Uplifting sun-kissed melodies, rich vocal harmonies, exemplary musicianship and a playful take on ‘70s folk rock are the ingredients that make The Sons of Guns worth paying attention to. Between heady jams like ‘It’s Getting Better’ and live performances that made them a highlight of his year’s Musexpo, the quintet are primed to connect with bigger audiences in the near future. Today only heightens that belief as the band share their debut EP ‘You Shine The Sun’ via Luna Rising Records. Listen HERE.
The ‘You Shine The Sun’ EP opens with its title track and focus single. It’s a song which feels like its own adventurous journey, one that starts with the warmth of David Zincke’s vocal accompanied simply by acoustic guitar. But new layers flow into the mix at every turn, building the song’s textures and giving each member of the band the space to shine. As their five-part harmonies swoon in unison, the pace quickens with propulsive rhythms, and guitar, bass, keys and string coalesce into a choral sound, it aptly demonstrates how The Sons of Guns can lead an Americana revival for the 2020s.
Its lyrics maintain the buoyant spirit at the core of the band, with words that dream of fresh adventures, new horizons and a future that will shine far brighter than this current moment in time. Watch the official video HERE.
As David explains, “This EP is more than just a bunch of songs, it’s a family story, really. Three of us are cousins, and we’ve been playing music together most of our lives. It started in a little house in Doncaster, but the roots go even further back. To a small family home in Bombay, India, where our family comes from. Music has always been a thread through the generations. These six songs are a snapshot of where we’ve ended up so far, written and recorded with a lot of love, a few bruises, and a real sense of togetherness.”
The EP also features their three recent singles ‘Hollywood’, ‘How Much I Loved Her So’ and ‘It’s Getting Better’. It is completed by two other new songs. ‘Free Wheeler’ feels like The Eagles gone power-pop, its restless drive putting a different spin on the escapism of the title track, while ‘Days Like These’ going deeper into their rootsy foundations while echoing their shared love of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
All six songs on the EP were written by the five multi-instrumentalist members of the band, with David Zincke sharing production duties with Nick Dawes. The title track also adds a co-writer from their friend Charlie Winston, the English singer-songwriter who has become a chart-topping artist in his adopted homeland of France.
As unlikely as it seems, France is where the band formed with David Zincke leading fellow Englishmen Scott Richman, Jack Daniel and Frankie Connolly, with Aymeric Ardimanni their only French member. Based in Nice, they’ve become renowned locally for bringing celebratory jam sessions to local ski resorts and across the Riviera. They’ve joined forces with some big names too, with Rick Astley fronting them for a take on Foo Fighters’ ‘Everlong’ and Joss Stone popping by to add another beguiling layer to their intuitive vocal harmonies.
Their shared influences also include Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Beatles, Nick Drake, Muddy Waters and Jackson Browne. Their ethos is similar to those artists – they follow their instinct and passion rather than aiming for any genre touchpoints, and everything they do prioritises serving the song.
‘You Shine The Sun’ EP tracklist:
