You may have heard their single “Cardiac Arrest” on the radio and had it stuck in your head for days, and that’s the way the Bad Suns like it.
The Los Angeles based band just released their debut album, Language & Perspective, on July 1 (and digitally on June 24). Language & Perspective features track after track of catchy beats and melodies– slightly reminiscent of bands like Duran Duran and INXS– that are sure to get stuck in your head.
Comprised of frontman Christo Bowman, guitarist Ray Libby, bassist Gavin Bennett and drummer Miles Morris, the Bad Suns have an infectious energy both on and off stage that is translated into their upbeat sound. There’s an effortless aura to the way they present themselves- no gimmicks, no staged performance- they’re simply in the moment. In an age where production, pyrotechnics and costume changes are the stars of the show, it’s refreshing to find a band that’s genuinely all about the music.
I had the opportunity to talk with them about their writing process, the new album and what’s next on the page for them.
AB: Your album is called Language & Perspective, where did that title come from? What inspired it?
CB: It comes from a lyric in the opening song, “Matthew James”. When that song was written it was clear to everyone that this was the way we wanted to start the album. It served as the umbrella top of the record and everything kind of falls underneath that. Those are the two big points of things: language and perspective. You can interpret that the way you will. We’re really happy with the way it turned out and the way that it flows. It feels really good.
AB: I’m really looking forward to hearing the full album, I loved your EP. When you get together to write, is it more of a collaborative effort or do you each bring in your own pieces and just kind of fit it together?
CB: Yeah totally. It varies from song to song, but it’s very collaborative. The unique thing about this band is that we’re able to communicate with each other in a very specific, very honest way. Everyone’s always really happy with the songs at the end of the day. It’s a good system we have going on.
AB: I’m sure you’ve had the opportunity to get to know each other really well traveling together on tour. If you had to pick one word to describe each member of the band, what would it be and why?
RL: Yeah. It’s interesting because we’re all just like dummies and we joke around all the time and never take anything seriously, but that’s as much of our personality as taking everything seriously at the same time. I think the fact that we can accept everything that’s going on or take what happens and turn it into a joke is such a good mindset to have.
CB: Especially on tour, because so much can go wrong.
AB: I’m sure it’s good to be able to laugh those things off.
RL: Yeah, definitely.
CB: I definitely feel like we’ve experienced some really awful things that most bands would be stressed out over for days and days and we’re just like, “Oh, that’s funny.”
RL: Yeah, I remember our van broke down coming back from a place called Pescadero and we had to get it repaired. Our friends were nice enough to come pick us up and we were like, “Oh what if a tire pops”, and sure enough on the way home from our van being broken down and needing to be repaired, a tire pops. And we’re just like, "This is hilarious!"
CB: I think the one word that would describe all of us is “dummy”. [band agrees]
AB: Light-hearted, good-spirited, fun-loving?
CB: Just dummies.
AB: If you had to pick a favorite song from the album, which would it be? and why?
CB: I think that each song has spent its time being each of our favorite songs. I think what we wanted to accomplish was to make an album that consisted of eleven favorite songs in one way or another. That can sound a bit pretentious or whatever, but at the end of the day we hope that everyone will have a different favorite song. That’s what I think the goal is- someone might not like this song, but they’ll like that one.
AB: What have you found to be your tour necessities- things you have to have while you’re on tour?
GB: I know Ray and I got heavy into sunflower seeds.
RL: I don’t know why, it’s like driving and eating sunflower seeds…
GB: It passes the time, it’s so much quicker than anything else.
CB: The necessities for this tour have definitely been sunflower seeds and Blake Shelton.
AB: Interesting. I would never have guessed Blake Shelton.
GB: If you’ve ever heard “Kiss My Country A**” by Blake Shelton, listening to that and eating sunflower seeds… time passes by.
RL: It’ll change your life.
AB: So “Kiss My Country A**” is the Bad Suns’ anthem for this tour?
RL: Oh yeah!
GB: Absolutely.
AB: What’s next on the page for Bad Suns?
CB: This is one of the things that we got asked and I had to think about it. I said it out loud and realized we finish this US tour, we go to Europe, we come back do another tour, go to Europe do a European tour, come back do another US tour, and then we have a holiday and then it’s like we go back on the next tour.
AB: So touring?
CB: Yeah, a lot of touring. The record comes out and we kind of just get to watch it unfold.
AB: I’m looking forward to hearing the record. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me, good luck with the rest of your tour!
Be sure to check out Language & Perspective, it’s the perfect addition to your summer playlists!
