Soleo's self-titled album is available on CD on July 29. (Photo by Devon Keller)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Amir Gholizadeh found the sound for his band Soleo when he was noodling on a guitar while in law school in California.

“The whole thing started off with this guitar tuning I came up with. The tuning I played sounded Middle Eastern,” Gholizadeh said. “I’m Middle Eastern, so I gravitated toward it.”

Gholizadeh played around with the sound and when he transferred to a law school in Cleveland, he decided to reach out to a few former bandmates in his high school band Ambrastyn to see how the experiment could transfer into a full rock band. Tynan Evans joined on bass, and the two later brought on drummer Nick Golias.

The trio meshed their far-ranging influences into a unique, politically fired progressive rock sound, showcased on the band’s upcoming full-length self-titled album. Two intense singles have arrived, “Green Movement” and, most recently, “Feeding the Machine,” through the band’s label Tragic Hero Records.

Check out the new single, which arrived Friday, July 29, below.

The singles give a taste of the album, but the full project is meant to be a sit-down listening experience, Gholizadeh said. Clocking in at 84 minutes, “Soleo” follows a concept, taking listeners on a story that traverses both the Middle East and America. The story behind the band and its music is loosely inspired by Gholizadeh’s mother’s experience fleeing Iran in the 1970s.

“It’s the length of a movie, and it’s a story. I think the best way to absorb this thing is to sit down and listen,” Gholizadeh said. “It’s more of an experience. You sit down and take it all in at once. It’s a journey.”

The album was in the works in late 2019, and production slowed down when the coronavirus pandemic reached the United States in early 2020. Though much of the music was already written, it gave the band time to embellish songs, adding extra instrumentation and musical textures to the mix. (Five of the album’s songs are reworked versions from a previously released EP.)

The extra time also allowed Gholizadeh to fully realize the album’s lyrics.

“I had all this time, I could work on these things, make them better, really work on the lyrics and make everything connect in terms of the story,” Gholizadeh said. “The album would not sound nearly the same if the pandemic didn’t happen.”

Though Soleo’s album is not on streaming services quite yet, it will be for sale in CD form at the band’s Five O’Clock Lounge show at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 29. The free concert will also feature Approaching Gold and SunBurnSun.

After the release show, Soleo has its sights set on touring to support its album, building on its dedicated fanbase in Northeast Ohio.

“I really appreciate the people who do support us already. I think it’s really cool that people pay money to see us play and buy our shirts and CDs,” Gholizadeh said. “We hope people like [the album]. We just want to show it to as many people as possible.”

Follow Soleo at the band’s Facebook page, facebook.com/thesoleo.

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