Biography
Sunset Sons craft a gritty yet relaxed style that sits between the pop-Americana leanings of Tom Petty, the rock weight of Kings of Leon, and the beach-inflected alt-rock of Red Hot Chili Peppers. The British and Australian surfers who formed the group while living in the French coastal town of Hossegor first gained attention on streaming platforms with their debut EP, Le Surfing, issued in 2014. Their initial full-length album, Very Rarely Say Die, entered the U.K. Top 25 upon its 2016 arrival.
Drawn to Hossegor’s renowned surf breaks and relaxed atmosphere, the original members coalesced at a local spot named Le Surfing, then run by bassist Peter Harper’s cousin. Late in 2013, after finishing a shift at the venue, singer and pianist Rory Williams launched into an impromptu set of covers on the bar piano while future drummer Jed Laidlaw observed with interest. The pair connected and resolved to start a band focused on the city’s club circuit; once Harper and guitarist Robin Windram joined, Sunset Sons were complete.
Balancing daytime surfing with evening performances, they cultivated a local following while gradually replacing covers with original material. Cut in four days, the fittingly named Le Surfing EP performed well on rock streaming rankings in early 2014 and quickly attracted label attention. After inking a deal with Vagrant Records, the band issued a second EP that same year; the two releases were later combined as No Bad Days and again climbed the streaming charts. Further momentum arrived in 2015 when the group earned a BBC Sound of 2015 nomination, played multiple sold-out shows, and collected favorable concert notices. Their third EP, The Fall Line, appeared in March 2015. That month the band traveled to Nashville to record their debut album with producer Jacquire King, whose prior credits include Tom Waits and Kings of Leon. While those sessions continued, Sunset Sons released their fourth EP, She Wants, in July 2015 and closed the year with an international tour supporting Imagine Dragons. The completed album, Very Rarely Say Die, emerged on the French Exit label in April 2016 and reached number 25 in the U.K.; two of their tracks were also included in the Guitar Hero Live soundtrack.
Windram left the lineup in early 2018, after which the group signed with Manchester’s Lab Records and delivered The River EP later that year. Catherine Marks, whose résumé includes Frank Turner and Wolf Alice, handled production. Marks returned for the follow-up album, Blood Rush Déjà Vu, released on Bad Influence in November 2019.
Drawn to Hossegor’s renowned surf breaks and relaxed atmosphere, the original members coalesced at a local spot named Le Surfing, then run by bassist Peter Harper’s cousin. Late in 2013, after finishing a shift at the venue, singer and pianist Rory Williams launched into an impromptu set of covers on the bar piano while future drummer Jed Laidlaw observed with interest. The pair connected and resolved to start a band focused on the city’s club circuit; once Harper and guitarist Robin Windram joined, Sunset Sons were complete.
Balancing daytime surfing with evening performances, they cultivated a local following while gradually replacing covers with original material. Cut in four days, the fittingly named Le Surfing EP performed well on rock streaming rankings in early 2014 and quickly attracted label attention. After inking a deal with Vagrant Records, the band issued a second EP that same year; the two releases were later combined as No Bad Days and again climbed the streaming charts. Further momentum arrived in 2015 when the group earned a BBC Sound of 2015 nomination, played multiple sold-out shows, and collected favorable concert notices. Their third EP, The Fall Line, appeared in March 2015. That month the band traveled to Nashville to record their debut album with producer Jacquire King, whose prior credits include Tom Waits and Kings of Leon. While those sessions continued, Sunset Sons released their fourth EP, She Wants, in July 2015 and closed the year with an international tour supporting Imagine Dragons. The completed album, Very Rarely Say Die, emerged on the French Exit label in April 2016 and reached number 25 in the U.K.; two of their tracks were also included in the Guitar Hero Live soundtrack.
Windram left the lineup in early 2018, after which the group signed with Manchester’s Lab Records and delivered The River EP later that year. Catherine Marks, whose résumé includes Frank Turner and Wolf Alice, handled production. Marks returned for the follow-up album, Blood Rush Déjà Vu, released on Bad Influence in November 2019.
Albums
Too Many Humans, Not Enough Souls.
2022
Blood Rush Déjà Vu
2019
Very Rarely Say Die (Deluxe)
2016
The Fall Line Tour Live
2015
The Fall Line EP
2015
She Wants EP
2014
Le Surfing EP
2014
Singles
