The NYC based duo Soda Shop -- Drew Driver and Maria Usbeck -- are set to release their self-titled debut album this September on Velvet Blue Music. The album was recorded at their home studio in Brooklyn and mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Ariel Pink). The eight track album worships clean guitar tones, driving bass lines and uptempo beats, a la early Smiths records and Maria's voice adds an airy-ness to the melodies, furthering an early 4AD vibe.
No stranger to the music scene, Drew (who is originally from Ohio) spent his early days in NYC playing guitar for
The Drums and Maria (who hails from Ecuador) fronted the buzz band Selebrities. The two met by chance in Brooklyn in the summer of 2010. "I had some demos and a band name, but I couldn't find the right person to sing on them." Drew recalls. "Fate led me to Maria. We met at a crowded summer Air France DJ show and talked about music I was making. I invited her to listen to the demos and things immediately clicked!" The two bonded over a shared experience of starting over in an exciting, transient city. When they discovered they lived a brisk ten minute walk from one another, their friendship solidified and they began writing songs immediately. They released their debut single "Farewell" in January 2011 on Shelflife Records.
The single gained attention almost immediately, appearing on UK's BBC 6 and Sweden's P3 Pop. They did a few early
Soda Shop shows, but the duo had difficulty finding time to devote to
Soda Shop with their other commitments. Maria as a full-time member of the
Selebrities -- recording and touring -- and Drew playing with The Drums, Horse Shoes and various other bands.
In 2014 after slowly working on songs together, the duo decided to commit full-time to Soda Shop. They carefully selected eight songs to record for their self-titled debut, putting their obsession with nostalgia-induced perfection on record and creating an album that pushes the limits of simplicity and minimalism.
Soda Shop plan to support their debut album with live shows where they'll be enlisting bassist Ed Chittenden and drummer Derek Lucci. Stay connected with
Soda Shop at
sodashop.us and Facebook:
www.facebook.com/sodashopband.
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