Bad Suns heats up the charts with inventive sound
TANDY JOHNSON
ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Bad Suns is not your average rock band. Forming in 2012, the four-piece band from Southern California has already gained incredible momentum in the music industry. Their hit song “Cardiac Arrest” has spent much of the past year near the top of alternative rock lists such as Alt Nation’s “alt 18” and iTunes. This launched the unprecedented success of their debut album in June called “Language and Perspective,” propelling the band into the national spotlight and fueling nationwide tours..
Like any brand new band, though, the humble beginnings remain fresh in their minds. All four of the band members had a passion and desire to be in a band, but it was not until they started to all play together that they then realized the potential that their music had. In an interview conducted by USD TV, Bad Suns lead singer Christo Bowman spoke about this and how the band formed.
“We had all been in plenty of bands, some of us with each other and some of us with other members, and it never really felt right until we all got into the same room,” Bowman said.
That connection set the tone for a very organic growing process that the band experienced. This went from discovering their sound to even naming the band. As a fairly new group, the naming process of the band remains fresh in the their minds. Usually a band’s name carries special meaning to the members, but Bad Suns stands out from the crowd in this way, specifically emphasizing their desire for a name with little meaning.
“We chose a name that didn’t have much of a meaning, because we wanted to define it throughout our career,” Bowman said. “It’s more about the band itself.
The desire to have their identity be defined over a long, extended career can be traced back to the band’s inspirations and major influences. While some artists will hope to emulate a certain style of another musician, the Bad Suns lead singer made it clear that he and the band are more focused on longevity and making lasting impacts.
“My musical inspirations are the people in the bands who have been able to show true sincerity and passion in what they do and to do that over a long period of time,” Bowman said. “It’s easy to have one hit song or album and then kind of have everyone forget about you. We’re interested in building a career not just at the flash of the pen.”
Their career has led to national tours which have taken them all over the United States, including their recent at the San Diego House of Blues on Oct. 30. It is actually the second time that they have played here this fall, noting their experience at 94.9’s Independence Jam last September as one of their best live performances. This made them very excited for the opportunity to play here again.
“The last time we were in San Diego we had a great show,” Christo Bowman said. “We were actually in Oceanside. It was one of the most memorable shows I can remember playing.”
However, in true Californian fashion, Bowman made sure not to leave out the one thing he had to do while he was in San Diego, reminding all of us that the band who has become so popular is still a group of California kids at heart.
“You gotta get the California Burrito.”