Solar Flare Sunset, a rock band with roots in rural Iowa and now Denver, shares insights into their journey, sound evolution, humor, and upcoming music endeavors. Get ready for catchy tunes, funny music videos, and a rocking good time!
1. Can you tell us a bit more about the origin of the
band's name, Solar Flare Sunset, and how it reflects your music and style?
When we first got together, the original three (before we
got Raul as our drummer) couldn’t decide on a band name. So, we had all three
of us write down four or five band name ideas and bring them to the next
practice. Then we would all choose the best two of everyone’s, then choose the
best one out of that pool. Isaiah, our original rhythm guitarist had Solar
Flare Sunset in his list, and I think a few other sun-related names. I don’t
know that the name influences the music itself, but the spirit in which we
decided on it is usually how we like to solve any issues. We try to be as
democratic as possible whenever possible.
2. Solar Flare Sunset started as a four-piece in rural
Iowa and later became a three-piece in Denver. How did this transition affect
your sound and dynamics as a band?
We actually became a three piece in Iowa, which factored
into why we moved to Denver. The original four was me (Ethan, vocals and lead
guitar), Cole (bass, piano, backing vocals), Isaiah (rhythm guitar and backing
vocals), and Raul (drums). Isaiah left the group to start a family, and the rest
of us wanted a change of scenery. So, similar to how we decided on the name, I
threw out three cities (Denver, Chicago, and Austin), and we all agreed on
Denver. The first album with the four of us, there is a clear difference in the
way the guitars sound, because a lot of the heavier riffs and things like that
were from Isaiah, a song like Ashes or Hiding From Myself, for example.
Whereas, Something Else is more me. Raul and I had began jamming that after a
practice one day and it became the single. The next two albums kind of followed
that trajectory as well. Raul and I would workout an idea I had or a riff, we
would put a song together, and Cole would tighten it up and glue it all
together. Cole left the band in 2021, and Raul left then band earlier this year
after recording a few new songs, of which “Pull Me Down” is one.
3. Your music is described as hard-rock. What are some of
your major musical influences that have shaped this genre for you?
We love 90’s rock, for sure. I think its fairly apparent
that I love the Foo Fighters and Nirvana, those two sounds stick out pretty
clearly in a lot of the songs and dynamics. But we also love Zeppelin and
Sabbath, Tool kicks major ass. August, our new bassist, loves prog and the more
technical high-IQ stuff. If you know what you’re listening for, you can pick
out rhythms, riffs, and dynamic shifts from a whole range of bands. Guitar
wise, I worship at the feet of David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler, and again, if
you know what to listen for, you can hear exactly the licks and moves I’m
knicking from them constantly.
4. Solar Flare Sunset has three full-length albums out.
Can you share some insights into the evolution of your sound from the first to
the most recent album?
Production has gotten better on each album as we’ve all
grown and had more money to actually produce quality sounding recordings, for
one. But also, we’ve progressed as musicians as well. I think the newer songs
are more concise, and the shifts in keys/ tempos feel and sound a lot more
natural as we get better at them. From a songwriting standpoint, I look at the
first album as me (Ethan) really figuring out how to write a catchy chorus. It
was also the first album I ever really sang on. The second album, The Eyes of
Argus, was me really figuring out how to write a good verse. There were also
less songs and more studio time, which led to a far better mic and more
polished songs. The third album, Patchwork Fantasy, was the first one we did in
Colorado. We had written these songs over the course of a year, and during
COVID. It was far and away our best work to date. Lots of really good, catchy
but also cool, songs. Which is really the goal: badass songs you can also sing
along to. This EP is going to be Raul’s last effort with us, unfortunately. But
we have a new drummer, Jordan, who we are writing songs with now too.
5. Your latest release is "Pull Me Down" from
an upcoming EP and album. What can fans expect from this new material, and is
there a theme or concept behind it?
The EP is going to be four songs, and is Raul’s last effort
with the band. There isn’t really any concept behind it. All of the songs sound
like us, but none of them sound the same. Even the new ones we are writing with
Jordan, they’re kind of all over the place, in a good way. You can hear a lot
of different influences and its good to see August really taking a creative
leap now that he feels more established in the band.
6. How do you typically approach the songwriting process
in the band? Is it a collaborative effort, or does each member have specific
roles?
In an ideal world, everything would be perfectly equal, but
that isn’t necessarily how it works. The usual process is I (Ethan), bring a
riff, verse, and or chorus and we kind of jam it out, unless the song is
already completed, which happens from time to time but not super often. I try
not to actually write the entire thing out, because part of the fun is jamming
out things and coming up with other cool, and maybe even better parts. August
is great at modulating and changing keys, finding harmonies, which adds more
depth to the sound.
But nearly as often, someone else will have a beat or riff
that we jam around and build off of. We will record stuff on our phones and
send it to each other during the week, and then figure it out when we practice.
The only really “established role” is that I write the
lyrics. Sometimes I’ll pull lines from a book and build off of that. Take Hold,
for example, the chorus was built around a quote from Abraham Lincoln I read in
a book. He was talking about firing General George McClellan and he said he had
tried long enough to try to bore with an auger too dull to take hold. I cleaned
it up for my own purposes and that became the rallying point for the rest of
the lyrics.
I have a notebook and a notes app, I jot down ideas and
lines I think might work in a future song, and when the time comes to write
lyrics, if something jumps out and fits, I go that direction and build off of
it.
7. Living in Denver now, how has the local music scene
and community influenced your music and band's development?
We haven’t been able to play all that much, to be honest. We
all moved out to Denver in a staggered fashion, so we couldn’t really play for
the first six months. When we were tight again and ready to gig, COVID shut
everything down for a year. Then we started playing some shows and Cole left
the band, and it took us seven months to finally find August. Just when things
were starting to cook: bookings coming, shows, studio time… wham, Raul leaves
us and it took us another six months to find Jordan. There are a lot of great
musicians in this city, and a lot of really cool venues. Admittedly, I (Ethan)
don’t go out to shows as often as I would like, because I’m also a stand-up
comic, which uses up almost the entirety of the rest of my free time. But we’ve
played with some really great local bands on the shows that we have been on,
and my current roommate just moved out here from Iowa (we went to school
together) and has started a band as well, and he is a GREAT songwriter, which
in turn inspires me to write more and be better since he is right across the
hallway. Things are looking up.
8. What's the story behind the lyrics of "Pull Me
Down"? Are there personal experiences that inspired the song?
This song, as is the case with a lot of our songs, the more
distance I get from when I actually wrote it, the more I see it as a
conversation I am having with myself. I’ve had to deal with a lot of
self-doubt/ loathing (comes with the creative territory) and not working as
hard as I know I can and should, but also feeling entitled and, excuse the
vastly overused phrase, “in my own ego” a lot. So, the song seems to me, as of
right now which is 1:48 PM on October 23rd, 2023, a conversation with myself or
even other people, to do what you have to do but don’t start smelling your own
farts too much. It’s a song about balance.
9. Can you describe the atmosphere of your live
performances, and what can fans expect when they attend one of your shows?
They’re fun. Expect a tour-de-force between the three of us.
We like to think that we are pretty decent at our instruments, so if you like
that kind of stuff, we got you. But the songs are catchy enough, and we may
throw in a cover or two, that you can sing a long if so choose. Jumping around,
sweating, I’ll talk some shit from time to time. Its really just a good time.
Expect to leave with a smile, expect to laugh, and expect to be impressed.
10. As a band, what are some of the memorable highlights
or challenges you've faced in your musical journey so far?
Raul and I did a show last winter. It was supposed to be
with a bassist we were jamming with, but there happened to be a huge snowstorm
that day. On our way home from work, he called and let us know that he couldn’t
make it. But The Venue (that was literally the name of the place) was near my
house, se we decided that we would just do the gig as a two-piece and have a
good time. We load up all of our stuff, get to the gig and set up, and Raul had
forgotten his cymbals. So, we played for 50 minutes, just a 3-piece drumset and
a high hat. It was hilarious, and because of the snow, absolutely no one saw
it.
11. Solar Flare Sunset has a unique sense of humor, as
evident in your band description. How do you incorporate humor into your music
and performances?
I do stand-up, so I’m capable of making a joke or two off
the cuff when we are playing live. Making one another laugh while in the middle
of a song is always fun, and the crowd can see that everyone on stage is having
a good time, that kind of stuff is infectious. Our music videos as well are
usually funny, because none of us can take music videos seriously. They’re a
hilarious concept, and we think that trying to make a big statement in a video
for a song that isn’t trying to make any sort of statement other than “this is
how I’m feeling”, is the highest for of self-aggrandizement. And they’re a lot
of work, so if we are going to do them and spend money and time filming, and
then even more time editing them, they should at least be fun.
12. Are there any specific concepts or themes you like to
explore in your music, and if so, why do they resonate with you?
I think I mostly address my own shortcomings in the lyrics
of the songs. I’ve been getting more interested in the passage of time, which I
think is just something every songwriter grapples with as they age. I’m not 20
anymore, I’m staring down the barrel of 30 in about a week (which is great,
complaining about turning 30 is hack. I’d rather be 30 than 15), so that has me
thinking a lot about all the things I’ve done that I love and regret. Time by
Pink Floyd perhaps makes this whole concept moot because that song is so
perfect, but something along those lines. I’m rambling now.
13. How do you balance the creative and business aspects
of being a band, especially in today's music industry landscape?
We don’t. We suck at business, marketing, promoting, social
media, networking. Pretty much everything needed to actually succeed in the
music industry, we aren’t good at. We are good at the least important thing,
which is making the music. But it is also the most fun thing, and because it is
the most fun and the others tear your soul in half, especially if you suck at
them, we continue to do it.
14. What's the best piece of advice you've received as a
band, and how has it influenced your approach to music?
Do it and expect nothing. I don’t know if we were ever
explicitly given that advice or not, or whether it is something that we’ve just
come to understand, but it is the best ethos to work by I think. And it doesn’t
mean to not try to make something happen, but the making of the something
happening shouldn’t be the reason for doing it in the first place. If you do it
because its fun, and what you make is good, with a little work and luck
something is bound to happen.
15. If you could collaborate with any other artist or
band, who would it be and why?
Would love to play with some guitar heroes of mine, maybe
write a song with Dave Grohl or something. I don’t think any of us has really
thought about collabs right now, we just want to play shows and have fun.
16. What can we expect in the near future from Solar
Flare Sunset? Any upcoming shows, tours, or new music on the horizon?
The EP is going to be titled, “Spare Me All The Reasons” and
will feature four brand new SFS tunes: Pull Me Down, Cathedral, Wooden Ladder,
and Stubborn Colors.
This EP will pre-date the next album which may feature these
four songs, plus a TON of new songs. We hope to record those early in the new
year and have it out in the spring.
Show wise, we are currently booking in and around Denver, up to Cheyenne, down to Colorado Springs, and wherever we can play. Shooting music videos in the meantime, and trying to set up a monthly comedy/ music show called Jokes and Jams. Lots and lots of stuff on the horizon for SFS, follow us and stay tuned!
Solar Flare Sunset (@solarflaresunset) • Instagram photos and videos
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