SOFA

Sofa was a band from 1993 to 1997. Born of quiet desperation, the four founding members stuck together for the duration, devoting themselves to the sonic transmission of isolation, neurosis and loss, picking up the odd sympathetic listener along the way. Brad Todd (voice) met Keith Marchand (drums) while teaching a summer course at Concordia University’s department of Fine Arts (where Brad had just absconded with an MFA). Joined by Ian Ilavsky (guitar), the band was born and began playing and recording with Jon Ascencio guesting on bass (he would go on to co-release Sofa’s first 7”). Scott Clarkson was recruited as permanent bassist a few months later. Sofa played dozens of local shows through the mid-90s and recorded constantly, issuing several cassette releases over the years before recording what would be their first and last official full-length CD in 1996. Abject and sustained poverty kept them locked down in Montreal for the most part, though they caught the enthusiastic ears of The Geraldine Fibbers in 1997, who then invited them to play some shows in the American Northeast. The group disbanded amicably, though perhaps prematurely, at the end of 1997.

Brad, though originally a painter, has gone on to a prolific career in digital arts, showing internationally and teaching at Concordia. He has supplied many of the photographs and other images that have adorned Constellation catalogues and webpages from the label’s beginnings (including the CST ‘cage’) and offers a world to discover on his Teleshadow website.

Keith has gone on to play drums in The Delmarva Scheme, Quinimine, and currently, The Donkeys. He also works as an arts writer and builder.

Scott moved to NYC in 2002 to pursue theater acting and continues to make a go of it south of the border.

Ian co-founded Constellation and has gone on to play in Silver Mt. Zion and Re:, as well as guesting on records by Hangedup, Frankie Sparo, and many others.