When I first heard South Jordan, from Bloomington, Ind., I literally thought I was listening to Isaac Slade( the lead singer of The Fray) sing soft melodies into my ear. However, I was completely wrong. I still can’t get over the fact that Michael David Hall, the lead singer of South Jordan sounds eerily similar to Slade, in a good way that is. The rest of the boys in the band, Bobby Campbell, Mike Chan, Greg Olsen, and David Witucki create powerful accompaniment that balance out the mellow, yet hard-hitting vocals. Their influences, Coldplay and U2 are also present in their music with their emotional lyrics and piano-driven tunes.
According to South Jordan’s facebook fan page, they, “write songs that hold honest emotion and represent the highest and lowest experiences people go through in life.” Campbell and Hall, the main songwriters combine inspiring and positive lyrics with beautiful sounds to create a mix that closely resembles the band, Augustana. Some of my favorite songs the band has, include, “Fatal Flaw,” and “Runaway.” Both are upbeat yet soothing with piano melodies, perfect to listen to while doing homework. The band also shot their first music video for their slow number, “Firefly,” which has been heard on the radio in their town, Bloomington.
In addition to their original songs, South Jordan does of a cover of The Fray’s, “You Found Me,” (a great song, might I add?). To hear all of their songs, go to the band’s myspace or southjordanmusic.com. Every guy in the group brings something different and makes the band even more diverse than one would think. While Hall brings the soothing voice, Olsten is a trained jazz musician, Chan brings his influences of his origins in Malaysia, Campbell provides lyrics and stability to the group, and Witucki completes the bands sound with amazing back up harmonies.
While it may seem as if this is just a recreational activity for the boys, Hall assures everyone that this is not the case. In an article from Indiana University, where they attend college, it said, “We practice every day. We see this band as a full-time job, not a hobby.” This is proven through the accomplishments South Jordan has already made. Not only do they play local shows, but they’ve also traveled to Florida and will continue traveling to Illinois and Michigan to play at Universities. In the near future, the band hopes to send out their music to big record labels, hoping to land a record deal. There is no doubt in my mind that these boys won’t succeed. They definitely have the talent and spunk needed in order to be that fresh face of the rock/pop genre. My prediction: this is the year for South Jordan to shine.
To keep up to date on South Jordan, follow them on twitter.
Have You Heard? 
