When John Goraj and his family moved from Los Angeles to Tucson in 2018, it also marked a spiritual shift in his artistic cravings. Joining forces with bassist and vocalist Derek Cerratani and drummer David Foley, the debut of Soda Sun with their single, “Gitchie”, marks the first time that the singer-songwriter has traded in his folk leanings as a soloist to become a vital part of a rising indie rock band.
Having gotten together in a home studio to record their forthcoming material live, Soda Sun plays with a rawness that defines the crux of their forward-driving sound. As much is evident in the they approach “Gitchie”, a vigorous, road-ready song about Goraj’s upbringing, with a careful balance between unbridled passion and composed clarity. In some ways, “Gitchie” is a far cry from his previous “Birds of Paradise”, which PopMatters premiered in 2017, or the very same song’s original arrangement that featured on The Patience of Glaciers. Ultimately, Goraj paves a way forward that carries new sonic tidings for himself and his new, rock-centric outfit without pushing inroads towards that same knack for picturesque lyricism that has already garnered him a reputation.
“Gitchie” is available to stream and purchase today via Bandcamp, and will soon be available on Spotify.