Nashville, TN– October 3rd, 2024: Jim “Soni” Sonefeld, songwriter, author, speaker, drummer and one of the principal songwriters in the 2x GRAMMY® Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, will release his new single “Light of Joy (Gloria)” on October 18th, ahead of his debut Christmas EP, Light of Joy, on November 1st. The soaring anthem, layered with thick drums and emotive instrumentation, features lyrics that celebrate Jesus of Nazareth. It is co-written with Martin Chalk (“Adore”), and David Spencer (“In Jesus Name—God of Possible”), and is produced by Spencer. Nashville based Vere Music will release the collection of five original and joyful songs which will no doubt become an annual holiday listening tradition in households everywhere. 

 

When asked about the album, Sonefeld says, "I wrote these songs to celebrate both the religious Christmas tradition and the cultural Santa Claus-based holiday, because my family has enjoyed both. For me, Light of Joy can represent the arrival of a Christian savior as well as the specific giving of gifts that millions of people delight in during this season."

 

Other festive songs include, "I Just Wanna See You," a raucous, guitar-driven bluesy tale about a man who longs for the woman who left him one Christmas night. "There's nothing worse than getting your heart broken on Christmas!", Sonefeld laughs.

 

The nostalgic focus track, "Mama In The Kitchen" details Sonefeld's warm Christmas memories as a child in the kitchen with his mother (Mary Lou Sonefeld 1939-2004), an iconic baker in the family. Sonefeld says, "I wanted to dig a little deeper into the Christmas theme this year, to pull out some memories of my childhood family growing up. I think for most of us adults who still celebrate Christmas, it always swings back to the glowing, dreamy version we experienced as children. Hopes and wishes are sometimes granted, sometimes shattered, I suppose."

 

Lee J. Turner produced both tracks. Turner is a longtime multi-instrumentalist member of Darius Rucker's touring country band and is currently part of the Hootie & the Blowfish touring band as well.

 

Two previously released tracks also appear on the record."It's Love" is also co-written by Martin Chalk and is produced by Matt Houston, who collaborates with Sonefeld on several previous releases. This inspirational 2022 track unapologetically focuses on the theme of 'love' as the reason for the season of Christmas. "I Won't Be Blue At Christmas," dates back to 2013 and is produced by Stan Lynch (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers/Don Henley) and Billy Chapin. In his lyrics, Sonefeld compares and contrasts the religious holiday of Christmas with the cultural version that many, including himself celebrate. It was the first Christmas song he'd written as a solo artist.

 

Sonefeld is no stranger to releasing well-received solo projects, including his latest album, the anniversary edition of Snowman Melting. The new edition, Snowman Melting – 15th Anniversary Deluxe, released in 2023, features a memorable reworked version of the original song “Sitting in the Green Grass,” a duet with Darius Rucker and an accompanying video. Additionally, the song “No Reason,” a duet with Edwin McCain (I’ll Be), is among the highlights of the album, showcasing Jim Sonefeld’s gift for clear-eyed and emotionally charged songcraft.

 

Snowman Melting – 15th Anniversary Deluxe edition was released alongside Sonefeld’s memoir, Swimming With The Blowfish: Hootie, Healing, and One Hell Of A Ride (Diversion Books), a revealing and deeply felt account of his journey with Hootie & the Blowfish. The band has sold over 26 million albums in the U.S. alone, won two GRAMMY® Awards, and produced record-setting hits like 1994's 2x RIAA diamond-certified Cracked Rear View, yielding the top 10 singles, “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry,” and the #1 hit “Only Wanna Be With You,” all co-written by Sonefeld. The memoir, which Soni started in 2017, spanned nearly four years and coincided with Hootie and the Blowfish’s 2019 return from a 10-year hiatus for a new album and tour, culminating during the solitude of the pandemic.

 

2022 saw the release of Sonefeld’s latest solo EP, Remember Tomorrow, a moving and personal collection which saw him making an immense leap forward in craft, performance, and emotional impact. Hailed by American Songwriter as “a powerful testament to Sonefeld’s journey in faith,” the EP effortlessly weaves rock, country, gospel, and more into faith-driven folk pop with a profoundly inspiring power. Sonefeld is currently hard at work writing and crafting his next solo collection, as always driven by the simple mission of offering hope and inspiration through the universal power of song.

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