Have you ever been jolted awake by a clap of thunder? Did it feel so close you were sure it was taking to you—if only you could figure out what it was trying to say? The Nepal-born, L.A.-based songwriter and recording artist known as SOHM believes he has the answer. And he’s sharing it on “Thunder,” his fiercely rocking new single that captures the window-rattling essence of a revelation from out of the blue.
Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that he’s let it capture him. Not content to merely describe the sound of thunder, SOHM lets the phenomenon speak for itself—introducing itself to the listener directly just like Beelzebub did in “Sympathy for the Devil,” but with far more benevolent intent.
Hello, my name is Thunder!
I’ve been lurking inside
Waiting for the right time
To finally come and get ya
Turn you inside out
Make you lose your doubt
’Cause I don’t really know
If you should still be doing nothing tomorrow
It’s time to see the light
And finally move on from your age-old sorrow
According to SOHM (real name: Sujan Khanal), “Thunder” is meant as a metaphor for the, shall we say, emotional meteorology that’s going on within all of us—that rumbling of the soul that stirs us to acknowledge our true potential and harness it to better ourselves and our lot in life.
“Inside every person is an immeasurable energy that gets suppressed due to various factors like personal trauma, social upbringing and economic realities,” he says. “‘Thunder’ is a reminder that this energy inside of you never dies and only you are the person that can invoke its power. It’s a song about never giving up and listening to that tiny voice inside that gets louder the more we believe in ourselves. You never know what’s born inside you from the alchemy of hard times.”
Born and raised in Kathmandu and now firmly ensconced in the City of Angels, SOHM assembles his sound from influences as varied as folk, blues, metal and ethnic world music, with elements of baroque rock and pop. But “Thunder” is straight-up guitar rock that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go. The perfect synthesis of muscle and melody, it feels instantly familiar and utterly compelling, with an arena-ready appeal that makes it every bit as fun as its message is motivational.
Co-produced by Steve Olmon, the track is a standout from SOHM’s latest album, the appropriately named Rock ’N Roll Season. That magnum opus is the latest and greatest chapter in his parallel career as a world-class solo artist in his own right and a prolific composer whose L.A.-based firm provides soundtrack material for movies, TV shows, video games, advertisements and special events. Respected in his field as a go-to guy for scores on demand, he’s a voting member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, as well as the Composers Diversity Collective in the United States.
Keeping his toes in multiple creative waters simultaneously comes naturally to SOHM, whose diverse background was shaped by cross-cultural spaces and places. He’s a world traveler who’s written songs from locations as exotic as Everest Base Camp, and whose skill set extends to mastery of Nepalese instruments like the Tuning (a plucked string instrument) and the Madal (a hand drum). At this particular moment, though, he’s all about the rock—and the therapeutic value of “Thunder.” His stormy new manifesto, he says, is “an anthem for the dreamers, the hustlers and the ones who chase their passions no matter the cost. This ain’t your typical corporate sellout anthem. This is rock and roll for the renegade souls.”
To which we can only add: BOOM.
