Sunshine Riot

When Sunshine Riot named their long awaited full length debut album A Fresh Bottle & A Brand New Day, the eclectic four piece rock powerhouse was making a playful, tongue in cheek reference to their rep as a high energy, hard partying live band in their home base of Boston and beyond. But the group, founded by lifelong friends and musical compadres Jonny Orton (rhythm guitar, lead vocals) and Jeff Sullivan (bass, backing vocals) in 2007, is no doubt also referring metaphorically to the freshness of their unique, freewheeling mix of country, rock, blues and punk that’s helped them break through the genre-specific muck most indie bands prefer to stay safe in.

With a sound that has been aptly described as “Johnny Cash meets Kurt Cobain” (wrap your sensibilities around that for a minute!), Sunshine Riot’s exciting aesthetic of party music and heartfelt songwriting about finding optimism and digging out of life’s most hellish circumstances has been lauded everywhere from their home region to just about every spot on their traveling itinerary. Feedback Fury in Michigan said, “This band has it all.” The Observer in Nashville called them “one of the most remarkable live acts Boston has seen in a long, long time.” The Daily Dose in Providence made reference to their “great, genre-defying songwriting,” while The Noise from NYC, where Sunshine Riot plays frequently, sounded a bit envious when it said, “New York should adopt Sunshine Riot…these guys are about to explode.”

Sunshine Riot also sets themselves apart from the indie pack by hitting the road as often as possible – to the tune of 80-100 shows per year. Their hardcore DIY work ethic extends beyond the studio to their super-aggressive approach to self-booking these shows, which are up and down the I-95 corridor on the East Coast, through the Mid-West and down to the South East. The band often books shows with popular local artists, and has built their growing fan base throughout the country.

Sunshine Riot, which went through the typical indie band type personality and chemistry struggles in its first few years, began kicking it into high gear when they met and began working with George Dussault, a 16 time Grammy nominated producer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, composer and founder of Galilee Productions. Dussault, who has worked onstage and in the studio with hundreds of artists, has long called Sunshine Riot “a great soulful band, a favorite of mine.” A year later, the group found the last missing puzzle piece in guitarist Mark Tetrault. After struggling for some time to define its musical vision, Tetrault’s melodicism and intensity had an enormous effect on honing in on their current vibe.

“I think the difference is that our creed became that we just want to write good songs, not trying specifically to be punk, straight rock, blues, country, low-fi or anything else, because just writing a good song is hard enough,” says Johnny, who writes most of Sunshine Riot’s lyrics while the entire band collaborates on music. “Writing with people is kind of an intimate experience, but also a little scary – and if you don’t trust the people you work with, you’re not going to write good songs. If you don’t trust your collaborators, you’re only going to write cautious music,” the singer adds.

While most of their songs in one way or another are personalized reflections of their real life battles between struggle and hope, they range in vibe from mainstream rock (“Old School Blues”) to blistering punk (“Senorita Punk”), edgy roots-rock (“Natural Causes”) and thoughtful rock-soul (“Elizabeth Stone,” which features the dynamic R&B vocals of veteran performer Carl Smitty Smooth). Sunshine Riot is currently working on “telling even better stories” as they get set to release their sophomore album, Black Coffee Sigh, in early 2015.

"This band has it all"
-Feedback Fury (Michigan)

"One of the most remarkable live acts Boston has produced in a long, long time"
-The Observer (Nashville)

"With resounding drum lines and a set of vocals that are Cobain-tinged, Sunshine Riot keep the tempo quick and inviting to listeners"
-Neufutur Magazine (Akron OH)

"They’ve been described as Johnny Cash meets Curt Cobain and their relentless touring across the country is garnering them an ever growing fan base of college students and fans of original music that doesn’t suck"
-Skope Magazine

"Grit and the most raucous Americana sound that combines the angst of Nirvana with the temperament of Wilco"
-Rockwired.com (Albuquerque New Mexico)

"Great, Genre-defying songwriting"
-The Daily Dose (Providence)

"This vocal presence is clear-eyed and softly intimate, and yet, it's also a rockin' one . . . raspy, ranty and maybe even a little out of hand!"
-Boston Band Crush (Boston)

"Great, soulful band. . . a favorite of mine"
-George Dussault, 16 time grammy nominated producer

"Their music and ability to connect with fans is just awesome"
-ampedsounds.com

"Wild"
-Sounds of Boston

"The album has tinges of rockabilly, alt country and blues, but from beginning to end, there is one constant: the foundation of Sunshine Riot’s pure and raw rock and roll — and that’s by design."
-DiffuserFM.com

"A rollicking rock and roll snarl mixed with a rootsy Americana sound . . . a hybrid of genres that is so exciting!"
- ReadTheHorn.com (Austin TX)

"This dynamic Boston outfit deliver a winning surplus of pure, thrilling sonic pow on their debut full length."
- JerseyBeat.com

"Sunshine Riot encapsulate all that can be great with rock and roll if you don't over-think it."
-Nanobotrock.com

"Sunshine Riot take no prisoners with their galloping rock energy and urgent vocals."
-Glide Magazine