Sonia Funk: Bio
After 5 years spent overseas Singer/Songwriter Sonia Funk has returned to the Canadian music scene with a bit of a splash. Initially intended as a soft return to the scene, her Christmas Release ‘Carol’ and it’s radio single ‘The Huron Carol – Angel’s Song Remix’ took everyone by surprise. Sonia’s single, her first ever released nationally to radio, debuted at #303 on Canadian AC Charts this past December and then jumped to #129 the week before Christmas. It also made an appearance on Hot AC Charts, peaking at #195. Sonia was also featured CBC's Fresh Air Program and selected as one of their 4 Musicians of the Month. She moved up ReverbNations Pop Charts in Toronto, to #72 and won ‘Best New EP in Toronto’ in Toronto Exclusive Magazine’s 2010 Awards.
a little more...
Sonia originally hails from Winkler, a small town in Southern Manitoba, Canada. She began her musical career shortly after beginning her studies at the University of Winnipeg. It was here that she met Olaf Pyttlik, the future producer of her first full-length recording “Close Your Eyes,” released in 1999. Sonia spent many years touring across the Prairies with her band, and won several performance and songwriting awards, included a Top Ten spot in the National Songwriting Competition for her song “Ashes Fall Down.” She played everything from Cafes, Television/Radio shows, and Folk Festivals, to the same bill as The Mathew Good Band.
In 2002 Sonia decided to concentrate on songwriting. She worked with many producer/writers across Canada during those years and eventually moved to Toronto. She is currently considering releasing the best of those years as a collection of B-sides.
In 2005 Sonia returned to school to finish her post-secondary education and see a bit of the world. She spent several years living and working in New York, Toronto, London (UK,) and the Middle East and traveling throughout Europe. By 2009 Sonia decided it was time to get back to the music. Having always had a vision for arranging and recording a Christmas Record, she made a Trans-Atlantic trip to Montreal to meet with her long time friend and guitar player, Graham Playford. They decided to tackle the project and produce it together. Unbeknownst to them at the time, this was to be the first of what is shaping up to be many co-productions between them.
In November of 2009, while still residing in the UK, Sonia released her collection of Christmas Carols in Canada, as an EP called "Karel." Sonia had her dad drop off a hardcopy at the radio station in her home town. Somehow that CD landed in the hands of Trev Schellenberg, Music Director for 9 GoldenWest stations across the prairies. He put it into rotation, landing the album over 800 spins in the month of December. In the UK, Mood Media took the record and put it into their Christmas Playlists for retail and hospitality clients across UK and Europe.
In 2010 Sonia decided it was time to return home and re-release ‘Karel’ properly; by actually being present in the country. She went back into the studio in Montreal to record an official remix of ‘The Huron Carol’ for national release and renamed the album ‘Carol.’ Now based back home in Winnipeg, plans for a new EP of original material are already in the works. Sonia is presently co-writing and is also planning a new Christmas Single for the 2012 Holiday Season.
