Soophie Nun Squad (often shortened by fans to simply Soophie or abbreviated SNS) is a punk rock band from North Little Rock, Arkansas known for their unusually jubilant stage performances which typically include costumes, puppet shows, and a large amount of crowd participation with a heavy DIY tone. The number of members varies from 7 to 12, but always includes a bass guitar player, a drummer, a guitarist and at least three lead singers. They are also known for bizarre song structures and topics, such as “Donkey Call” in which the singers proclaim they are giving up automobiles in favor of riding donkeys and encourage audience members to do the same and give their “Donkey Call”, or make the sound of a donkey, loudly.
Soophie Nun Squad formed in the fall of 1992 as a four-piece called The Schwa Sound, but renamed themselves by February of 1993. Their first show was in April 1993 on the back lawn of the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. They have toured the US 9 times since 1997, as well as Europe twice.
Due to the intimacy of Soophie Nun Squad performances, critics and historians generally agree that the band could never be as successful in a large venue. Despite this, the band has gained a huge international underground following, due in large part to extensive touring.
Soophie (b. 1993), a Lhasa Apso owned by the drummer and one singer’s family, is named after the band. Fans who know of the dog often make the mistake of thinking the band is named for the dog and not the other way around. |
