Photo: Courtesy of Sunset Sons
Meet Sunset Sons. Since forming two years ago in the beach town of Hossegor, France, the quartet (comprising three Brits and an Aussie) has quickly made a dent in the European music scene, risen atop the iTunes charts, and found itself in a major label bidding war that culminated in signing with UK-based Polydor Records last year.
Next on their agenda: America. I chatted with the band before their recent gig in Los Angeles to talk celebrities, super heroes and their upcoming tour with Imagine Dragons.
Corey Jones: Welcome to California guys! How is Los Angeles treating you?
Pete (bass): It’s good, man. The sun’s out, we’ve gotten a couple waves, we’re playing some shows…
Jed (drums): It’s rather good. I’ve been here before and last time we were here I spent the entire time nagging on the boys going “Please, can we just go to Trestles?!” and they were like “It’s too far, it will take us forever.” I finally talked them into going on Saturday and we got the best waves.
What about California has surprised you so far?
Pete: I saw a poster this morning from someone who lost their bird. I thought that was pretty intense. It’s like “Where the fuck are you going to get a bird from?” (laughs)
Rory (keys, vocals): There are some characters around. I love this place, man, it’s cool. It’s just weird being in Hollywood where you see famous people sitting around doing their thing…
…such as…
Jed: I saw the dude from Fargo this morning.
Rory: He always plays the bad guy, has slicked back hair, a beard…
Jed: He’s the psychopath, the blonde guy…
Rory: The Big Lebowski – he’s in that movie too.
Jeff Bridges?
Jed: None of us know his name. He’s also in Con Air.
Rory: He was just sitting there and he looked badass. It was cool, man. Makes you feel like you’re in LA.
Rob (guitar): Everything looks like the movies to me. I feel like a foreigner over here.
Let’s talk about the EP, “The Fall Line.”
Rob: It’s our third EP. It’s kind of like our “winter” EP, if you will. The first two had summer vibes and “The Fall Line” was recorded in the winter and released in the winter. It feels like a bit of a development from where we started with surfing.
Is it true that at this point you already have an album’s worth of material recorded?
Rory: EASY! Even more…
So why just come out with the EP?
Pete: I’m not sure when the EP came out over here.
It came out in March.
Rory: If you give people everything at once, it kind of spoils it. You want to get people excited and get a bit of a buzz going.
Rob: We’re still working on the record too.
Jed: Yeah, the material is there but it’s not quite finished.
One of the jams that caught my attention was “Medicine.” Who is this Katie girl in the song? Has she heard it? What has her reaction?
Rory: Katie is – I’m not going to say a mystical creature – but Katie is that person, male or female, who when you’re in your dark times or need someone to brighten your spirits, they’re the person you go to. Katie’s not just a chick, Katie is who you want it to be.
You made the effort to come to the states but you’re only playing three dates. What’s up with that?
Rory: I know! (grimaces)
Pete: We have a very hectic schedule and we’re lucky to have squeezed [these dates] in to be honest.
Rory: There was talk of us not playing at all and we were like “We have to do it!” When we were here last year we really wanted to play but it wasn’t possible. Being able to play three shows, in addition to doing some private things, is cool for us.
Jed: We came out last year and it was all about meeting labels and doing that sort of thing. It was a bit odd to have this buzz going on about us when no one had seen us play a show yet, so it’s good to get these in.
Speaking of the record labels, what have you guys learned about the business side of the music industry that you weren’t expecting?
Rory: Oooo. Great question, nice.
Jed: I’ve learned that when you come and meet people in LA, you spend all your time in a car.
Pete: Industry stuff is cool. We just do our thing. We do have a lot to do with it but we just keep doing what we’ve been doing – getting bigger and better live shows. The labels help us with recording and organizing some of the recordings and stuff, but they don’t really have a crazy thumb on us.
Jed: We were lucky. In England especially, we had a lot of shows and met a lot of people we felt we could talk to and even disagree with and it would be okay.
What was your biggest criteria for signing with a label?
Rob: People. For each individual doing their task, we wanted them to get us and where we are trying to go with this.
Jed: That, and the Stones were on Polydor. (Laughs.)
From an outsider looking in, you seem to have picked up momentum as a band really fast. What do you attribute this rise to?
Rory: It seems to have happened even faster to us because we get so caught up in what we’re doing.
Jed: It hasn’t happened that quickly.
Rory (responding to Jed): Well, in the past year a lot has happened.
Jed: I mean, it has happened fast but for me personally I think that when bands get signed and put out a couple of tunes, they might not always be ready for the label. We’ve played a lot of shows together and people talk about that a lot, saying that new bands sometimes need some time to develop. I think we showed that by the time we had our [label] deal, we could play, we were ready.
Pete: We had nearly an hour-long set by the time we got signed.
Rory: In that aspect, it took time to get things ready as far as the writing process and the performing. This time last year we were coming over here to meet the labels and we were busy but now we don’t see home. The festivals we’re doing this year compared to last year – last year we were sneaking onto small stages where people didn’t know us and now we’re doing these bigger stages. I think it’s all happened really fast.
Jed: Well, I do think that it’s happened quickly but I think the reason it’s happened quickly is because when we got picked up we were already ready when a lot of new bands aren’t.
Pete: We were already well-versed as a live band. Already charging.
I know you’re playing the Reading and Leeds festivals this year. What is it about those two festivals specifically that makes them so special and talked about?
Rory: Well, I had never been, but I remember when I told my sister that we were playing it. She’s older than me and she went years ago and had been tipped off about this band – it was three dudes from Seattle. Everyone was telling her to go check them out, that they were really good. So she watched one of the early special appearances by Nirvana. They were just a rumor – like “Hey, go see these guys, they’re hot.” When you’ve got names like that, it helps. [The festivals] choose good acts each year.
A lot of festivalgoers protested Kanye West’s headlining slot at Glastonbury this year. What side of that fence are you on?
Rory: Dude, they always protest someone. (Laughs.)
Pete: I love Kanye West!
What was your first paid gig?
Rory: Our first gig when I met the boys. Does that count?
Jed: I think that would be the one.
Rory: I didn’t really know the boys. We weren’t in a band. Our first little show was just covers and we received burritos and beer.
Rob: It was a payment.
Jed: That counts as a payment. Things were exchanged.
So you’re playing a few shows with Imagine Dragons later this year…
Rory: A few?! We’re playing like 30 with them. 30 arenas! (Laughs.)
Ok, ok. You’re touring with them! How did you link up with those guys?
Pete: It was one of those magical alignment things.
Rob: They’re a band that cares who supports them and they looked into us and felt that we were right for them and they were right for us. It’s fucking exciting.
Have you thought about any tour gags yet?
Rory: I didn’t know about this. Someone said to me when we did the last tour “Have you done anything to the band on the last night?” I went “Why would I do that?” Apparently it’s like a ritual. We’ll prep something. We have to make sure they like us first.
Pete: What are you supposed to do? Like prank them or something?
Rob: Or are they supposed to prank us?
Jed: I think there are no rules.
Pete: I mean, if they want a prank war…
If you could pick someone famous to come see one of your shows, who would it be?
Rory: Ooo, nice…
Jed: Springsteen. I’m a massive Springsteen fan.
Rob: I’m not that big a fan of Springsteen. It’s rubbed off on me a little bit but [Jed] is number one.
Rory: Jamie T.
Pete: Do you guys know Jamie T? I don’t think he’s big in America.
Rob: In terms of artisty and his recording, he’s great.
Rory: We’ve got a lot of respect for Jamie T. I like him a lot.
Pete: He’s like a modern day version of Joe Strummer, I guess.
Are you all into punk music then?
Pete: Yeah.
Rory: I like The Clash. And The Ramones. I like the old-style stuff.
