photo by Ryan Loyd
“Without our songs and stories, we are nothing.” S. J. Tucker has been the glad captain of her own independent music career since 2004, when she left the workaday world behind to travel the continent, singing songs and changing lives. Named a vanguard of the Mythpunk movement and even “the face of neo-tribal Paganism” by Witches & Pagans Magazine, Tucker is the voice of lore at the campfire and the sharp laughter of modern myth. With one hand anchored in her art and the other held out to you, she is songs and stories, community and wit.
With over fourteen full-length releases to her name and several more currently in the works, Tucker has received awards for both songwriting and performance, and has traveled the United States, Canada, and Europe with her music. S. J. (called “Sooj” by fans and friends) believes that there’s more than one way to be a rock star. If you’re chasing your dreams and living your life in a way that keeps you happy and healthy, Sooj believes you’ve got it made. You may often find her on tour with similarly hard-working artists and groups who believe in giving their fans all that they’ve got, such as Toronto’s Heather Dale Band, Seattle cellist Betsy Tinney (often with their shared project, Tricky Pixie), or Northwest Arkansas’ own Renée Janski, Ginger Doss, and Lynda Millard-together the four of them tour as the Muses on the Road quartet.
A dynamic live performer known for her willingness to follow an evocative ballad with a tune about sentient salad or fictional pirates, Tucker is never in danger of taking herself too seriously. She lets it be plain on stage that she loves her job, but she also shows grace and calm, courting and cajoling her audience. Reviewers compare her voice to that of Joni Mitchell or Tori Amos, her guitar work to that of Emily Saliers. Apart from writing lyrics and music, S. J. loves fire dancing with poi and hula hoop and has given fire performances & workshops across the country. Additionally, she has worked as a professional audiobook narrator, costume & makeup lead for independent music video shoots, and an indie film score composer.
Spring of 2014 marked a big milestone on Sooj’s career timeline: ten solid and joyful years of touring and performing full time as an independent artist. In the years since, she has written hundreds of new songs, released her jazz-and-blues influenced Stolen Season record, participated in The Green Album‘s efforts to help Rainforest Trust conserve over 10,000 acres and counting of irreplaceable rainforest habitat, and co-created Heather Dale’s Arthurian stage musical Queens of Avalon. In 2019 she launched a rousingly successful Patreon site, produced & narrated the audiobook of Daughter of the White River by Denise Parkinson, and survived the first anniversary of having birthed her only flesh-and-blood child. This spring, 2024, she celebrates 20 years as a full-time performing musician.
The 2020s have brought challenges to us all, but Sooj has kept the lights on and the music going, thanks to her incredible, loyal fans worldwide & their willingness to attend & get the word out about her online shows. On her plate for the near future are such treasures as a long-awaited follow-up to her spiritually focused Blessings album, plenty of festival appearances & self-produced shows out on the road, continued online concerts with varying themes & on-location filming, and a record of songs all inspired by her adventures closer to home. Sooj hopes to keep successfully dancing the line between touring, presenting online shows, and producing new musical content as all the coming chapters unfold like vibrant leaves. Her greatest wish is for us all to adapt, survive, and succeed with our whimsy intact.