Contact Information:

General Inquiries + US Booking:
sholimusic (at) gmail (dot) com

US Publicity:
Miranda Lange miranda (at) pmapronline (dot) com (or www.pmapronline.com)

Europe / UK Publicity:
Kate Price kate (at) divisionpromotions (dot) com

Europe / UK Booking:
Rainer Hugsam rainer (at) konzertbuero (dot) com

Record Label:
www.touchandgorecords.com

Press:

"With one album, Sholi have done what a lot of bands take a whole discography to do" - POPMATTERS

"gives a sense of place and timelessness that's been sucked out of most modern records ... every tune teems with ideas and moments of brilliance" - EXCLAIM

"in between the mania and ethereality, the music's greatest accomplishment is its only constant: simple, striking scalar melodies that whether buried under fuzz bass or acoustic arpeggios, make each track breathtaking" - SPIN

"Attention-getting musicianship, with a drummer that knows when to hold back and when to unleash a busy, all-encompassing percussive racket, a strong and versatile singer in guitarist Payam Bavafa, and overall, the taste to discern what to do and when...indie rock truisms, a la the Walkmen, and a traditional side to handle the ethnic material like Morricone might have, with a lot of instrumental flash and a noble, heads-up presence." -DUSTED

Sholi:

Payam Bavafa - vocals, guitar
Jonathon Bafus - drums
Eric Ruud - bass, vocals
with Greg Hagel - keyboards, percussion.

photo by Max Whitaker / The FADER

The story of Sholi began when Payam Bavafa and Jonathon Bafus started playing and writing music with bassist Danny Milks while attending UC Davis. "Sholi was a nickname my dad gave my brother and me when we wrestled as kids. I wanted a Persian word that sounded nice in English, and Jon liked that one," Bavafa says.

The trio played locally, releasing a three-song demo shortly before Bavafa relocated to San Francisco. Around this time, Bafus and Bavafa began playing with several different bass players, finally coming together with their old friend Eric Ruud. The band began playing new material live, often with the help of one of Ruud. previous bandmates, Greg Hagel on keyboards and percussion.

In 2006, the band sent self-recorded demos of the songs to Greg Saunier to enlist his help in the creation of a proper album. He responded with interest, and pre-production began shortly thereafter via email. Saunier sent the band production notes on arrangements and sounds as he listened to the songs while on tour in Spain with his band Deerhoof.

Subsequently, the band booked time at New and Improved Studios in Oakland, where Saunier and engineer Eli Crews helped shape the initial sounds of the album. After 4 days of tracking, Sholi took the album home, deconstructing the recordings and spending the next year breathing new life into the songs in apartments, attics, and living rooms that doubled as makeshift studios throughout Northern California.

In late 2007, the band recorded a politically inspired 7" entitled "Hejrat" featuring a re-interpretation of the title track, originally by 70. Iranian pop-diva Googoosh. The record was well-received, eventually leading The Believer magazine to pick up the song for their 2008 Music Issue. Meanwhile, Saunier continued his involvement with the LP helping in the final mixing stages upon his return from tour in the Summer of 2008.

On February 17, 2009 on Quarterstick/Touch and Go Records released Sholi's debut self-titled LP.

Sholi has recently toured with Iron and Wine, and has shared the stage with Dirty Projectors, The Dead Science, Marnie Stern, and Fleet Foxes. They will be touring the US and Europe in 2009 to support the release of their album.