New in this incarnation, but certainly not new to music itself, the players behind the up and coming six man band Suns will be making their debut at the Metro this Saturday. Hatched from the head of Mikey Russell who, having somewhat recovered from the split from his band Wax on Radio, decided to get back in the musical saddle, Suns is another example of jamming turned into something more. Made up through a collection of friends and ‘heard through the grapevine’ connections, the new band has already seen one line-up change, when original drummer (one of two), Bryan Fritz had to leave for his own personal reasons “a very sad day for our band, since he was our first drummer and also a very solid dude. We were lost for a while.” (Matt Lemke)
Fortunately they found fusion in their next drummer, Clinton Weber, and since July of last year have been a solid six, including everything from guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass to synth, glockenspiel and dual drummers.
Suns details the story behind their name and their intention for music in a myspace blog, stating: “our name comes from our human tendency to refer to “the sun” as the only sun in the universe when really there are literally trillions and trillions of suns all over the universe. yet, we are the only planet revolving around the only sun that supports life as we know it. when put into those terms, it reminds us that our solar system is a tiny thread in a tapestry of unimaginable size. we see how unbelievable it is to even be alive and part of such a tiny and amazing opportunity. the opportunity to be alive. weighty as it is to hear this idea, it allows the opposite. thinking of life this way, we appreciate every single second. no mistakes, no failures, no worries, no hate, no sadness, its all part of being here. suns. we will always be about creativity, expression, and our collective love for art. we are founded on a belief that as the observers of the strange situation we have come to be a part of, we should reinterpret our lives as art in all/any way possible to give a sense of meaning and personality to our individual lives and our life together as a band. thank you for supporting us. create as much as you can. every day. when we are gone, its the only thing we will leave behind for others that will matter”
Being a relatively new ensemble, the group has put their main focus on creating a sound they can be proud of, bonding as a band, and plotting their plans for the future. Composed of members from such bands as Blame Twlight, Eli, The Found Me They Named Me, and the aforementioned Wax On Radio, the group cites venues such as The Metro, The House Café in Dekalb, and the small local shows of their past as their favorites to have played.
Just this week the band presented their first song online, a home demo titled Little Horn that you can check out via the band’s myspace. A preview for what is to come; the track is one of progressive/indie sound with familiar vocals from Russell, ambient sonority, and a chorus of Whoa-oh’s we can get behind. The instrumentals remind us of the same echoey quality found Lydia’s Iluminate but with the darker intonation of Brand New in their 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me- though by all means neither is a direct comparison, as it is obvious the band is fusing a variety of sound and influence into their style. This track begins to give us a feel for what is to be expected from Suns, and we anxiously await the bands Metro unveiling.
Listen to Little Horn on Suns myspace
See Suns this Saturday, January 23rd at the Metro alongside Robbers, Loyal Divide and The Felix Culpa. Click the flier for $6 pre-sale tickets with promo code ‘betta’
Doors- 6pm, Show- 6:30 All Ages $11 at the door
Suns guitarist Matt Lemke answered a few questions about the up and coming project for us, as we talked about musical process, influences, and plans for the band.
Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any three bands, who would they be?
Matt Lemke of Suns: We all listen to so much music that this question is pretty impossible to answer. But I think we can all agree on touring with some good friends would be pretty ideal. The Felix Culpa has been friends with a majority of our old bands, so I’d definitely have to put them on the list. Another good Chicago band that we’d love to tour with would be Big Science, and I personally would have to say A Lull. They are also from Chicago, and have the capability to play really good music and be cool dudes. We just like the idea of surrounding ourselves with really good people, and equally good music. Also, keeping it home based isn’t such a bad idea either.
Reviewsic: Tell us about the process of your music. Is there an concept or muse at it’s core?
M.L: Out current songs are the first ones we have put together as a band, most of them have started out as folk songs written by Mike, then brought to us-we each put our own personal touch into these songs. There are also two songs we wrote as a complete group, and another song that I programmed on reason, an we turned into an actual song. There is really no general direction to our music other than playing what we think sounds good. I definitely think that not giving a shit is a huge part of our songs, because there isn’t a lot of thought put into it other than the overall sound. No preconceived notion or anything, just honest music.
Reviewsic: Top three musical influences?
M.L: It’s really hard to claim what our top 3 would be. I would think we’re all influenced by each other most importantly. We all listen to our own things, and it shines through. There is an understanding to our own individual tastes, and that’s what shapes our sound. I think it’s safe to say we all like The Misfists, Sigur Ros, and The Appleseed cast. Pretty broad and maybe not our influences but it’s definitely an insight as to what we listen to.
Reviewsic: What are your plans for Suns in the next year?
M.L: Our plans for suns are to record an album and play as much as we possibly can, getting our name out there. We’d love to tour very soon. We’ll be poor, hungry, and happy. That’s basically the plan-just play our music to as many people as possible.
Reviewsic: Where does the Metro rate on your list of venues to play?
M.L: The Metro is a big deal. I think any band that has any sense of reality will agree. If you come from Chicago, the Metro is basically at the top of the list. So many great artists have graced that stage, from Smashing Pumpkins to Grizzly Bear. It’s a giant honor to be allowed to play there, especially for our first official show- it’s pretty surreal. I guess it might be number one? It’s kind of hard to claim yet, but it’s definitely a great venue for whatever reason you would like to throw on it.
