As SOJA gears up for the January 31st release of their ATO Records debut release of Strength To Survive, the Washington DC-based band has announced plans for a headlining tour of North America in support of their upcoming release.
SOJA, nominated for 2011 Artist of the Year, kicks off 2012 on January 21st at the Kaka’ako Waterfront Park Amphitheater in Honolulu and runs through March 11th at the House of Blues in San Diego. Unfortunately for fans in the southwest, and most notably Arizona, SOJA will once again miss the state entirely on the upcoming tour. However, there is still a chance for east coast fans to catch a glimpse of SOJA’s live performance before the New Year. Right now, SOJA fans are buzzing about the release of Strength To Survive, which was produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews, John Mayer and O.A.R, among others), especially after the release of their new claymation video for the album’s title track.
Lead singer Jacob Hemphill recently said that the upcoming album Strength To Survive was greatly inspired by Bob Marley’s 
album titled Survival. “That’s the greatest reggae album ever made,” he says. “Marley wrote that album after he went to Africa, and I lived in Africa when I was a kid. I remember listening to that album for the first time and having all these long-forgotten memories unleashed. My dad was an IMF res rep [International Monetary Fund resident representative] in Liberia in the early ’80s, and I remember the coup happening and our family hiding in these iron bathtubs for three days straight, because the military was shooting at everything. I was seven years old. So Africa was always a big part of our lives-it defined our family, in a way. Music came right after that, so, for me, music was always tied to Africa and music was always something powerful.”
The SOJA sound is certainly powerful and over the past year and a half has seen this 7-piece band rule the road, playing more than 360 dates, including headlining sold-out tours of North and South America, as well as opening for O.A.R. and sharing stages with everyone from Dave Matthews Band to Matisyahu.
For SOJA’s upcoming spring tour dates, the supporting lineup varies throughout each state and venue, but the list includes some of today’s most notable names in reggae with Anuhea, The Movement, Fear Nuttin Band, Trevor Hall, Through The Roots and The Green. Needless to say, this will tour will give SOJA’s fans the “Strength to Survive”!
SOJA Upcoming Tour DateS
Dec 28th @ Visulite Theatre Charlotte, NC
Dec 29th @ The Norva Norfolk, VA
Dec 30th @ The Music Farm Charleston, SC
Jan 21st @ Kaka’ako Waterfront Park Honolulu, Hi
Jan 22nd @ Kilohana Pavilion Kauai, HI
Jan 27th @ King Kam Hotel Kona, Hi
Jan 28th @ Maui Arts & Cultural Center Maui, HI
Feb 3rd @ The National Richmond, VA
Feb 4th @ Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA
Feb 9th @ Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
Feb 10th @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
Feb 11th @ Paradise Ballroom Boston, MA
Feb 12th @ Higher Ground Burlington, VT
Feb 14th @ Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
Feb 16th @ 20th Century Theatre Cincinnati, OH
Feb 17th @ High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
Feb 18th @ Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Feb 19th @ Cabooze Minneapolis, MN
Feb 22nd @ The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
Feb 23rd @ Bottleneck Lawrence, KS
Feb 24th @ Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO
Feb 25th @ Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Feb 26th @ Belly Up Aspen, CO
Feb 28th @ The Depot Salt Lake City, UT
Feb 29th @ Knitting Factory Boise, ID
Mar 1st @ Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA
Mar 2nd @ Roseland Theatre Portland, OR
Mar 3rd @ McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR
Mar 7th @ The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Mar 8th @ The Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA
Mar 9th @ House of Blues Los Angeles, CA
Mar 10th @ House of Blues Los Angeles, CA
Mar 11th @ House of Blues San Diego, Ca
May 18th @ 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
May 19th @ 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
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Article By: Kris Siuta
Photos By: Bill Colbridge
Here’s the new official music video to Strength To Survive