Soophie Nun Squad
Encyclopedia
Soophie Nun Squad is a DIY punk rock
band from North Little Rock, Arkansas
known for their jubilant stage performances which typically include costumes, puppet
shows, and a large amount of crowd participation. The number of members varies from 6 to 11, but always includes a bass guitar player, a drummer, a guitarist and at least three lead singers. They are also known for bizarre song structures and topics, such as "Donkey Call" in which the singers proclaim they are giving up automobile
s in favor of riding donkeys and encourage audience members to do the same and give their "Donkey Call" (or "Esel Schrei"), or loudly make the sound of a donkey
.
) and Mark Lowe (later of Il Libretina) had started a band entitled "Schwa". Soophie Nun Squad's first show was April 24, 1993 on the back lawn of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion
, at the request of Governor Jim Guy Tucker
's daughter Anna. Initially, Soophie Nun Squad drew from such diverse musical influences as Moss Icon
, Primus
, Chino Horde
, Anthrax
, The Four Tops, Beastie Boys
, and Heavenly
. As new members joined the fray through the years, Soophie Nun Squad became a sonic melting pot, primarily influenced by Big Boys, Salt N Pepa, R. Kelly
, Public Enemy, Laurie Anderson
, Rites of Spring
, David Bowie
, and 69 Boyz
, and became increasingly more focused on the relationship between their songs and performative narratives tying disparate movements into a larger body of music (reaching its zenith in "The Scab Fairy", a seven-part rock opera on 2003's "Passion Slays the Dragon").
Soophie Nun Squad has been inactive since performing on June 21, 2006 in Braunschweig, Germany. Some material and concepts for newer SNS songs found outlets in WAIT (consisting of Nate Powell, with contributions by Mark, Maralie, and Eli), Divorce Chord (Nate Powell, Mike Lierly, and Patrice Poor), Humanola (Eli Monster), and HoneyBeast (Maralie Armstrong). The band was scheduled to play their final concerts at a show for Towncraft (film)
on May 18, 2007 and the following night in North Little Rock, AR, until Mark Lierly broke his wrists and the shows were cancelled.
Soophie Nun Squad's tours are as follows:
Soophie Nun Squad's members were scattered across the United States but remain tied to the Little Rock punk scene. In 2011, three members reside in the Bay Area of California; two live in Bloomington, Indiana; two live in Providence, Rhode Island; one lives in New York City; one lives in Los Angeles; one lives in Athens, Georgia, while three remain in Little Rock, Arkansas. Band members have also lived in and participated in the scenes of Kansas City MO, Philadelphia PA, New York NY, and Savannah GA.
Due to the intimacy of Soophie Nun Squad performances, critics and historians generally agree that the band could never be as successful in a large venue. Despite this, the band has gained a huge international cult following, due in part to extensive touring.
Soophie (1993–2010), a Lhasa Apso
owned by the drummer and one singer's family, is named after the band.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from North Little Rock, Arkansas
North Little Rock, Arkansas
the city was 62.55% White, 33.98% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.18% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races...
known for their jubilant stage performances which typically include costumes, puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
shows, and a large amount of crowd participation. The number of members varies from 6 to 11, but always includes a bass guitar player, a drummer, a guitarist and at least three lead singers. They are also known for bizarre song structures and topics, such as "Donkey Call" in which the singers proclaim they are giving up automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s in favor of riding donkeys and encourage audience members to do the same and give their "Donkey Call" (or "Esel Schrei"), or loudly make the sound of a donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
.
Biography
Soophie Nun Squad formed in the fall of 1992 as a four-piece called The Schwa Sound, but renamed themselves by February 1993 at news that friends Chip King (later of The BodyThe Body
- Entertainment :* The Body , a short story by Camillo Boito* The Body , a novel written by Stephen King* The Body , a novel by Richard Sapir* The Body , a documentary about the human anatomy...
) and Mark Lowe (later of Il Libretina) had started a band entitled "Schwa". Soophie Nun Squad's first show was April 24, 1993 on the back lawn of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion
Arkansas Governor's Mansion
The Arkansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Arkansas and his family. The mansion is located at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock, and is included in the Governor's Mansion Historic District, a district that is listed on the National Register of Historic...
, at the request of Governor Jim Guy Tucker
Jim Guy Tucker
James "Jim" Guy Tucker, Jr. is an Arkansas political figure. He served as the 43rd Governor of Arkansas, the 11th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, Arkansas Attorney General, and U.S. Representative...
's daughter Anna. Initially, Soophie Nun Squad drew from such diverse musical influences as Moss Icon
Moss Icon
Moss Icon was an Annapolis, Maryland post-hardcore band from 1986 to 1991. Its original members were singer Jonathan Vance, guitarist Tonie Joy, bassist Monica DiGialleonardo, and drummer Mark Laurence. Alex Badertscher joined as second guitarist in 1990...
, Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Chino Horde
Chino Horde
Chino Horde were an American band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1990. They were an integral part of the DIY punk scene of the early 1990s. Chino Horde was influenced by fellow locals Trusty, the Bay Area's Monsula, New Jersey's Greyhouse, Michigan's Current, and D.C.'s Fugazi and Soulside. In...
, Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, The Four Tops, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, and Heavenly
Heavenly
Heavenly may refer to:In music:* Heavenly , a twee pop band from Oxford, England* Heavenly , a power metal band from Paris, France* Heavenly , released in 1959....
. As new members joined the fray through the years, Soophie Nun Squad became a sonic melting pot, primarily influenced by Big Boys, Salt N Pepa, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Public Enemy, Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson
Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American experimental performance artist, composer and musician who plays violin and keyboards and sings in a variety of experimental music and art rock styles. Initially trained as a sculptor, Anderson did her first performance-art piece in the late 1960s...
, Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring
Rites of Spring was an American post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C. in the mid-1980s, known for their energetic live performances. A part of the D.C. hardcore punk scene, Rites of Spring increased the frenetic violence and visceral passion of hardcore while simultaneously experimenting with...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and 69 Boyz
69 Boyz
69 Boyz is a platinum selling Miami bass and hip hop group originating from Jacksonville, Florida, but now based largely in Orlando, Florida. The group was initiated by producers C.C...
, and became increasingly more focused on the relationship between their songs and performative narratives tying disparate movements into a larger body of music (reaching its zenith in "The Scab Fairy", a seven-part rock opera on 2003's "Passion Slays the Dragon").
Soophie Nun Squad has been inactive since performing on June 21, 2006 in Braunschweig, Germany. Some material and concepts for newer SNS songs found outlets in WAIT (consisting of Nate Powell, with contributions by Mark, Maralie, and Eli), Divorce Chord (Nate Powell, Mike Lierly, and Patrice Poor), Humanola (Eli Monster), and HoneyBeast (Maralie Armstrong). The band was scheduled to play their final concerts at a show for Towncraft (film)
Towncraft (film)
Towncraft is a feature documentary on the independent music scene in Little Rock, Arkansas from 1986 to 2006. Produced by Matson Films, Towncraft investigates the music that emerges from smaller cities and the importance of these local scenes, as well as their relationship to the larger music...
on May 18, 2007 and the following night in North Little Rock, AR, until Mark Lierly broke his wrists and the shows were cancelled.
Soophie Nun Squad's tours are as follows:
- July 1997 – eastern U.S. tour
- June/July 1998 – eastern/southern U.S. tour
- June 1999 – midwestern U.S. mini-tour (with Bread and CircuitsBread and CircuitsBread and Circuits were a band that formed in 1999 and released a self-titled LP on Ebullition Records as well as a split with Former Members of Alfonsin on El Grito Records....
) - July 1999 – western U.S. tour
- June/July 2000 – eastern U.S. tour (with The BodyThe Body- Entertainment :* The Body , a short story by Camillo Boito* The Body , a novel written by Stephen King* The Body , a novel by Richard Sapir* The Body , a documentary about the human anatomy...
) - July/August 2001 – U.S. tour
- April 2002 – European tour
- May 2003 – Midwestern U.S. tour (with Tom Sweet in lieu of Tem Eyos Ki)
- September/October 2003 – European tour (with Ghost MiceGhost MiceGhost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana. Both members, Chris Johnston and Hannah Jones, have been in a handful of pop-punk bands together: namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin...
) - August 2004 – eastern U.S. tour (with Defiance, OhioDefiance, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
) - July 2005 – southern U.S. tour (on Plan-It-X tour with Ghost MiceGhost MiceGhost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band from Bloomington, Indiana. Both members, Chris Johnston and Hannah Jones, have been in a handful of pop-punk bands together: namely Disarm, The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin...
, Defiance, OhioDefiance, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
, This Bike is a Pipe BombThis Bike Is a Pipe BombThis Bike Is a Pipe Bomb was a folk-punk band from Pensacola, Florida, USA. Their first recording was released in 1997 on Ghostmeat Records. Their later releases have been on Plan It X Records and No Idea Records, but now appear on their own label Plan-It X South. This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb...
, Erin Tobey, The Max Levine EnsembleThe Max Levine EnsembleThe Max Levine Ensemble is a DIY punk band from the Washington, DC metropolitan area. They play punk rock with various pop influences, and often have politically conscious lyrics. They used to have a rotating band roster that changed from tour to tour depending upon who could go...
, MadelineMadelineMadeline is a children's book series written by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian author. The books have been adapted into numerous formats, spawning telefilms, television series and a live action feature film...
, The Door-Keys, One Reason, and RosaRosaThe name Rosa, Latin and botanic name of the flowering shrub Rose, could refer to:-Places:*223 Rosa, an asteroid*Rosa, Alabama, USA*Rosa, Germany, in Thuringia, Germany*Roşia Nouă village, Petriş Commune, Arad County, Romania-Other uses:...
) - May 2006 – midwestern U.S. mini-tour (with Mt. Gigantic)
- May/June 2006 – European tour
Soophie Nun Squad's members were scattered across the United States but remain tied to the Little Rock punk scene. In 2011, three members reside in the Bay Area of California; two live in Bloomington, Indiana; two live in Providence, Rhode Island; one lives in New York City; one lives in Los Angeles; one lives in Athens, Georgia, while three remain in Little Rock, Arkansas. Band members have also lived in and participated in the scenes of Kansas City MO, Philadelphia PA, New York NY, and Savannah GA.
Due to the intimacy of Soophie Nun Squad performances, critics and historians generally agree that the band could never be as successful in a large venue. Despite this, the band has gained a huge international cult following, due in part to extensive touring.
Soophie (1993–2010), a Lhasa Apso
Lhasa Apso
The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog breed originating in Tibet. It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, who alerted the monks to any intruders who entered...
owned by the drummer and one singer's family, is named after the band.
Soophie Nun Squad's chronological lineup
- Mike Lierly (Universe, Divorce Chord, Tem Eyos Ki, Boomfancy, Gioteens, Hug) — voice, puppets (1993–2007), guitar (1992–93)
- Mark Lierly (Sugar and the Raw, The Evelyns, Winter Furs) — drums (1992–2007)
- Eli Monster (Tem Eyos Ki, Gioteens, Humanbeast, Global Credit Squeeze, K, Truckenstein-9, Humanola, Hug, Paper,Scissors,Rock!) — bass (1992–2007)
- Nate PowellNate PowellNate Powell is a graphic novelist, publisher, and musician. He owns DIY punk record label Harlan Records, has performed in several punk bands , and occasionally performed hip hop as Featherweight MC...
(Universe, Divorce Chord, WAIT, Boomfancy, Gioteens, Featherweight) — voice, puppets (1992–2007) - Dustin Clark (The Insides, Shake Ray TurbineShake Ray TurbineShake Ray Turbine was a DIY rock/punk band from Little Rock, Arkansas. They formed in the summer of 1995 and played their first show that August with Richard Matson as vocalist. The band toured and recorded from 1996-1998...
, William Martyr 17, Lazy Fair, The Earthworms, Train Accompaniment, Revolver Red — guitar, voice (1993–2007) - Mikael Wood (Rainy Day Regatta, K) — voice, keyboard, guitar, puppets (1994–2007)
- Tim Scott (Orange Core, Gioteens, Lil' Sluggers, Lord Papula, Alphaprobe, Paper,Scissors,Rock!) — turntables, electronics, voice, keyboard, trombone, puppets (1996–2007)
- Maralie Armstrong (Tem Eyos Ki, Humanbeast, Truckenstein-9, honeybeast, Paper,Scissors,Rock!) — voice, keyboard, accordion, whistles, puppets, costumes, props (1998–2007)
- Anna Newell (Boomfancy, Train Accompaniment, Rat Fink a-Bu-Bu, Uptown Prophets) — guitar, puppets (2000–2007)
- Alan Short (Deadbird, Zucura, Seahag, Vulturebait, Them of Delphi, Entrance, Hug) — buckets, puppets (2000–2003)
- Michael Motley (Sugar and the Raw, Jalopy Kinfolk, Big Boots) — percussion, keyboard (2001–2007)
- Kristine Barrett (Lily Maude Horseman) — voice, keyboard, puppets (2004–2007)
- Electric Dukes — voice, beats, electricity (2004–forever)
Auxiliary members
- Nathan Wilson — interpretive martial arts performance, skit writer, roadie (1993–2007)
- Emil Heiple — skit writer, roadie (1998–2001)
- Lee Buford (The BodyThe Body- Entertainment :* The Body , a short story by Camillo Boito* The Body , a novel written by Stephen King* The Body , a novel by Richard Sapir* The Body , a documentary about the human anatomy...
, Lorna Doom, Everyone Asked About You, Class of Eighty Four, Divine Hook-Up) — tour drums (2000) - Justin Collins (Honky, Go FastGo FastGo Fast Sports & Beverage Co. is the maker of an energy drink, founded by Troy Widgery.- Origins :Go Fast Sports was founded to market a line of t-shirts and accessories worldwide, targeted at skydivers...
, Sugar and the Raw) — percussion (2001–2002) - Mary Chamberlin (Tree of Knowledge Book Distro) — roadie (2002–2005)
Discography
- May 1994 — "We Ate Slayer" demo (Food Chain)
- August 1994 — "We Rule the World" demo (Food Chain)
- March 1995 — "vs. the USA" 7" (Food Chain)
- May 1995 — 5 songs, "The Dogtown Chronicles" comp tape (Food Chain)
- May 1995 — live song, Anna Newell's VHS compilation
- August 1995 — "Takes Manhattan" demo (Food Chain)
- June 1996 — 1 song, "We've Lost Beauty" comp LP (File 13)
- April 1997 — "Dino" 7" (Harlan Records—formerly Food Chain)
- March 1998 — "Don't Let Them Take You Alive" CD (Harlan)
- August 1998 — 1 song, "Heartbreakers and Rumpshakers" comp 7" (Harlan)
- January 2000 — "The Devil, The Metal, The Big Booty Beats" LP/CD (Phyte/Harlan/Plan-it-X)
- January 2000 — 1 song, "A Compilation For Heroes" comp CD (Streetcar Music)
- April 2000 — 1 song, "Defeated Food Not Bombs Benefit" comp CD (Defeated)
- July 2001 — 1 song, "Listen To What I'm Made Of" comp 2xCD (File 13)
- July 2001 — 1 song, Phyte/Magic Bullet Records sampler CD (Phyte/Magic Bullet)
- October 2001 — 1 song on "Ride" BMX VHS zine (Ride)
- April 2003 — split LP/CD with Abe Froman (Harlan/Plan It X RecordsPlan It X RecordsPlan-It-X Records is an independent record label in the United States. Originally based in Georgetown, Indiana, PIX is currently based out of Bloomington, Indiana following brief stints in Olympia, Washington, Gainesville, Florida and Cairo, Illinois. Some consider the label most notable for...
) - September 2003 — "Passion Slays the Dragon" LP/CD (Harlan/Plan-it-X/Narshardaa)
- November 2004 — 3 songs, "Rootbeer and Molotovs" comp CD (Ten Fingers Collective)
- June 2005 — 1 live song, "Plan-it-X Fest 2004" comp DVD (Plan-it-X)
- August 2005 — 1 song, Localist Magazine comp CD (Localist)
- December 2005 — 1 song, "If It Ain't Cheap, It Ain't Punk" comp CD (Plan-it-X)
- March 2006 — 1 song, "All The Days Are Numbered So" comp CD/zine (Harlan)
- May 2007 — "Towncraft" DVD/2xCD documentary (Matson Films)