Saosin began with a grassroots Internet campaign where band members posted MP3s to music message boards. "We didn't whore ourselves out," says Sorensen. "We just made it so people heard the music and didn't even necessarily know who the band was." Their viral strategy worked. Their first show, part of a local showcase, sold out. Kids lined the front of the stage, mouthing the words to the songs.
If you're not sure how to pronounce Saosin, you're not alone. Even the band's five members fluctuate between pronunciations—sometimes it's "say ocean," sometimes "say oh sin." But according to bassist Chris Sorensen, knowing their music is more important than properly pronouncing the name, which former lead singer Anthony Green adapted from the Chinese word for "be careful," xiaoxin (the literal English translation is "small heart"). One thing is for certain, though: while the recording industry struggles to compete with technology, these SoCal-based rockers used it to launch a career.
Saosin began with a grassroots Internet campaign where band members posted MP3s to music message boards. "We didn't whore ourselves out," says Sorensen. "We just made it so people heard the music and didn't even necessarily know who the band was." Their viral strategy worked. Their first show, part of a local showcase, sold out. Kids lined the front of the stage, mouthing the words to the songs.
Now with a Capitol Records deal and a spot at Warped Tour for the second year in a row, Saosin is in the studio working on their first full-length album to complement their two existing EPs. "The only expectations they have are that we have a good record," says Chris. "They really work with what we have instead of coming to us with some cookie cutter 'this works' type scheme."
Even as they gain momentum, they haven't forgotten their cyber beginnings. Saosin's MySpace page boasts nearly 140,000 friends. "The coolest thing about MySpace is that you can listen to that band and then go check out some hot babe's page," Chris chuckles. They also want to see other talented bands succeed. Their web-based "Open for Saosin" contest put unknown bands on the bill with them. "It's cool that they earned that show," says Chris. "The bands that worked really hard to do it are the ones that are going to try and make it." They'd love to do it again in the future.
Between an unexpected spot on the main stage and managing the merch table, driving, and setup, Saosin was overwhelmed at Warped in 2005. But despite surviving on little sleep, Chris considers it a pivotal moment in their career. "I think that tour was, financially and as far as gaining fans and exposure, our biggest moment so far." This year they plan to hire some people and appreciate Warped. You might even see drummer Alex and lead singer Cove swinging at pitches in the MLB batting cage, but not Chris. His skills behind the plate pale in comparison to his skills on bass, and he's hostile to America's pastime. "I'm an anti-baseball fan, and you can tell that to the Major League guys."
- Jess Hemerly, June 2006
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