Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative rockindie band, featuring lead vocalist Ela Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), and Jess Haney (drums). The band formed in Boone, North Carolina. (Robbinsville, North Carolina is the hometown of Ethan Goodpaster and Jess Haney.) Rainbow Kitten Surprise, "RKS" for short, is known for its harmonies, instrumentation, and lyrics. Their sound has been influenced by artists such as Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean, and Schoolboy Q.[1]
Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Ela Melo and Darrick Keller. The two wrote and composed music together as they attended Appalachian State University. The band name was created by a friend who was on a morphine drip at the time, recently out of surgery.[2] Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university.[3][bettersourceneeded] They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. RKS independently released its first album, Seven, which was later re-released together with the band's first EP as a joint album called Seven + Mary. RKS initially recorded its music under the Split Rail Records label, a student run label at Appalachian State University's Hayes School of Music, where three of the band's members attended.[4] From 2014 through 2017, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has performed at multiple music festivals and other events, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Austin City Limits Festival.[5][6]
On April 6, 2018, RKS released its How To: Friend, Love, Freefall album, under the Elektra Records label. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families.[7] The single "Fever Pitch" from the album climbed to number 34th on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in spring 2018.[8] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album.[9]
In April 2019, RKS performed at several venues across North Carolina to raise funds for Equality NC, the country's oldest statewide LGBT equality organization.[10]
In May 2019, RKS released Mary (B-Sides), consisting of a studio recording of "Heart" (a song originally released via YouTube and SoundCloud in 2014) and the track "No Vacancy".
In June 2019, they performed at the legendary[11] Red Rocks Amphitheater, which they sold out in seven days. This was the last stop on their summer tour.
In January 2020, the PBS show Austin City Limits aired Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a half-hour set recorded the previous fall.
On July 14, 2020, RKS played a livestream concert. This was their first of the year because of the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 9, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Our Song", which had been previously played at multiple live events. This single marked their first release as a band since May 2019.
On August 13, 2021, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the live album RKS! Live from Athens Georgia. It included a collection of 25 songs performed at a previous live concert.
On March 23, 2022, the band announced a new single, "Work Out" off their upcoming album.
On March 30, 2022, the band's lead singer came out as transgender.[12]
On April 6, 2022, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Work Out", their first new single released in nearly 18 months.
On April 10, 2023, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single “Drop Stop Roll,” which had been played frequently in live shows during their prior world tour. The band also teased new upcoming “surprises from the rainbow” via a social media post.
On May 24, 2023, Rainbow Kitten Surprise cancelled their 2023 tour. The decision came shortly after a bandmate fell ill.[13]
On February 23, 2024, The Rainbow Kitten Surprise webpage was changed to show only a spinning ballerina figure, accompanied by the sound of a music box, and socials at the bottom.
On February 28, 2024, The Rainbow Kitten Surprise webpage changed again, this time revealing a contest for fans to find boxes hidden around the United States.
On March 4, 2024, the band announced on Instagram that they would be parting ways with their bassist, Charlie Holt.[14]
On March 8, 2024, the band released the lead single "Superstar" and fan track "LOL" off their forthcoming fourth studio album Love Hate Music Box. The album drops May 10th and features 22 songs.
Atomic Kitten is an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart Kershaw, who served as principal songwriters during Atomic Kitten's early years. The group's debut album Right Now was released in October 2000 and charted at number 39 in the United Kingdom. After five top ten singles, original member Kerry Katona quit – four weeks before "Whole Again" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart – and was replaced by former Precious singer Jenny Frost. "Whole Again" became the group's most successful single, staying at number one for four weeks in the UK and six weeks in Germany, and reaching number one in many other territories; in Britain, it was the 13th-best-selling single of the 2000s. The group re-released their debut album, with some tracks re-recorded with Frost's vocals: it peaked at number one in the UK and was certified double platinum after selling over 600,000 copies.
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American emo band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk, Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran (guitar), who originally played with the band between 2000 and 2001, and Chris Jordan (bass), who joined the band in 2022. Founding bass guitarist Nate Mendel was a member of the band during three of its four incarnations.
"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 rocksteady song written by John Holt, originally produced by Duke Reid and performed by the Jamaican group the Paragons, with Holt as lead singer. The song gained international attention in 1980, when a cover version by the American band Blondie became a US and UK number one hit. The song topped the UK Singles Chart again in 2002 with a version by the British girl group Atomic Kitten, while Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall had a minor hit with his interpretation in 2008.
RKS may refer to:
Augustana is an American rock band based in San Diego, California. The band formed in 2002 in southern Illinois and have released six studio albums and six EPs while being signed to Epic Records and Razor & Tie. They are best known for their song "Boston" and the album All the Stars and Boulevards. They are fronted by Daniel Layus, who is the only remaining member of the band.
Daughtry is an American rock band formed and fronted by namesake Chris Daughtry, who was a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. Their self-titled debut album was released in November 2006 and reached number one on the Billboard 200. The album went on to sell more than six million copies in the United States, and has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA. Daughtry was also named the best selling album of 2007 by Billboard, becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history. The album produced four top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including top five hits "It's Not Over" and "Home".
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. The lineup currently consists of Ryan Tedder, Zach Filkins, Drew Brown, Brent Kutzle, Eddie Fisher (drums), and Brian Willett.
The Summer Set is an American pop rock band from Scottsdale, Arizona. The band consists of lead vocalist Brian Logan Dales, guitarist John Gomez, bass guitarist Stephen Gomez, and drummer Jess Bowen. The Summer Set was signed to The Militia Group in 2008, Razor & Tie from 2009 to 2011, and to Fearless Records from 2012 to 2017. The Summer Set released four full-length studio albums: Love Like This (2009), Everything's Fine (2011), Legendary (2013), and Stories for Monday (2016). The band toured with numerous musical acts, including the Cab, We Are the In Crowd, Mayday Parade, Sleeping with Sirens, All Time Low, the Downtown Fiction, and Action Item. The band was on hiatus from October 2017 to August 2021.
Ryan Kevin Beatty is an American singer-songwriter. He was born in Clovis, California, and now resides in Los Angeles.
Rebecca Claire "Becky" Hill is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame after appearing on the first series of The Voice UK, auditioning with John Legend's "Ordinary People". She joined Jessie J's team and reached the semi-final of the competition.
Kitten is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. It is fronted by vocalist Chloe Chaidez, who founded the band and has been its sole consistent member since its inception. The band is currently based in Los Angeles. Its current members, in addition to Chaidez, are guitarists Dave Stagno and Parker Silzer IV, and keyboardist Max Tsiring.
Jessica Hannah Glynne is an English singer and songwriter. After signing with Atlantic Records, she rose to prominence in 2013 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and "My Love" by Route 94, both of which reached number one in the UK. She was considered one of the "Most Influential People Under 30" by Forbes magazine in 2019.
Years & Years were an English pop band formed in London in 2010. The band rose to fame after their single "King" (2015) topped the UK Singles Chart and entered the top ten hit in thirteen other regions. It was preceded by the release of their debut studio album Communion (2015), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and became the fastest-selling debut album of the year from a UK signed band. It also features the commercially successful single "Shine", which reached number two in the UK.
Car Seat Headrest is an American indie rock band formed in Leesburg, Virginia, and currently located in Seattle, Washington. The band consists of Will Toledo, Ethan Ives, Seth Dalby (bass), and Andrew Katz.
Timothy Tyler Childers is an American singer and songwriter. His music is a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk. He released his breakout studio album Purgatory in August 2017. Childers has released six studio albums as well as many EPs and singles.
Stand Atlantic are an Australian pop punk band from Sydney, formed in 2012. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Bonnie Fraser, guitarist David Potter, bassist Miki Rich, and drummer Jonno Panichi.
The Driver Era (TDE) is an American music duo consisting of brothers Rocky and Ross Lynch. Both are former members of the now defunct R5.
Mt. Joy is an American five-piece indie rock band based in Los Angeles with roots in Philadelphia. They consist of members Matt Quinn, Sam Cooper (guitar), Sotiris Eliopoulos (drums), Jackie Miclau (keyboards), and Michael Byrnes (bass). The band debuted in 2016 with their single "Astrovan", recorded in Los Angeles by Quinn, Cooper, and Byrnes. This was followed up in 2017 by the trio of singles "Sheep", "Cardinal", and "Silver Lining", with "Silver Lining" eventually charting at the top spot of the Billboard Triple A charts. On March 2, 2018, they released their debut eponymous studio album. Between the next two years, Mt. Joy performed at festivals and on tour as support acts, as well as headlining a North American and European tour. After a tour with The Lumineers was cut short due to COVID-19, Mt. Joy released their second studio album, Rearrange Us on June 5, 2020. Their third studio album, Orange Blood, was released on June 17, 2022.
RLY are an English pop music girl group formed on The X Factor: The Band. They went onto win the series, subsequently signing to Syco Music, before moving to Warner in August 2022 and then Real / Darco Recordings. The band is composed of Halle Williams, Virginia Hampson, Kellimarie Willis, Jess Folley and Kyra West. On 3 August 2023, the group released their debut single "Love Me Or Not".
The Hard Aches were an Australian melodic punk/alternative rock trio formed in 2012 in Adelaide, South Australia. The group consisted of lead singer and guitarist Ben David and drummer Alex Upton for most of their time together, with bassist Eb Tonkin joining for their final few years. Across their 12 years together, the band released three studio albums – Pheromones (2015), Mess (2018) and I Saw the Future (2023) – as well as three EPs.
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