Nirvana, Fugazi, Radiohead, the Beatles and the Pixies to The Birthday Party, Velvet Underground, Sam Cooke, Portishead, Sleater-Kinney, Bright Eyes, Dan Sartain and PJ Harvey with other influences stemming from exposure to Eastern European music, old blues, garage, R & B, and reggae.

Savory James is a name given to the neurotic character their music becomes, a humanized entity that struggles to live inside and outside of emotional extremes. Songs range from celebratory and redemptively upbeat to disturbingly haunting and dark, with all the bipolar segues in between.

Live shows have been described as "emotionally violent and bouncy performances of catchy and dark material. It's odd to sing along to something so dark that is presented so upbeat." (Tinderbox Promotions)

The band set to work on their EP in the spring of 2005, a project that would take more than 2 years, and would instead become the band's first length release, "The Surgeon."

On the strength of the band's original 3-song demo, Savory James attracted attention from agents from major and independent labels, and have headlined large shows at Sonar, Ottobar, Talking Head, and Sidebar in their hometown, as well as shows in Ohio, Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania.

"The Surgeon," was finished in July of 2007 following many cigarette and whiskey soaked nights at studios in New York, Boston, and Maryland over more than 2 years. Released on Lifted & Gifted Records. Savory James will be taking their sound and humbling live performances across the country this fall, and hope to continue to attract interest from outlets, large and small, for their signature sound.

They are set to be added to CMJ radio listings across the country in mid-October, 2007.