Sun June with Maddy Kirgo

The five members of Sun June spent their early years spread out across the United States, from the boonies of the Hudson Valley to the sprawling outskirts of LA. The pair of songwriters, Laura Colwell and Stephen Salisbury, met in Austin, TX while working on Terrence Malicks Song to Song. They were immediately taken by the citys bustling small clubs and honky-tonk scene, and the fact that there was always an instrument within reach, always someone to play alongside. Colwell and Salisbury formed Sun June alongside Michael Bain on lead guitar, Sarah Schultz on drums, and Justin Harris on bass and quickly recorded their debut album Years. The live to tape LP was released via the citys esteemed Keeled Scales label in 2018. The band coined the term regret pop to describe the music they made. Though somewhat tongue in cheek, it made perfect sense - the gentle sway of their country leaning pop songs seeped in melancholy, as if each subtle turn of phrase was always grasping for something just out of reach. The band went on to release their sophomore album Somewhere via the Boston indie label Run For Cover in 2021 and an expanded version in 2022. Somewhere showcases a gentle but pronounced maturation of Sun Junes sound, a second record full of quiet revelation, eleven songs that bristle with love and longing. It finds a band at the height of their collective potency, a marked stride forward from the band that created that debut record, but also one that once again is able to transport the listener into a fascinating new landscape, one that lies somewhere between the town and the city, between the head and the heart; neither here nor there, but certainly somewhere. The band is currently working on their third record.Maddy Kirgo writes and sings songs that are damn near impossible to describe. Personally, I hear some Gram Parsons, Beatles, Dolly Parton, Weyes blood but you might hear a completely different range of influences. Her music is nuanced, dreamy, and leads you through many different rooms. She has a voice you believe in and just want to follow and not overthink if youre listening to Americana or not. If you get the chance to see her live Id like to nudge you all in that direction. Shell have you crying and laughing before you finish your first drink. -Sam Doores