Sonia Dada had been thinking about a live album for the past few years.
"We were approached by fans to put together one of those, back when our second album was released," said the band's guitarist Dan Pritzker during a phone call from somewhere on the road in the Midwest."I hesitated until we were able to stock up on material. I wanted to make sure we could do our live shows justice."
Sonia Dada -- Pritzker, bassist Erik Scott, guitarist Phil Miller, drummer Larry Beers (who is replacing Hank Guaglianone on this tour), keyboardist Chris "Hambone" Cameron, new percussionist Winston Damon and vocalists Paris Delane, Shawn Christopher and Michael Scott -- will make a return engagement to the Zephyr Club, 301 S. West Temple on Sunday, Oct. 31. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Getting a group of songs that captured the live Sonia Dada show was a daunting process, said Pritzker.
"It's easy to talk about it now," he said with a laugh. "But it's a process that combines live microphones at the amplifiers and speakers, and throughout the audience. When we listened to a bunch of our analog tapes, we turned down the audience mikes. And that's how we did it."
To Pritzker and fans, that little trick caught the band in its organic best. The new album is called "Lay Down and Love It Live."
Pritzker said this live album, unlike many live albums for other bands, is not its last. It's actually the band's first release on a new record label. "Overall this is our fourth album. And we've been trying to continually make better music than before."
The band's albums, in order are: "Sonia Dada," "A Day at the Beach," "My Secret Life" and "Lay Down and Love It Live."
Each album, for Pritzker, has new situations and new influences. "It would be great for us, and easier for us, if we had a hit single," he said with another chuckle. "But we love what we're doing. It's the music, not the numbers, that serve as the band's motivation. That drive hasn't diminished since we've been together."
The most recent album featured a new vocalist, Christopher. And this time around, Beers has replaced Guaglianone on the drums. "Actually, most of the tracks were recorded with Larry. But Hank does play a couple."
Guaglianone had suffered a bout with tendonitis, which took two years to overcome. "There was a time when even his muscles in his arms would constrict his veins. But he's recovered."
Now, however, a new challenge has overtaken Guaglianone's family. His 7-year-old stepdaughter was recently diagnosed with leukemia. "He needs to be with his family. And he and his wife are taking care of her daughter. They'll be a stronger family when they get through this."
And just like Guaglianone, Pritzker said Sonia Dada is taking things one day at a time. "Actually, the band is taking its career one song at a time. But what doesn't destroy us, is always going to make us stronger."