PREMIERE: Soda Canter Rekindles His Flame On "Don't Pray For Me"
Who knew that when Soda Canter reviewed Mercy Bell’s album Golden Child in Rainbow Rodeo issue 2, that would lead him on the path to country music stardom? We can’t take all the credit — Canter is a self-described struggling rule follower who’s called to the water and can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Whether song, story or experimental piece, Soda brings all of this light and darkness into his work through an untethered, filterless approach. Always with the goal of desperately seeking the unbridled truth. Finding a little bit of laughter. And never to prevent the act of creation by stopping at the roadblock of ill sought perfection.
On his debut single “Don’t Pray For Me,” Soda Canter celebrates the blessings of his imperfect life while finding faith again. The guitar driven, classic leaning country tune was inspired by people in his life weaponizing prayer with a “I’ll pray for you…” here and a “I hope God watches over you…” there while turning a judgmental nose up at his life choices. This song finds Soda proudly owning who he is and releasing himself from those experiences.
Canter delivers the kiss-off with the sweetness and humor that is evident throughout his own writing — a velvet glove to the iron fist behind that smile. That anger is also evident in his performance, even as the ’90s-style country hooks keep the song flowing.
“Everyone has experienced trauma in their lives. This song is certainly about mine,” Canter explains. “It addresses my difficult journey as a queer man and further my healing as a sexual abuse survivor. But more so it’s about how I allowed others to silence my truths under the guise of religion. All of which created a barrier with faith as I thought I wasn’t worthy. I find this song to be a celebration of rekindling that part of my life and honoring my imperfectly beautiful journey.”
Soda Canter proudly grew up in Southern Maryland on the shores of the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers. Raised in equal parts by those that went to church on Sundays, those that worked on the water, and those that were consistently in and out of prison. This trifecta best represents his life. If this is just a sample of what’s to come, we can’t wait for more.
“Don’t Pray For Me” will be available on all streaming services Friday, September 27th.
Soda Canter — Official, Instagram
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