For every band living out the rags-to-riches tale of rock 'n' roll glory, there are a hundred other bands slugging it out in bars and clubs across the country.

Sona, a State College-based act, belongs to the latter group of working-class bands that are making sure the bars in town are filled with rock.

Sona will be sharing the fruits of its labors with the public when it holds a CD-release party on Oct. 31 at the Rathskeller All American, 108 S. Pugh St.

"It's going to be quite an event," said Alec Russo, 28, one of two guitarists for the five-piece band.

The self-titled release is a five-song EP and will be for sale in local record stores after its release.

Sona came together in its current incarnation only a little more than a year ago, but the members of the group have been involved in the music scene in State College for several years.

The band originally performed under the moniker Smuggling Grapes and was formed in December 1996.

Brian Lubrecht, 31, the lead singer for Sona, joined Smuggling Grapes in July 1997.

The group planned to change its name, but it was not until the current drummer, 31-year-old Scott Everhart, joined the group in August 2000 that the name change took place. Since then, the band has been playing with the same lineup under the name Sona.

Lubrecht is a veteran on the music scene, having performed with the groups Wilt and The Unknown.

Greg Folsom, the 28-year-old bassist for Sona, was a founding member of another State College group, AM Prophecy.

Jeff Sabarese, 28, rounds out the line-up on guitar.

This diverse background in music means that each member brings a different approach to performing music.

"If you asked anybody in the band, you'd get a totally different answer," Russo said about the members' influences.

The band members also feature varying amounts of experience in playing music. Some have been playing music for over 10 years, while Russo only began to play guitar after he graduated from college.

The common element in the band is each member's love for music.

When Sona was originally formed, the group performed mostly covers, but over time it began to perform songs written by its members.

The self-penned tunes have led the group to a more "song-oriented and melodic" sound, according to Lubrecht.

"We're not breaking any boundaries," Lubrecht said. "We're just trying to write a good melody."

Sona has found support for original music in the area to be lacking. Many people at the group's shows only want to hear cover songs.

"The majority isn't very open to what they don't hear on the radio," Lubrecht said. "To be a working band here, you have to give most people something they recognize and can sing along to."

Because of this, Sona's sets still consist primarily of cover songs, as the group aims to please the crowds.

The enthusiasm for live, original music has dried up, said Russo.

The band gets the same requests every night, he said. People need to realize that there is a music scene in State College, said Lubrecht.

"There are bands trying to do original music here," he said.

The band does perform sets consisting entirely of originals, but these are usually when the band travels to Harrisburg or to other shows around the area.

Sona continues to call State College its home, however, as all the members have strong roots in the area.

All five of the group's members graduated from Penn State between the years 1993 and 1997.

In the years since graduating, the group has become a staple in the State College music scene, usually performing three shows a week at several locations.

The group performs Sunday nights at the Saloon, 101 Hiester St., Friday nights at the Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave., and Saturday nights at the Rathskeller.

This regular schedule has Sona looking to take the next step in their musical careers.

"We play three times a week here," Russo said. "We're a little overexposed."

"We want to take it to the next level," he said.

The group hopes that its soon-to-be released EP will help it take the next step.

Sona recorded the EP at Saturation Acres in Danville, Pa., and the work is the culminating point in material the band has been working on for two years.

The band hopes that the album, along with playing its original material at shows outside of State College, will hopefully attract more attention.

"You've got to slowly increase your fan base," Russo said.

As the group works on building a widespread following, it will continue to perform its weekly shows in State College.

The shows feature an eclectic mix of songs, Russo said.

"You can hear everything from Tool to Johnny Cash, as well as some originals," he said.

Despite the variety of songs, the group still ties things together, said Lubrecht.

"We try to keep things pretty tight," he said. "No frills. We try to play rock 'n' roll."

On Tuesday nights, Lubrecht takes a break from the no-frills rock approach of Sona to present an acoustic set at the Rathskeller.

The performances serve to highlight other aspects of the singer's musical background.

"It's a different expectation," Lubrecht said. "It's more laid back."

Performing solo is nothing new to Lubrecht, who has spent the past 10 years doing just that. Lubrecht got his first guitar at age 17 and has been performing ever since. According to him, the music provides another dimension of expression.

"I've always been singing, as long as I can remember," he said. "I've always been attracted to the freedom that music allows."

Lubrecht's acoustic set consists mostly of covers of well-known classic rock songs, along with other elements, such as country, thrown in the mix.

The acoustic set represents a departure from the more aggressive approach of Sona.

"I like the intimacy of acoustic guitar," Lubrecht said.

Lubrecht's next performance will be at 10 p.m. Tuesday at the Rathskeller.

Sona will be performing at 10 p.m. tomorrow at the Rathskeller.

For more information on Sona, visit its Web site.