News

Ready for Festival Season: Catching up with SunSquabi April 28, 2019 18:51

-
Photo by Chester Pink
-
Spring time is without a doubt one of the most exciting, critical times of the year for any nationally touring act. Festival season is shifting into full gear, and countless artists are preparing to take the stage in the hopes of blowing the minds of their loyal fans and, hopefully, picking up some new followers along the wayJust over a week ago, many of my favorite acts gathered at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park for the annual SweetWater 420 Festival. This year's lineup was as impressive and diverse as ever, and honestly, I'm still trying to digest everything that went down.
-
After several years of listening and watching from afar, I finally had a chance to catch one of my favorite electronic funk acts: SunSquabi. We actually sat down to discuss their latest tour, the new album (Instinct), festival season, and much more prior to their set. See below for the full conversation with Kevin Donohue (guitar/keys/production),  Josh Fairman (bass), and Chris Anderson (drums) and make sure to keep an eye out for these guys this summer!
-
-
You guys recently completed a big spring tour. Now you're here in Atlanta as you kick off festival season. How have things been going overall? Any highlights? 
-
Kevin: It's really been phenomenal, since all the way back to October. We've been traveling to different parts of the southeast. All up and down the northeast and over to the west coast. It's tough to say what the highlights would be. It's been a very consistent and strong tour all the way through. 
-
Josh: We played our first show in DC. It was a packed, sold out show, which was really cool. 
-
Chris: In Boston, we got to play with my little brother on violin. That was a big highlight for me. It's pretty special to get to play with family. 
-
Kevin: It was great getting back out to Seattle and northern California. We hadn't been up that way in about two years, so it was great seeing all of the fans in that area. We played Los Angeles for the first time: sold out. We played San Diego for the first time: sold out. It's crazy to see the growth and love. 
-
Josh: It was the best tour we've ever had. For sure. 
-
That's amazing. Keep that momentum rolling right into festival season. So you released a new album, Instinct, earlier this year. How was this recording experience different from those in the past?
-
Kevin: I think the meat of it is really cool. We did a lot more live recording, which gives it a really unique sound. All three of us were able to play in the studio together and feed off of the improvisation we came up with on tour. These ideas would evolve night by night. We were able to come home and live record these ideas instead of writing them from scratch, which we had done more of in the past. A few of the songs still developed that way, but the meat of it had a really fresh feel to it. 
-
Josh: It's also the first full length record that I've played on.
-
Kevin: That's right. First full length with Josh. A lot more analog synths. Been doing a lot of production techniques that we're just learning this year. Using less mics and taking a more minimalistic approach with the electronic sounds as well. Just using what you need to get the juice out of certain sounds that you want. 
-
Chris: We did a lot of songs that came to us through improvisation. Everything evolved from there. We got a lot out of the entire process. It was a really fun recording experience. 
-
From what I've heard, one of the next things we can expect is a remix on a Lettuce tune. Is that something you can elaborate on?
-
Kevin: Absolutely. It will be released as soon as we complete the finishing touches. We have some killer artwork that Mike Tallman did for us. I'm expecting that it will be released during mid to late May. We've been working on it for about a year and a half. We got the samples from Adam Dietch (drummer from Lettuce) a while back. He's a really good friend of ours in Denver. 
-
It's been one of those things where you're chipping away at this project for a while. It was essentially finished about a year ago. They asked us to hold off until the entire LP remix was finished. We decided we would play it live and keep making it doper. We've continued to add little things to it. It's a super crazy, psychedelic track. I think putting off the release was actually a blessing. It's given us another six months to refine it. 
-
Check out SunSquabi's "Night Moth" here:
-
-
It's funny how things work out sometimes. Which Lettuce track is this again?
-
Kevin: It's called "The Love You Left Behind." It's got these great female vocals in it and a lot of great guitar playing.
-
Josh: Lettuce is collectively one of our favorite bands. They're definitely an inspiration to us. 
-
Kevin: Working with them directly was pretty special. Hopefully we'll be able to play some more shows with those guys in the future. 
-
That would make for a hell of a pairing. There wouldn't be a dull moment on a Lettuce / SunSquabi bill. 
-
Kevin: We like to think so too. (laughs).
-
Getting back to the topic of festival season. You guys are playing Bonnaroo this year. That's obviously a big deal. Camp Bisco and Summer Camp are also coming up. 
-
Kevin: We're stoked to play three sets at Summer Camp this year. 
-
Chris: There's also Disc Jam up in New York. 
-
Kevin: I'm really excited about getting back to Summer Camp. I think we were there for six years in a row. Last year, we did Electric Forest instead, which was awesome. Summer Camp brings together a lot of our closest friends. 
-
Chris: It was one of the first festivals we ever played back in...2012?
-
Kevin: There's a little bit of a different feel with not playing there last year. We're coming back this time around, and we get to play three sets. 
-
Josh: I'm also really excited for ARISE Music Festival. It's basically the highest we've ever been billed on a festival. It's right at home in Colorado, so that's our big summer play for the hometown people. 
-
Chris: We're playing The Werk Out Festival in Ohio. That's gonna be a really fun one. There are a couple more announcements coming as well. 
-
Well you've obviously got two big sets coming up this evening. First, you get to play a prime time set this evening here at SweetWater 420 Festival. Then you're heading over to Aisle 5 for an afterparty that's been sold out for weeks. How do you formulate the setlists on a day like today. What's the strategy with the festival set versus the late night set?
-
Kevin: Honestly, it's different every single time. We've had a pretty crazy 24 hours getting down here. We'll take this whirlwind of energy and channel it directly into the music. Take that energy and turn it into something constructive for everyone. I think we're gonna play pretty loud, fast, and hardcore today. We're a little pissed off (laughs). You know what I mean? We will probably write the setlist shortly after we finish this interview. 
-
For the late night set, we won't really worry about that until we get there. We're gonna play what we want to play today. No repeats ever, obviously. Even though, it's a much smaller club. There are going to be a lot more people here. We try not to let too many outside factors play into the set. Just play what we're feeling at the moment. That feels like the most genuine approach, when you're put on a platform of a festival. Be yourself.
-
Josh: With the late nights, we tend to have more sit-ins and experimental jams.
-
Are there any confirmed guests for the Aisle 5 show tonight? 
-
Kevin: We've talked to a few people. [Michael] Menert is in town, so I think he's gonna stop by and do some free styling. We've been doing that with him for years. It's crazy. The late nights are always fun. We tend to get pretty loose. We've been looking forward to this day for a while now.
-
Check out a few shots from SunSquabi at 420 Fest via Ryan Lewis:
-
-

SunSquabi Releases New Single "Chrysalis" August 31, 2018 12:04

Colorado based trio SunSquabi released its newest single ‘Chrysalis yesterday in anticipation of their upcoming full-length record.  Chrysalis is the second stage in a 3-part series that started with the track ‘Caterpillar’The band has been focusing on biology and evolution as themes for inspiration during their writing process. The way the music is coming to fruition has changed recently with the addition of Josh Fairman (bass/synth) into the band and the metamorphosis between Caterpillar > Chrysalis > Night Moth are symbolic of this change. “Capturing the live element in the studio is really something we have been focusing on and we feel like this is the best representation of the band to date.” says Josh Fairman  

The metamorphosis becomes more evident as these stages are revealed. It's been a really fun process to work on.” says Kevin Donohue. Chris Anderson’s (drums) brother Spencer Anderson is also featured on the violin in the trackThis one was memorable for me. We flew my brother Spencer Anderson out to record violin on Chrysalis. You can usually find him on stage with his orchestra at Skidmore College, but this time we wanted to explore strings in the context of SunSquabi tunes. Collaborating with family is so special,” says Chris Anderson.  

Stay tuned for the final stage of this metamorphosis followed by a full-length release from the band in Fall 2018.  

Stream: http://hyperurl.co/sunsquabichrysalis  

About SunSquabi 

There’s a place, deep in the cosmos, where jam bands and electronic dance music intersect with rhythm-driven funk. You’ll feel like you’re floating here but not lost completely to the atmospheric elements. Instead, you’re tethered to an avant-garde spaceship with Colorado-based SunSquabi on the frequency. This cosmic wonderland is a melting pot of a variety of musical genres and it represents the future of music. 

A three-piece suit - SunSquabi has been catching the eyes and ears of music fans around the world with their ever-evolving sound in the studio and on the live stage. SunSquabi has gained national attention for their unique way of producing music. The band’s live show can be described as an ‘Electronic Hydro Funk Experience’ that is different every single time out. SunSquabi continues to break down and analyze the expectations of what a “Live-Electronic” band should be. The band unveiled their debut EP with All Good Records, titled, ‘Odyssey’ which featured artists GRiZ and Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic. Their 2nd EP ‘Deluxe’ was a sophomore success with the label that continued where Odyssey left off. The band has now released 2 singles ‘Just A Little’ and ‘Caterpillar’ ahead of their upcoming 2018 release. 

Combining the talents of Kevin Donohue (guitars/keys/production) Josh Fairman (bassist/synth) and Chris Anderson (drums). This project is a disciplined and structured group. It takes a seasoned musician to stay in the pocket for the sake of building well-developed lines and climaxes. To do that seamlessly requires patience and skill. “It’s kinda like breathing, honestly. We can communicate directly with each other both verbally and non-verbally, onstage and off.” That connection will take the music collectively where we all want to go.” – Kevin Donohue 

Follow SunSquabi 

www.facebook.com/sunsquabi 

www.soundcloud.com/sunsquabi 

www.instagram.com/sunsquabi 

www.twitter.com/sunsquabi  

Spotify 

Tour Dates 

Sep-15 Denver, CO Grandoozy 
Sep-20 - 22nd Thornville, OH Resonance 
Oct-4 Kansas City, MO Crossroads KC w/ Umphrey’s McGee 
Oct-5 Madison, WI Orpheum Theatre 
Oct-6 Chicago, IL Concord  
Oct-12 Santa Fe, NM Meow Wolf 
Oct-13 Durango, CO New Animas 
Oct-14 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom 
Oct-18 Houston, TX Last Concert Cafe 
Oct-19 Dallas, TX Deep Ellum Art Co 
Oct-20 Austin, TX Mohawk 
Oct-25 Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre 
Oct-26 Birmingham, AL Zydeco 
Oct-28 Live Oak, FL Hulaween 
Oct-31Charleston, SC Pour House 
Nov-1 Greenville, SC The Firmament 
Nov-2 Asheville, NC Asheville Music Hall 
Nov-3 Richmond, VA Broadberry 
Nov-8 Fayetteville, AR George's 
Nov-9 Tulsa, OK IDL Ballroom 
Nov-10 Lincoln, NE Bourbon Theatre


Dominican Holidaze Reveals Stacked 2017 Lineup May 9, 2017 13:27

Host bands Umphrey's McGee, STS9, and The Disco Biscuits have revealed the lineup for The 11th installment of Cloud 9 Adventures’ Dominican Holidaze destination concert event in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This year's festivities are scheduled from December 1st - 5th. Along with the host bands, this year’s Holidaze will feature GRiZ, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Lotus, The Motet, TAUK, Spafford, Sunsquabi and Wolf + Lamb, plus a poolside set from Umphrey’s McGee’s Brendan Bayliss.

All-inclusive packages for returning Holidaze guests go up for grabs on May 17. If rooms remain following the pre-sale, there will be a public on sale on Thursday, May 18 at 12 p.m. ET via Dominicanholidaze.com. Head to the festival’s website for additional details.

Watch the Dominican Holidaze (2016) official aftermovie here:


Win Tickets To See SunSquabi In Tuscaloosa (Friday 4/21) April 18, 2017 14:20

-
Photo by Chester Pink
-
Three-piece, live electronic act SunSquabi is rolling through Tuscaloosa, AL on Friday night (4/21), and we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show at Druid City Music Hall.  Entering the contest couldn't be easier.  Simply head to our Facebook page, share this post, and tag a friend in the comments section.  Make sure that your privacy settings are set to 'public', so we can see that you shared the post on our end.  We will announce a winner via Facebook at 12:00 PM CST on Friday.  Click here for further details on purchasing tickets to the show in advance.  
-
-
Check out SunSquabi's latest single, "Dexter," featuring Nicholas Gerlach here:
-
-
-
Official Bio: SunSquabi
-
A three-piece suit, live electronic experience. Hailing from Colorado, SunSquabi has been picking up steam after a breakout year in 2016, marked by their debut release on GRiZ’s All Good Records. The bands 7-track EP “Odyssey” takes listeners through a laidback electronic, funk fueled journey. Joining the band on their latest EP, Big Gigantic & GRiZ himself lend their talents to the project. Continuing to shatter expectations of what a “Live-Electronic” band should be, SunSquabi effortlessly transitions between synth-bass heavy vibes to smooth jam-like grooves.
-
SunSquabi spent the better part of 2016 touring across North America making debut appearances and show stealing performances at festivals including… Electric Forest, High Sierra, Camp Bisco, Hulaween & more! The live-electronic trio is gearing up for their biggest year yet, including stops at Red Rocks, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas and their largest headline tour to date!
-
2017 will see SunSquabi’s second release on All Good Records, The “Deluxe” EP, out later this Spring. “Pygmy Up” the lead single featuring Russ Liquid was released at the top of year, followed by “Cinnamon” with Late Night Radio. Look out for the “Deluxe” EP to pick up where “Odyssey” left off and continue to solidify the SunSquabi sound.

SunSquabi Releases Funky New Single "Dexter" Featuring Nick Gerlach March 16, 2017 14:35

Photo by Jason Siegel Photography

Standing at the forefront of the epicenter of the electro-funk scene, Colorado trio Sunsquabi have championed the thriving genre as one of the culture's integral live acts. In 2016, Sunsquabi took their live show across North America, to festivals from Electric Forest to Camp Bisco, or their local world renowned amphitheater- Red Rocks. Gearing up for a massive 2017, Sunsquabi are kicking off the year with their highly anticipated sophomore EP 'Deluxe' still to come via GRiZ's All Good Records

Before the full EP drops, the band are giving us another glimpse of the record with EP cut "Dexter" feat. jam scene staple Nick Gerlach out today. Yet another laid-back funk production, "Dexter" sees Sunsquabi fuse both organic and electronic instrumentation through the use of synth, drum kits, keyboard, guitar strums, Gerlach on saxophone, and more. An ample follow up to the EP's thriving first singles "Pygmy Up" Feat. Russ Liquid, and "Cinnamon" Feat. Late Night Radio, "Dexter" will be an insta-favorite among fans of a more classic jam based Sunsquabi sound. 

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2017, anticipate additional tracks from the full 'Deluxe' EP prior to the project's full release. In addition, fans will be able to catch the Sunsquabi experience live at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, a return to Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, Summer Camp Music Festival, and a series of North America tour dates outlined below. Stay tuned for additional updates to come and pick up your copy of "Dexter" here.

Listen to SunSquabi's new single "Dexter" here:

SunSquabi returns to Alabama for an evening at Tuscaloosa's Druid City Music Hall on Friday, April 21st!

SUNSQUABI TOUR DATES
Mar 24- Blue Moose Tap Room -Iowa City, IA
Mar 25- Bottom Lounge- Chicago, IL
Mar 31- Brooklyn Bowl- Las Vegas, NV
Apr 13- The Bottleneck- Lawrence, KS
Apr 14- Club Dada- Dallas, TX
Apr 15- Empire Control Room- Austin, TX
Apr 16- Empire Control Room & Garage- Austin, TX
Apr 21- Druid City Music Hall- Tuscaloosa, AL
Apr 23- 420 Sweetwater Festival- Atlanta, GA
Apr 26- The Broadberry- Richmond, VA
Apr 28- Higher Ground- South Burlington, VT
Apr 29- American Beauty NYC- New York, NY
Apr 30- Wonder Bar- Allston, MA
May 03- El Club- Detroit, MI
May 04- The Miramar Theatre- Milwaukee, WI
May 06- Red Rocks Amphitheater- Morrison, CO
May 26- Summer Camp Music Festival- Chillicothe, IL
Aug 03- Werk Out Music Festival- Thornville, OH

Find Tickets HERE

A three-piece suit, live electronic experience. Hailing from Colorado, SunSquabi has been picking up steam after a breakout year in 2016, marked by their debut release on GRiZ’s All Good Records. The bands 7-track EP “Odyssey” takes listeners through a laidback electronic, funk fueled journey. Joining the band on their latest EP, Big Gigantic & GRiZ himself lend their talents to the project. Continuing to shatter expectations of what a “Live-Electronic” band should be, SunSquabi effortlessly transitions between synth-bass heavy vibes to smooth jam-like grooves.

SunSquabi spent the better part of 2016 touring across North America making debut appearances and show stealing performances at festivals including… Electric Forest, High Sierra, Camp Bisco, Hulaween & more! The live-electronic trio is gearing up for their biggest year yet, including stops at Red Rocks, Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas and their largest headline tour to date!

2017 will see SunSquabi’s second release on All Good Records, The “Deluxe” EP, out later this Spring. “Pygmy Up” the lead single featuring Russ Liquid was released at the top of year, followed by “Cinnamon” with Late Night Radio. Look out for the “Deluxe” EP to pick up where “Odyssey” left off and continue to solidify the SunSquabi sound.


The Werks Announce Initial Lineup For The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival March 9, 2017 12:22

Photo by Josh Timmermans: Noble Visions

Veteran jam band The Werks has revealed the initial lineup to the 8th annual The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio on August 3rd-5th.  Quickly becoming one of the most anticipated festival of the summer, The Werk Out consistently features several established national headliners, along with many of the hottest up-and-coming bands from across the festival scene.  Host band The Werks is scheduled to headline all three nights, while additional performers include 

Gramatik, The Floozies, Emancipator, Dopapod (two nights), Dumpstaphunk (featuring Ivan Neville), Future Rock, Zoogma (two nights), Sunsquabi, Big Something, Spafford, Jonathan Scales FourchestraJahman BrahmanJoe Marcinek BandCBDBBrother's GowSubterraneanElectric Orange Peel, and many more to be announced. A collaborative TWERKAPOD: A Tribute to the 90s – Vol. 2 set was also announced following last year’s debut featuring members of The Werks, Dopapod and Twiddle. 

See below for highlights from last year's Werk Out 2016, and make sure to head over to the festival's official website for further details and ticket options.  Stay tuned for future updates and lineup additions!

The Werk Out Music & Arts Festival Initial 2017 Lineup

  • The Werks
  • Gramatik
  • The Floozies
  • Emancipator
  • Dopapod
  • Dumpstaphunk (featuring Ivan Neville)
  • TWERKAPOD: A Tribute to the 90s – Vol. 2
  • Future Rock,
  • Zoogma
  • Sunsquabi
  • Big Something
  • Spafford
  • Jonathan Scales Fourchestra
  • Jahman Brahman
  • Joe Marcinek Band
  • CBDB
  • Brother’s Gow
  • Subterranean
  • Electric Orange Peel

SweetWater 420 Fest Releases Final Lineup For 2017 January 18, 2017 20:07

-

SweetWater 420 Festival has added 30+ performers to it's already stacked lineup, and fans of the jam scene have every reason to rejoice.  Joining previously announced headliners Trey Anastasio, Widespread Panic, Ween, Slightly Stoopid, and Dirty Heads will be moe., Talib Kweli, Dopapod, Twiddle, Jackie Greene, Anders OsborneThe Werks, Break ScienceSunSquabi, The Hip AbductionStop Light Observations, BIG SomethingCBDBFunk YouVoodoo Visionary, and many others. Previously announced performers include Dark Star OrchestraAnders Osborne, Lettuce, The festival also unveiled a comedy lineup that includes former SNL cast member Jon Rudnitsky as well as Jake Nordwind, Joe Pettis and others.

Headliners Widespread Panic will perform two nights of the festival for a total of four sets throughout the weekend, while Anastasio will perform two sets with his solo band. Sweetwater 420 Fest will kick off April 21-23 in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Watch the official 2017 lineup announcement video here: