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]
Rainbow Kitten Surprise | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | RKS |
| Origin | Boone, North Carolina |
| Genres | Indie rock, alternative rock |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Elektra Records |
| Members | Sam Melo, Darrick “Bozzy” Keller, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. |
| Website | https://www.rksband.com |
History
Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, while they were writing music and composing together, as they attended Appalachian State University. Their first EP, “Mary” was recorded in a dorm room at the university.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4][5]
In early 2018, RKS released its “How To: Friend, Love, Freefall” album, under the Elektra Records label. It features 13 tracks, including the deeply revealing and emotional “Hide” single, and music video about four drag queens coming out to their families.[6] Its "Fever Pitch" single from the new album climbed to 34th most popular song on Billboard's Alternative Song chart in spring 2018.[7] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album.[8]
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.[9]
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 a new track "No Vacancy".
In June 2019, they performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater which they sold out in 7 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 14th, 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 9th, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released a new single, titled “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 13th, 2021, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released a 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 hometown, biography". Last.fm.
- ^ "Alternative/indie-pop band signs with Appalachian's Split Rail Records". today.appstate.edu.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise - October Tour 2017". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ "Rainbow Kitten Surprise- Devil Like Me ACL Fest 2017". YouTube. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ "Director Kyle Thrash Takes Fans Inside Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Emotional 'Hide' Video". Billboard. April 4, 2018.
- ^ "Alternative Songs Chart". Billboard.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "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…"". Instagram.