Sofa Kingdom

Biography

Singer Laura Marie Kleffner and bassist JP Leal started out performing together in a little group in their home state of Texas. When things folded for that experience, they decided to begin a pop/rock-type band of their own. It was formed in 1997 and called Sofa Kingdom. The talented duo soon added a guitarist who didn't work out. Another guitarist, Reza Kaleel from England, was brought in as a replacement and seemed to match their style better. Next, a drummer who both Kleffner and Leal had worked with before, Jason Barbosa, was added to make the band a complete foursome. In 1999, Sofa Kingdom recorded its debut album, Somewhere Else. The excellent first effort received positive reviews from many critics. Some of the acoustic-flavored tracks on this album are "Someday," "You Must Know," "Love That Way," "Kiss," and "Forgiven." Shortly after Somewhere Else was released, the band parted ways with Barbosa. A skilled drummer by the name of Rudy was chosen to step in.

Sofa Kingdom has performed at an endless list of coffeehouses, festivals, bars, and clubs in the United States. In early 2001, the foursome ran into some troubles over the name of the band and had to come up with a brand new one. The group went from being known as Sofa Kingdom to the title of Things Between. During that same year they also spent a lot of time between live performances, working on a long-awaited sophomore album. ~ Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide