Sam Melo, second from left, brings Rainbow Kitten Surprise to the Fillmore. That success drew the attention of Elektra Records, and the major label signed Rainbow Kitten Surprise, setting the table for an even bigger breakout. By Tom Lanham. The band has had a meteoric rise since their formation in 2013, with their debut album making it to the top of the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and they have since gone on to tour the world and perform at festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. In January 2020, the long-running PBS show Austin City Limits aired Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a half-hour set recorded the previous fall. At times I honestly thought the leader singer, Sam Melo, had fallen down after jumping and dancing on stage, but every time he rose up again, somehow becoming better with every song. Ela Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American indie rock band from Boone, North Carolina. I wasn't like a full-time drummer. For Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer and songwriter Sam Melo - a man who has lived all over the place; including in the Dominican Republic for seven years because he was raised by a . When Ela Melo, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, decided to come out as transgender, her family and friends were overjoyed. Their music blends elements of folk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop, creating a unique and captivating sound. Where we would go and huddle up and maybe my dad and one of my brothers, and myself would go get a U-Haul and get our stuff from the airport, or however it was shipped. But then some days we got more than one song. I killed a man there, in spite, and when he died, I took his place. I think youve only played Florida twice. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is quickly becoming one of the most beloved and respected bands of their generation. COLD LOVE hitting different today!!! Check out Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas in Las Vegas on May 26, 2022 and get detailed info for the event - tickets, photos, video and reviews. The crowd immediately stood to their feet when they heard the . Excited for the new music from the band. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 2 countries. A rigorous support tour followed, including a sold-out stop at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a series of shows in Athens, Georgia, which were later compiled into the 2021 concert album RKS! They have more than 3.3 million monthly streamers on Spotify, with their upcoming tour taking them across the country and to several premier music festivals. It was weird. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Still, deliver the caliber performance that you are hoping to. In this article, we will explore the evidence behind the rumors, and examine whether there is any truth to the speculation that the lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise is, in fact, gay. "Yeah, it was zero to 100 for us, really," Haney said. Rainbow Kitten Surprise consists of Sam Melo, Darrick 'Bozzy' Keller, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney and Charlie Holt. [3] They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. Video of loose nut on San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Ferris Wheel goes viral, Rooftop nightspot Cowboys and Cadillacs opening in New Braunfels this summer. On March 30, 2022, the band's lead singer came out as transgender.[11]. I don't understand the culture. By A year of heavy touring followed and yielded the 2021 concert album RKS! I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. No mentally. They're songs that Sam [Melo] wrote before Rainbow Kitten Surprise was a thing. The Riv // Chicago, IL // February 8, 2019. No coolerboxes. By TOM KRISHER and MARK THIESSEN "Work Out" arrived alongside a lyric video, handwritten by RKS frontperson Ela Melo. Saw her in Newport and I was on the barrier. Their songs are often filled with clever wordplay and heartfelt lyrics. I just couldn't be more thankful to be able to do what we do.". Once in a lifetime. I wouldn't say it gets easier, it certainly gets more routine. BY CONTINUING PAST THIS PAGE YOU AGREE TO OUR So once I was a teenager, everything else was a faint glimmer, I didn't really understand The States, so coming back was a rough transition for sure. Tickets can also be . Yvonne Gougelet The contemplative "Mission to Mars" then eases into fuller band arrangements and introduces lead singer Sam Melo's stylized, melodic speaking-rapping. I was so shocked! By the time I reached that period, especially with this last record, I just started furiously writing down pages of lyrics, the guys came back and was like, "Sam, you don't have to rewrite a whole other album, look at what we already have. Im happy to share with you that I am trans. By anibendod. Your band is in such a great position and there is so much for me to think about and I also wanted to congratulate you onHow to: Friend, Love, Freefall. As lead singer Sam Melo spent most of his childhood in the Caribbean islands with his missionary parents . So happy for her! This year has seen the deaths of stars and icons, but we honor their memory by highlighting them. Im Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Being able to share my experiences while remaining true to my LGBTQ identity excites me. The two wrote and composed music 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. Has being able to record How To in the circumstances that you did made you want to go bigger on a new record? As a result, many of the songs on their albums contain spiritual imagery, such as references to God, angels and heaven. In the bands words, we have grown as humans and as a band. Other bands as well as their fans rallied around them in support of them. My pronouns are she/her. Facebook screengrab Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. They received an outpouring of support from their fans, as well as other bands. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has booked two nights at Colorado's iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2022. The Troubadour is located in West Hollywood, the historic gay district of Los Angeles. Read Full Biography. Rainbow Kitten Surprise live in South Africa! Saturday's All Aboard! Appalachian State University offers up and coming student musicians the opportunity to record, publicize and more for free with the school's own record label, Split Rail Records. Since the 2013 release of their first album, Seven + Mary , the vibrancy and courageousness and uniqueness of RKS' music has brought in nearly 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify . 17. What's more, it was the first time all five band members were involved in the creative process from the ground up. Rainbow Kitten Surprise recently released the emotionally charged track "Work Out," marking the band's first new music in nearly two years. She made the announcement on Instagram just a few days before the bands tour began. Fans of the band appreciate their unique sound and the way they bring a sense of joy and fun to their music. Right on. Each of the queens conceals their identities for a variety of reasons, citing fear of bodily harm or damaging familial relationships. I still had dial-up till a year after we moved back, so MySpace hit me pretty hard. And there are just so many details there are into making a good sounding record. He also states that his faith has been an important influence on the music he makes. I think it was something we had to get acclimated to a bit.". I'm always under the assumption that the band life is never is as glamorous as you think it is. The alternative band will perform at the famous music venue on Monday, July 11 and Tuesday, July 12, concert promoter AEG Presents announced Monday. That was the understanding that I had. RKS are the indie rock heroes we deserve. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise play a fervent mix of bright indie pop and earnest, harmony-driven folk-rock. This single marked their first release as a band since May 2019. They have released seven singles and two EPs, all of which are their own work. There's so much of it down here but I keep forgetting it's actually from New York. While the band does not have an explicitly religious ideology, it has been noted that some of their music does touch on spiritual and religious themes. . Were you sad to leave? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging schools to incorporate transgenderism and LGBT education into their curricula. Rainbow Kitten Surprise live in South Africa!Genre-defying, live sensations Rainbow Kitten Surprise announce South African Tour Dates for March 2023 including a show at the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Friday 10 March 2023.Rainbow Kitten Surprise recently released the emotionally charged track "Work Out," marking the band's first new music in nearly two years. When Jess Haney was asked to join Rainbow Kitten Surprise while its band members were in college at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., he certainly wasn't thinking it would be a long-term commitment. Dude, thanks for making music that makes me want to ask questions like that. Ela Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American indie rock band from Boone, North Carolina. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families. Like if somebody loses a friend and somehow our music is cathartic to them, go for it, man. I don't know if that's the way this next record is going to come together but given our history, I feel like maybe that right now it's still that gestation period I'm curious to know what's going to come out on the other side of the rabbit hole. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas Thrash has previously performed at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. Be yourself. RKS was formed in early 2013 when the first two members, Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, decided to begin writing and composing music together. Safe travels to you. Any actual connection? Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a five-piece band currently based in Boone, was formed in early 2013 when Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller decided to begin writing and composing . Weve grown a lot as humans and as a band, the group said. Music is the universal language. No large umbrellas or gazebos are allowed. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an indie rock band based out of Boone, North Carolina. The sound of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, or RKS, as their fans call them, is hard to define. The building shook as the crowded room stomped along to Holt's pulsing bass, sending their love through every floorboard of the venue. These North Carolina-based festival favorites mix exuberant indie pop and earnest folk-rock. And it would be a different record if it got made in nine months, but sometimes you need the two-week record. And since then I've just been digging into the harmonic series and trying to figure out what makes a sound a sound. In fact, Melo publicly came out through one of the tracks off of the project, "Hide." Though he wrote the song in 2015, it wasn't released until three years later. Mon, Jul 4, 2022 at 4:00 am. The rest of Rainbow Kitten Surprises bandmates also revealed what they identify as. Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer Ela Melo revealed in an interview that she had found her true self as a transgender woman. Sam Melo, lead vocalist of Rainbow Kitten Surprise performs at the Georgia Theatre, on Tuesday April 8, 2018, in Athens, Georgia. It was incredible, but it was a lot to take on at the time. But you guys have tons of it, I'm sure. But I still can't wait to hear what they've got coming next. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an indie-rock band from Boone, North Carolina whose genre-bending sound has taken the music world by storm. "Yeah, we were pumping out a song a day and it felt good. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a colorful, eye-catching name. Before long, Melo and Keller had grown RKS into a full band with Haney, Goodpaster and bassist Charlie Holt. (Courtesy Matthew Salacuse) By Tom Lanham . Read our full chat and get information on the show below. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a band that defies all definition. A beautiful experience indeed. Now boasting over 1 billion global streams across platforms, the band first began building their devoted fanbase with independent albums "Seven + Mary" (2013) and "RKS" (2015). In an interview with VICE, he said, I thought that it might be a step too far, because there are just so few songs that talk about it, you know? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has also been involved in various Pride events, such as playing at the Los Angeles Pride Parade in 2016. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Rainbow Kitten Surprise hails from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Join the Observer community and help support It feels like this big, intricate record that was always kind of hiding in the band's music even when it was a two acoustic guitar band. Right of Admission Reserved. Steven Loftin finds out how they went from obscurity to their first sell-out London show. In particular, the song Killing for Love has been interpreted as an allegory about finding solace in faith and discovering inner peace. . North Carolina indie folk-rock outfit Rainbow Kitten Surprise rose from college dorm-room jammers to main-stage festival performers during the mid-2010s. [8] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album. Rainbow Kitten Surprise prepares to unleash a burst of musical influences at The Jones Assembly. Although the bands members identities have not been publicly discussed, their music has often been interpreted as being LGBT-friendly. No food. While their music does not necessarily have overtly Christian themes, many of the band members have been vocal about their Christian faith. Spiritual warfare informs Sam Melo's music. Rainbow Kitten Surprise's (RSK) recording will be the eighth album produced and released by Split Rail Records since 2008. It was the utmost honor for Ones to Watch to be in attendance, and we are proud to join Rainbow Kitten Surprise and countless other artists in the promotion of equality through the greatest unifier, music. The song's beautiful melody line and the effervescent vibe is a stark juxtaposition to its poignant lyrics about the difficult relationships - of all sorts - that people struggle with. Like can you say him in a song? The expansion resulted in the bigger, more energetic sound heard on their debut album, Seven, which was later repackaged with their EP in a release called Seven + Mary. One day we were all sitting in Boone and the next thing we were touring the world. Happy Pride Month. Because especially if the song were to be a hit, then immediately were poster children, you know?, "Hide" was accompanied by one of the most impactful music videos of last year. We always love Austin City Limits debuts, and it's even better with a young band as fresh and exciting as Rainbow Kitten Surprise. music festival marks formal launch of San Antonio venue The Espee, Live Music in San Antonio This Week: Silversun Pickups, Epik High, Marisela and more, Comedian George Lopez is returning to San Antonio's Majestic Theatre this summer, San Antonio punk band Fea composed original music for new play debuting at Public Theater, Live Music in San Antonio This Week: August Burns Red, Inner Wave, Thy Art Is Murder and more, Celebrate Bowie tour with Peter Murphy and Adrian Belew coming to San Antonio's Tobin Center. // Manage Preferences, The Dares latest single Good Time, is the definition of were here for a good time, not a long time. The track. It's incredible that this is what life is. This story was originally published March 31, 2022, 9:40 AM. Formed in 2013 by college students Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise developed a sound that was every bit as colorful as the group's name, eventually becoming one of America's most beloved indie-rock acts of the late 2010s and early 2020s. by Timothy Monger. I'm going live from inside to show admiration, pay respect and donations to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and their partners. So once that reality sets in then it becomes a little bit more productive. Although the group of Carolinians frontman Sam Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney and . They are based in Boone. 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But not every day feels like that, so how do you keep positive things flowing out your mouth without expressing, "Wow, yes, sometimes this is hard," or how do you play shows back to back-to-back every night and how do you still get into it? [2] Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university. She has appeared Read his 2016 intro letterand disclosures from 2022 and 2021. You know, the one sound that is all sounds, like combined into one awesome thing, which does not exist, but you're always looking for it. Their music style is a mix of folk, pop, and rock. Melo, who was raised half in Appalachian North Carolina and half in a Dominican Republic mission, belted out the lyrics with every fiber of his being, driving home the importance of embracing your truth while the crowd sang along. That was the understanding that I had. Reading the new introductions to the band has been awesome and I cannot wait for their new chapter! Rainbow Kitten Surprise will be joined by Briston Maroney for the pair of summer performances. People who are brainstorming how to heap as much food as they can onto as many plates as possible have a lot to think about. I'm sorry if I'm gonna sound dumb, but we're talking about Sam Melo, that came out right now as trans, right? $28.27. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. And then find our home, which usually was North Carolina. Sam Melo (lead vocals) - Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, vocals) - Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals) Charlie Holt (bass, vocals . There's nothing better than being front row for a Rainbow Kitten Surprise show. She made the announcement on Wednesday, March 30 about a week before the band hits the road for a highly-anticipated tour. Fergie: An Icon For The LGBTQ+ Community And One Tree Hill Fans, The Never-Ending Debate: Exploring Franklin Jonas Sexuality And Its Impact, Is The Navy Ready To Be Gay Friendly An In-Depth Look At The Navys LGBT Policies, Mariah From Sister Wives: Breaking Down Stereotypes About Polygamy And Sexuality, Is Fred Gay? May 7, 2019. In 2017, the band appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Austin City Limits, and they signed with Elektra Records for their third album. I don't know if that's the way this next record is going to come together but given our history, I feel like maybe that right now it's still that gestation period I'm curious to know what's going to come out on the other side of the rabbit hole. Over the past couple of years, Ive been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self, Melo said on Instagram. The band had arrived in Nashville with only a couple of songs partially written and all two and a half weeks to write and record the rest of the songs for what became the 2018 album How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. All you gotta do is just pour some cream on top and chug it. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Photo by Chris Taylor. Liking Bridget Jones: Does It Mean Im Gay? Their mix of tight instrumental chops and jam band finesse helped earn them a strong grassroots following and, after a couple of indie releases, they . However, there is one feature that is present throughout each of the group's songs - a captivating story. They definitely do, more than even with "Hide," which was kind of personal, but "Painkillers" is one of those on the record that definitely people's stories played into it. They enjoy it. Hide has been elevated by the LGBT community as an anthem but front man Sam Melo says it was never meant as an anthem but more just about his own journey of self discovery. We wish them the best and hope to see them back in SLC again soon. It included a collection of 25 songs performed at a previous live concert. Live from Athens Georgia. Thank you for your taking the time and we look forward to seeing you guys at The Orpheum, (Now playing the Ritz due to popular demand), when you guys come down to Ybor City for pretty much the tour kickoff. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy & Cookie Policy as well as our Terms of Use. Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Audiotree . [Verse 1] Am F Hey pretty Momma don't you leave me like that C Bring it on back, bring it on back Am F Love me don't leave me, don't you leave me like that C Bring it on back, bring it on back [Chorus] Am 'Cause you're high, you're low F C You're fine but you don't say anything Am F Well you've got my heart in your hands C And your love in . I can hop out and do press stuff in the middle of that. That's the thing, Jay and I talked about this, somebody said the first day, so if you have nine months to make a record it's going to take you nine months to make a record. Address: Orange Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg 2195. The two wrote and composed music together as they attended Appalachian State University. By VinStyleRe. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. . At that time I was pretty self-absorbed, self-conscious, I mean, I was 14. We had few friends back here. So we were moving back in the Summer of 2006 and I was about 14, we stayed down there for about a week because we still didn't have a home yet. If you haven't heard yet, we are so excited to have partnered', Rainbow Kitten Surprise [@RKSBandOfficial], "Hi everyone! Over the past couple of years, Ive been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. Definitely. Somewhere in our minds, we're still just the kids playing music in bars in Boone. I can't wait to watch her sing in a few weeks . You just played a show or you're just traveling or bullshitting, or whatever and it always comes up and somebody reads it and it's like holy shit guys look at this message that somebody just sent us. These North Carolina-based festival favorites mix exuberant indie pop and earnest folk-rock. Ela Melo is the lead vocalist for alt-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise; she wrote their biggest hit, "It's Called: Freefall.". While Holt has been openly trans for some time now, Melo only came out as gay alongside the release of Rainbow Kitten Surprise's 2018 album, How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. Im Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Tags: Music Features, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Sam Melo . The band sold out the Georgia Theatre. This tale of internal conflict is particularly relevant for both the band and this particular show. My pronouns are she/her. The Alternative/Indie-Pop band takes influence from great artists like Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, and Kings of Leon.