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(Click on a band member's name for a
short bio)
Jim
'Soni' Sonefeld
Mark
Bryan
Darius
Rucker
Dean
Felber
Jim 'Soni' Sonefeld
Instruments: Drums, percussion, acoustic guitar & background vocals
Birthdate: October 20, 1964
Hometown: Lansing, Michigan
Marital Status: Married
What was the first instrument you learned to play? When?
Drums. Lessons around 1977,78
What cymbals do you use live/studio?
Zildjian, Baby!! First off, because they're the best cymbals. Secondly, because
there's not a place in the world that you can't find one when you need it.
Has fatherhood mellowed you or were you used to sleepless nights
anyway?
Fatherhood has given me a new perspective on life, a new
appreciation of family, a new level of respect for my wife. I'm not sure it's
mellowed me out though. I do watch way more morning cartoons!!
Since groups come and go these days what has been the secret to
the group's longevity?
I think one of the secrets to longevity is being happy and
productive as a band through the peaks "and" valleys of your career.
Ultimately, the music has to satisfy you...as soon as that stops so does your
career.
Mark Bryan
Instruments: Electric, acoustic & steel guitar, banjo, mandolin & background vocals
Birthdate: May 6, 1967
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Marital Status: Married
What was the first instrument you learned to play? When?
Guitar - age 14
Who are your all time favorite artists and who has had the biggest
influence on you all musically?
There are way to many to list, but briefly -Beatles, REM, Toad, John Hiatt...
If you could only play one electric guitar for the rest of your life,
which one would it be?
Right now it would be my '59 Gretsch that is all over the new album, but it
changes all the time.
What is the biggest challenge you faced recording songs after having
been friends for so long?
Probably staying open-minded enough to ride out every idea that comes along,
'cause you never know what will work and what will not. It's especially
difficult when you don't like an idea at first, but again you never know.
Is repeating the sales success of Cracked Rear View Important to you?
As much as we enjoyed that success and would like to have that again, the fact
is we made a new record because we love to make music together. We've already
reached our expectations because we've made a record we're really proud of.
Anything else is gravy.
Pick-up a copy of Mark Bryan's 2000 solo album, 30 On The Rail
Amazon.com
Darius Rucker
Instruments: Lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitar, mandolin &
harmonica
Birthdate: May 13, 1966
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
Marital Status: Married
What was the first instrument you learned to play? When?
Drums, 6th grade
How do you balance being a father of three and being the lead singer of
a band?
It is just like anyone else balancing work and family. You have to know what is
going to make everyone happy and work at it everyday.
Given the band's past success, do you feel extra pressure to produce a
commercial blockbuster?
The way we look at it is that the success we had in
the mind-90s freed us up to be able to do whatever we want. No matter how
many records we sell now, someone will say it's a flop. But for us, it's not.
The fact we can still make records and people still care is amazing to me.
Pick-up a copy of Darius Rucker's 2002 solo album, Back To Then
Amazon.com
Dean Felber
Bass, acoustic guitar & background vocals
Birthdate: June 9, 1967
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Marital Status: Married
What was the first instrument you learned to play? When?
Piano at age seven.
If you weren't in Hootie and the Blowfish, what do you think you'd be
doing?
I would be working 9 to 5 and wearing a suit. I would
be writing music no matter what path my life took.
You have a solo debut on the Handpicked Volume 2 compilation. Are you
working on a solo career?
No plans for a solo career. I have the best scenario for a songwriter. I can
write songs and have Darius sing them and Mark and Soni play on them. I also
don't know if I would have the balls to sing my own songs in front of a crowd.
Maybe one day.
How do you feel when critics refer to Fairweather Johnson and Musical
Chairs as "flops" because they didn't sell 16 million like Cracked
Rear View?
First off if critics didn't criticize they would all be out of a job. Secondly
what they say is not usually an artistical or musical critique as much as a
social judgment upon a person or band. I don't need anyone else to tell me when
I should or should not like something, I either will or won't.
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