One of the most meaningful creative undertakings of my adult life was writing the manuscript that became my 2022 memoir, Swimming With the Blowfish: Hootie, Healing, and One Hell of a Ride. It took me years to believe I had a story worth sharing—and even more time to shape that story into something clear, honest, and readable after I began writing in the fall of 2017.
My motivation was simple: I wanted to offer people a behind-the-scenes look at how I found my band, the beautiful journey we’ve been on, and how life sometimes throws a few curveballs when you least expect them. I’m incredibly grateful for the close, trusted friends who supported me through the writing process.
Since the book’s release, promoting it on the road and connecting with readers from all walks of life has been an absolute joy. It’s deepened the story even more—and reminded me that our journeys are meant to be shared.
“We loved, fought, cried, laughed a lot, and did whatever it took to play the music that we knew was very distinctly ours. . . . Jim ‘Soni’ Sonefeld has lived a life that is rife with fun and pain, light and darkness, but always with an amazing amount of love. The way he sees the world is one of a kind and his story is one for the ages.”
—from the Foreword by DARIUS RUCKER
“From the moment we crossed paths it was clear to me that Jim is more than the drums, more than the band, and more than the music. Highs and lows, good and bad, pretty and ugly . . . he’s gone through it all. This is a great peek into an amazing trip through a rock‘n’ roll life —and beyond. Like a good snare drum, it’s crisp, memorable, and it packs a punch.”
—GLEN PHILLIPS, lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket
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