Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Rainbow Kitten Surprise | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Also known as | RKS |
Origin | Boone, North Carolina |
Genres | Indie rock, alternative rock |
Years active | 2013–present |
Labels | Elektra |
Website | https://www.rksband.com |
Members |
|
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative rock indie band, featuring lead vocalist Sam Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass). Members hail from Boone, North Carolina as well as Robbinsville, North Carolina (Jess Haney and Ethan Goodpaster). The music of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, also known as "RKS", is known for its harmonies, instrumentation and lyrics, and its sound has been influenced by artists Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean and Schoolboy Q.[1]
History[]
Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Sam Melo and Darrick Keller who wrote music and composed together as they attended Appalachian State University.The band name was created by a friend who was on a morphine drip at the time, recently out of surgery.[2] Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university.[3] They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. RKS independently released its first album, Seven, which was later re-released together with the band's first EP as a joint album called Seven + Mary. RKS initially recorded its music under the Split Rail Records label, a student run label at Appalachian State University's Hayes School of Music, where three of the band's members attended.[4] From 2014 through 2017, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has performed at multiple music festivals and other events, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Austin City Limits Festival.[5][6]
In early 2018, RKS released its How To: Friend, Love, Freefall album, under the Elektra Records label. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families.[7] The single "Fever Pitch" from the album climbed to number 34th on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in spring 2018.[8] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album.[9]
In April 2019, RKS performed at several venues across North Carolina to raise funds for Equality NC, the country's oldest statewide LGBT equality organization.[10]
In May 2019, RKS released Mary (B-Sides), consisting of a studio recording of "Heart" (a song originally released via YouTube and SoundCloud in 2014) and the track "No Vacancy".
In June 2019, they performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, which they sold out in seven days. This was the last stop on their summer tour.
In January 2020, the long-running PBS show Austin City Limits aired Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a half-hour set recorded the previous fall.
On July 14, 2020, RKS played a livestream concert, their first of the year because of the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 9, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Our Song", which had been previously played at multiple live events. This single marked their first release as a band since May 2019.
On August 13, 2021, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the live album RKS! Live from Athens Georgia. It included a collection of 25 songs performed at a previous live concert.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Seven + Mary |
|
RKS |
|
How To: Friend, Love, Freefall |
|
Music videos[]
- "Devil Like Me" (March 1, 2014)
- "Bare Bones" (May 3, 2015)
- "Fever Pitch" (January 16, 2018)
- "Holy War" (February 23, 2018)
- "Hide" (April 3, 2018)
- "It's Called: Freefall" (January 28, 2019)
References[]
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise". AXS.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise on their fast road to fame and unforgettable name". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise hometown, biography". Last.fm.
- ^ "Alternative/indie-pop band signs with Appalachian's Split Rail Records". today.appstate.edu.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise - October Tour 2017". Retrieved 2020-06-09 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise- Devil Like Me ACL Fest 2017". Retrieved 2020-06-09 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Director Kyle Thrash Takes Fans Inside Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Emotional 'Hide' Video". Billboard. April 4, 2018.
- ^ "Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.rksband.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Instagram: 'Just a little reminder that our upcoming run starts in less than 2 weeks! If you haven't heard yet, we are so excited to have partnered...'". Archived from the original on 2021-12-25 – via Instagram.
- Indie rock musical groups from North Carolina
- 2013 establishments in North Carolina
- Musical groups established in 2013