Biography
Sleepy Sun emerged in 2005 when University of California Santa Cruz students Bret Constantino on vocals, Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss on guitar, Hubert Guy on bass, and Brian Tice on drums first assembled as the bluesy garage-rock outfit Mania. Their sound steadily broadened into more wide-ranging territory, resulting in the Sleepy Sun name by 2007. Rachel Fannan, then performing with Birds Fled from Me, attended the band’s inaugural show under the new moniker and sought membership; after joining them onstage for one performance, the musicians asked her to participate in sessions in Canada with producer Colin Stewart for their debut album. In summer 2008 the group issued Embrace on its own, after which Guy departed and Jack Allen assumed bass duties. The ensemble moved to San Francisco and played several high-profile shows in 2009, among them the Noise Pop Festival in February and All Tomorrow’s Parties in May. The festival’s boutique label ATP signed the band and reissued Embrace that summer, also scheduling the group for the winter 10 Years of ATP Festival. Throughout 2010 Sleepy Sun recorded intensively, delivering a run of 10-inch singles plus digital EPs and the second album Fever, all still on ATP. The musicians toured extensively, supporting Arctic Monkeys across the United States while also mounting their own headlining dates. Fannan exited in late 2010, citing tensions with fellow members and insufficient say in the creative process; she turned to solo work under her own name, and Sleepy Sun quickly regrouped to tour with Texas psych-rockers the Black Angels. The third album, Spine Hits, appeared in 2012, produced by Queens of the Stone Age alumnus Dave Catching. Their fourth full-length, Maui Tears, followed in 2014 on Dine Alone Records. Constantino moved to Texas yet stayed active with the band. The group announced completion of its fifth album’s recording in 2015, though members indicated the project remained unfinished at year’s end. After confirming that Owen Kelly had replaced Jack Allen on bass, the full-length Private Tales, featuring contributions from both players, surfaced in June 2017.
Singles
