In 2013, Melo and Keller had self-released a three-song EP, Mary, and the band followed that with a self-released full-length, Seven. Right on. Frontman Sam Melo's dexterous lyrics delivered over the band's uniquely narrative playstyle condenses a vast expanse of emotions and experiences into a cohesive, consumable performance. We wish them the best and hope to see them back in SLC again soon. In between those two locales were several stops, including one week-long stay in Tampa Bay, and if you believe the lyrics to Goodnight Chicago from RKS 2015 self-titled LP, then our hometown is where Melo metaphorically killed a man out of spite (When he died, I took his place, is how the lyric goes). A New Dallas Doc Fills in the Blanks on the Spectacular Story of Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Hoosier States Patron Saint, John Mellencamp, Blessed Grand Prairie on Wednesday Night, 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Muse, Carrie Underwood, Buddy Guy and More. Hi everyone! The Troubadour is located in West Hollywood, the historic gay district of Los Angeles. And it would be a different record if it got made in nine months, but sometimes you need the two-week record. There wasn't a seat remaining as the lights dimmed in the Tennessee Theatre. and From $1.46. For their first evening in Chicago, they pulled out all the stops and gave their fans a flawless performance. Hi everyone! "I think the (time) restraint was probably good for us," Haney said. [8] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album. The Ritz, 1503 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City. Scroll to read more Music Stories & Interviews articles. Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/Sun Seeker. The Boone, North Carolina quintet hit the Moody Theater stage in support of its highly acclaimed third album How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, from which comes the hits "Hide" and "Fever Pitch . How to raise the money to maintain crucial community care ought to be a no-brainer.Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee:http://shfbmt.convio.net/site/TR?px=1465289\u0026fr_id=1311\u0026pg=personalConnect with RKS:http://rksband.comhttp://instagram.com/rksbandofficialhttp://twitter.com/rksbandofficialhttps://facebook.com/RainbowKittenSurprise#LiveFromHome #StayHome #WithMe In their video for Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Thrash shows a drag queen coming out to her parents. Songs like Six and Fever Pitch are often cited as being particularly LGBT-friendly, with themes of unrequited love, acceptance and identity. This came after she announced on March 30 that the band would embark on a highly anticipated tour right before the end of the month. So we were moving back in the Summer of 2006 and I was about 14, we stayed down there for about a week because we still didn't have a home yet. ', "I always thought it was funny that I was insistent that I was only going to do one show," Haney said. While the band has not explicitly stated that they are LGBT, their music and involvement in Pride events have been seen as a sign of support for the LGBT community. By VinStyleRe. If you're looking for the living embodiment of multi-dimensionality, turn to Sam Melo, lead singer from the band Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Safe travels to you. They are known for their captivating live performances, which often involve elaborate costumes and choreographed dance moves. For Rainbow Kitten Surprise's lead singer and songwriter Sam Melo - a man who has lived all over the place; including in the Dominican Republic for seven years because he was raised by a . On the track, Melo sings, "Called to the devil and the devil said, 'Hey, why you been calling this late? Well, we have some family up in Minnesota but obviously that is nowhere close to where we were moving to North Carolina. [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]. A rigorous support tour followed, including a sold-out stop at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a series of shows in Athens, Georgia, which were later compiled into the 2021 concert album RKS! That was pretty rough going down there as a kid, going from first world comfort to the third world. In the bands words, we have grown as humans and as a band. Other bands as well as their fans rallied around them in support of them. Medications in Pregnancy: What Not To Take? "I got into the band through Ethan," Haney said, referencing guitarist Ethan Goodpaster during a recent phone interview. COLD LOVE hitting different today!!! Formed in 2013 by college students Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise developed a sound that was every bit as colorful as the group's name, eventually becoming one of America's m.. . But before long, Melo who recently announced on Twitter that she is trans, her pronouns are she/her and that she wants to be referred to as Ela Melo and Keller decided they wanted to have a full band, and that's when fellow students Haney, Goodpaster and bassist Charlie Holt joined up. You don't tend to hole up by yourself and write lyrics when you're happy. Genre-defying, live sensations Rainbow Kitten Surprise announce South African Tour Dates for March 2023 including a show at the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Friday 10 March 2023. They had started playing shows around the Boone area and wrote and recorded the earliest Rainbow Kitten Surprise songs as a duo. Join the Observer community and help support Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a six-month-old kitten, was born at Appalachian State University in North Carolina six years ago. Those are things you gotta figure it out. Where we would go and huddle up and maybe my dad and one of my brothers, and myself would go get a U-Haul and get our stuff from the airport, or however it was shipped. Ela Melo, the lead singer for the popular alternative/indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, revealed she has found her "authentic self" in coming out as transgender. And the circumstance that we left my family had lived on predominately support from missionary organizations so as time progressed, as happens quite often with people going down to do medical work the excitement and support wains because people don't know what's going on down there. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Sticker. Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Ela Melo and Darrick Keller. The lead vocalist (Sam Melo) seems like someone that is very suited for passionate Americana music and has a similar voice to the frontman of . "It was all just very surreal," Haney said. The tour opens in South Carolina where you essentially wrote the album, but then the next stop is here in Tampa Bay and I wanted to ask you about (your song) "Goodnight Chicago", the lyric says, Twenty years to see New York reflected on subway trains. Im grateful to be able to express who I truly am and share in this moment with you.. I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, "RKS" for short, is known for its harmonies, instrumentation, and lyrics. Get our top picks for the best events in San Antonio every Thursday morning. With catchy and deeply lyrical meaning, beautifully designed bass lines, and melodic guitar riffs, their unique sound will keep you humming their tunes all day long. pic.twitter.com/kejuO2yLIn. Orange Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg 2195. The rest of the Rainbow Kitten Surprise bandmates also introduced themselves and revealed what they identify as in their social media post Wednesday. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a colorful, eye-catching name. Biography. Guaranteed to be fire . VOILA!Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Tampa concert moved from Orpheum to The Ritz Ybor City. A rainbow kitten surprise concert can last anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours. I was so shocked! . on You adapt pretty quick as a kid and kind of roll into it. Unfortunately, Rainbow Kitten Surprise will not be able to reschedule this event. You adapt pretty quick as a kid and kind of roll into it. Read our full chat and get information on the show below. Nah, I was pretty much in my own world, to be honest. Verified. When it comes to Rainbow Kitten Surprise, just remember the old axiom to never judge a book by its cover. And then we built . Hi everyone! Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise play a fervent mix of bright indie pop and earnest, harmony-driven folk-rock. This was the first time I had been back state-side in years and it all felt really foreign to me and it was kind of like this resolution almost, that this is life now and we're making the best of it. That's the thing, Jay and I talked about this, somebody said the first day, so if you have nine months to make a record it's going to take you nine months to make a record. . B. y the time I reached that period, especially with this last record, I just started furiously writing down pages of lyrics, the guys came back and was like, "Sam, you don't have to rewrite a whole other album, look at what we already have. You write a lot about your insecurities that you have on your record, but you also have this you also have a steely side thats resolved itself to pushing the band forward does that come from that time? I'm extremely confused as I almost never get any closer to learn more about the band and just now I've learned how she was named and that now her name is Ela. Ela Melo, the lead singer for the popular alternative/indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, revealed she has found her authentic self in coming out as transgender. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an indie rock band from Boone, North Carolina, formed in 2013. In fact, Melo publicly came out through one of the tracks off of the project, "Hide." Everyone uses it down here in Florida. Exploring Clues And Implications Of LGBTQ+ Representation In The Nightmare Before Christmas, ISSLN: A Symbol Of Solidarity And Acceptance For The LGBTQ+ Community, Ask Your Insurance Company About Gay Rights. Many electric vehicle batteries lose power when its very cold. 2 countries. And since then I've just been digging into the harmonic series and trying to figure out what makes a sound a sound. Are you still going into these "rabbit hole states are you able to work when you are in them? That's just how they like it. By Tom Lanham. Whatever time allotted you have is what you work with. Our Song. "It changed my life forever.". Since then, Rainbow Kitten Surprise's engaging blend of indie pop and a variety of other genres has won it high-profile festival appearances and a fervent nationwide following. My assumption is that you wrote How Tosuper fast in South Carolina. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Once you get over that search and you get heartbroken by it, you realize all of the tools that are now at your disposal. Yvonne Gougelet is a playwright, theater producer, actress, activist and political & music journalist. Right on. Rainbow Kitten Surprise hails from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. The band got their name during a hospital visit with a friend, who suggested Rainbow Kitten Surprise while under the effects of anesthesia. Sam Melo, bassist Darrick Bozzy Keller, drummer Jess Haney, and guitarist/keyboardist Ethan Goodpaster are the members of this band. Even at this early stage, there were signs that Rainbow Kitten Surprise might grow into something more than a just-for-fun college-years band. I was thinking about this performance today when I saw the bands post on Insta, that was an unforgettable show and it makes me so happy ela feels comfortable being her true self . It feels like this big, intricate record that was always kind of hiding in the band's music even when it was a two acoustic guitar band. The song's beautiful melody line and the effervescent vibe is a stark juxtaposition to its poignant lyrics about the difficult relationships - of all sorts - that people struggle with. It was weird. Or these are 2 different people? That was pretty rough going down there as a kid, going from first world comfort to the third world. Somebody will grab the phone and somebody will read it out loud and everyone listens. Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/Sun Seeker. Speech therapy usually only effects talking, not singing, though speech therapy for trans women is essentially vocal training, I underwent it for a little while a few years back. Sam Melo (lead vocals) - Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, vocals) - Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals) Charlie Holt (bass, vocals . On June 9, the North Carolina-based band played an intimate show at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA, and Ones to Watch was lucky enough to stop by and see what stories the band had to tell. So, to make that jump was definitely a little bit of a shock for all of us. So once I was a teenager, everything else was a faint glimmer, I didn't really understand The States, so coming back was a rough transition for sure. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is quickly becoming one of the most beloved and respected bands of their generation. I feel like we are the most blessed to be able to play. She sounds happier, but shes still singing the same song. Your band is in such a great position and there is so much for me to think about and I also wanted to congratulate you onHow to: Friend, Love, Freefall. Reading the new introductions to the band has been awesome and I cannot wait for their new chapter! It's Called: Freefall . But you guys have tons of it, I'm sure. . On July 14, 2020, RKS played a livestream concert. They had started playing shows around the Boone area and . That was the understanding that I had. Sam Melo, second from left, brings Rainbow Kitten Surprise to the Fillmore. My pronouns are she/her. I still had dial-up till a year after we moved back, so MySpace hit me pretty hard. In this article, we will explore the evidence behind the rumors, and examine whether there is any truth to the speculation that the lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise is, in fact, gay. Mon. It's not a daily thing, you're never like, ok well here's that sad story for the day. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, decided to begin writing and . Fergie: An Icon For The LGBTQ+ Community And One Tree Hill Fans, The Never-Ending Debate: Exploring Franklin Jonas Sexuality And Its Impact, Is The Navy Ready To Be Gay Friendly An In-Depth Look At The Navys LGBT Policies, Mariah From Sister Wives: Breaking Down Stereotypes About Polygamy And Sexuality, Is Fred Gay? Concert Review: Rainbow Kitten Surprise By October 29, 2018 October 29, 2018 Music . . By It is said to mix indie rock and roll, hip-hop, electronic music, and pop influences in its music. Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university. Did something happen to you here where you changed? That's awesome. Happy birthday to Sam Melo! It's always a new set of gains. A beautiful experience indeed. However, there is one feature that is present throughout each of the group's songs - a captivating story. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch. 33 cities. Video of loose nut on San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Ferris Wheel goes viral, Rooftop nightspot Cowboys and Cadillacs opening in New Braunfels this summer. The alternative band will perform at the famous music venue on Monday, July 11 and Tuesday, July 12, concert promoter AEG Presents announced Monday. Once you make it better you gotta figure out how to play it. Maybe even more so going forward but also in the performance aspect, as well. Before Rainbow Kitten Surprise's sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul last month, I met up with Sam Melo (lead vocals and keys) and Charlie Holt (bass). Its really exciting to see the band thriving and doing so well and it brings me a ton of joy every time I listen to your music.. Buy Rainbow Kitten Surprise's album titled How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. "Devil Like Me" went on to get radio play, as did two songs from RKS "Cocaine Jesus" and "Lady Lie" propelling Rainbow Kitten Surprise onto tours and appearances at notable festivals including Bonnaroo and Sasquatch. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Rainbow Kitten Surprise consists of Sam Melo, Darrick 'Bozzy' Keller, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney and Charlie Holt. Then a couple of years later we're doing it with Jay Joyce in Nashville in like this incredible studio with all of this [label] support behind us. thanks to their energetic performances, and frontman Sam Melo's impressive dance moves. Their mix of tight instrumental chops and jam band finesse helped earn them a strong grassroots following and, after a couple of indie releases, they signed with Elektra to issue their second full-length, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, in 2018. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an indie-rock band from Boone, North Carolina whose genre-bending sound has taken the music world by storm. Any actual connection? No pets (excluding service animals). I wasn't like a full-time drummer. Because especially if the song were to be a hit, then immediately were poster children, you know?, "Hide" was accompanied by one of the most impactful music videos of last year. Sam Melo. Their songs are often filled with clever wordplay and heartfelt lyrics. TERMS OF USE. Their live performances are renowned for their high-energy, raw emotion, and often times, humor. Does that feel like a burden for you as your fan base grows and is very devoted to the band? Obviously, some days we didn't get anything. The group then worked out a deal with Split Rail Records, a student-run label at Appalachian State's Hayes School of Music, and in 2015, released the album RKS. Inspired by a close friend's morphine-ridden ramblings from a hospital bed, RKS was. Follow. Formed in an Appalachian State dorm room in 2013 by singer Ela Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, the duo recorded and self-released their first acoustic EP, Mary, before recruiting additional members Ethan Goodpaster (guitar), Charlie Holt (bass), and Jess Haney (drums) to complete the lineup. Documentarian Kyle Thrash was enlisted by the band to create the video for Hide, which depicts sexuality in a subtle way. Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer Ela Melo revealed in an interview that she had found her true self as a transgender woman. My pronouns are she/her. // Manage Preferences, The Dares latest single Good Time, is the definition of were here for a good time, not a long time. The track. Now two NC men face prison. The album is built around this narrative about how hard it is to pay bills as a musician, it started out as a different idea and you've mentioned this pressure that comes with being a band, basically gone from becoming locally famous after Bozz asked you to play the Galileo show and now you have PR, festival dates, this following, how are you coping this last year, after writing this album, releasing it and going on this tour? There's so much of it down here but I keep forgetting it's actually from New York. This single marked their first release as a band since May 2019. This was the last stop on their summer tour. I think it was something we had to get acclimated to a bit.". Ela Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American indie rock band from Boone, North Carolina. With catchy, yet deep lyrical meaning, beautifully designed bass lines, and melodic guitar riffs, their unique sound will keep you humming their tunes all day long. Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self.I'm happy to share with you that I am trans. We had few friends back here. In June 2019, they performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, which they sold out in seven days. I definitely lose my phone for a month and just dive in. He also states that his faith has been an important influence on the music he makes. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, the best name ever we know, sat down with us at Outside Lands to talk about their new record and their song Hide. music festival marks formal launch of San Antonio venue The Espee, Live Music in San Antonio This Week: Silversun Pickups, Epik High, Marisela and more, Comedian George Lopez is returning to San Antonio's Majestic Theatre this summer, San Antonio punk band Fea composed original music for new play debuting at Public Theater, Live Music in San Antonio This Week: August Burns Red, Inner Wave, Thy Art Is Murder and more, Celebrate Bowie tour with Peter Murphy and Adrian Belew coming to San Antonio's Tobin Center. 02:32 . By The Caribbean island is where frontman Sam Melo, whose parents were missionaries, spent seven years of his childhood before circumstances forced a permanent move back to the U.S. With an ever-growing following, Ela Rainbow Kitten Surprise is sure to keep producing captivating music for years to come. In particular, the song Killing for Love has been interpreted as an allegory about finding solace in faith and discovering inner peace. So once that reality sets in then it becomes a little bit more productive. Im Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Ela Melo is the lead vocalist for alt-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise; she wrote their biggest hit, "It's Called: Freefall.". After forming in 1972, John Fogerty the singer, guitarist, and songwriting mastermind behind Creedence Clearwater Revival broke up the band. Their music has a calmer demeanor. And now about her coming out, damn that's brave of her to do that! Rainbow Kitten Surprise hail from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina, and have been regarded as one of the rising alternative rock bands in the United States. It was the utmost honor for Ones to Watch to be in attendance, and we are proud to join Rainbow Kitten Surprise and countless other artists in the promotion of equality through the greatest unifier, music. We had few friends back here. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) is the top-read news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of San Diego. . Hide has been elevated by the LGBT community as an anthem but front man Sam Melo says it was never meant as an anthem but more just about his own journey of self discovery. Funny story, they got their name back in college before an open-mic gig. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, also known as RKS (Return to Rainbow Kitten), is a musical phenomenon that many people consider to be a musical phenomenon. These North Carolina-based festival favorites mix exuberant indie pop and earnest folk-rock. No large umbrellas or gazebos are allowed. It makes me so happy to see fellow trans people living as themselves authentically, and you will always have my support., Ive never met kinder or more welcoming people, another commenter said. "Yeah, it was zero to 100 for us, really," Haney said. You tend to do it when something is unstable in your real world and then you hole up to gain some measure of control by expelling into this musical format. They announced earlier this week that their tour had sold out in less than a week. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a band that defies all definition. We hadn't been in the South for a long time. I can't wait to watch her sing in a few weeks . Happy Pride Month. basically using musical vocal techniques to raise the pitch of your voice to sound more feminine in everyday social scenarios. And you were aware of this at 14, I'm assuming you've been a deep feeling person your whole life. It's an effort to try to control your thoughts and make some sense of what's going on. ", Produced by Grammy Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Sleeper Agent), the album featured RIAA-certified Gold single "It's Called: Freefall", and earned widespread praise from Billboard, TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as "a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soupvery earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n' roll," and saw the band make several national television appearances, including performances on "CBS This Morning Saturday," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and PBS's "Austin City Limits.". No own drinks allowed. Singer Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, started the band in their Appalachian State University dorm room and self-released their first EP, "Mary," in 2013. No weapons or illegal substances. "It was life changing," says Sam Melo, RKS's firecracker of a lead singer whose emotive and powerful croon, fire-spitting raps, and unpredictable dervish dance moves make . . The sound of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, or RKS, as their fans call them, is hard to define. Mon, Jul 4, 2022 at 4:00 am. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise play a fervent mix of bright indie pop and earnest, harmony-driven folk-rock. I can hop out and do press stuff in the middle of that. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy & Cookie Policy as well as our Terms of Use. You're always blindsided by it. Even by this early stage, there were signs RKS might balloon beyond a just-for-fun . They're songs that Sam [Melo] wrote before Rainbow Kitten Surprise was a thing. [7] The single "Fever Pitch" from the album climbed to number 34th on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in spring 2018. So happy for her! Yeah, we stay stocked, for sure. Reply. Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. The Alternative/Indie-Pop band takes influence from great artists like Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, and Kings of Leon. 70 following. And Ethan ended up getting into the band and he was like, 'Well, my roommate used to play drums and he might be able to help us out with a few shows. Dude, thanks for making music that makes me want to ask questions like that. I was just talking about this with my bassist last night, you encounter different sets of problems the further you go. But if you have two weeks, you'll make it in two weeks. This tale of internal conflict is particularly relevant for both the band and this particular show. What happens is, I learn different things that I'm interested in, like for the last record I got really interested in jazz drumming and the beats, the meters they're in, the different time signatures and playing around with that and usually I go down those avenues for a while until the band snaps me back into reality and it's like, "Oh shit we've got this show to put on, we've got a job to do." On March 23, 2022, the band announced a new single, "Work Out" off their upcoming album. Click for more. A post shared by Rainbow Kitten Surprise (@rksbandofficial). Many great bands have emerged from Rainbow Kitten Surprises home state of North Carolina (Ben Folds Five, Avett Brothers and Superchunk are a few that come to mind), but the Boone-based outfits rise to becoming a festival favorite thats selling out clubs across the country had to run through the Dominican Republic first. The band had arrived in Nashville with only a couple of songs partially written and all two and a half weeks to write and record the rest of the songs for what became the 2018 album How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American rock band from North Carolina. They received an outpouring of support from their fans, as well as other bands. [5][6], On April 6, 2018, RKS released its How To: Friend, Love, Freefall album, under the Elektra Records label. But if you know anybody over there, we have been trying to reach out to them for some time. Ela Melo, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a popular alternative rock band, recently came out as lesbian. Rumors have swirled for years about Melos sexuality, with some claiming that he is gay. The band is scheduled to play a sold-out show at New Braunfels' Whitewater Amphitheater on Saturday, July 9. People who are brainstorming how to heap as much food as they can onto as many plates as possible have a lot to think about. Do you feel any kind of responsibility in hearing their stories? My pronouns are she/her. As if channeling another dimension where genres simply don't exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise finds harmony in unpredictability - weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. While Holt has been openly trans for some time now, Melo only came out as gay alongside the release of Rainbow Kitten Surprise's 2018 album, How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The Scroll to read more Show Previews articles, When we went down in '99, it was like this is home now and at least until me and my three brothers were old enough to move back stateside on our own, that's where we'd be living. We love you so much!! Formed in 2013 by college students Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise developed a sound that was every bit as colorful as the group's name, eventually becoming one of America's m.. . Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Photo by Chris Taylor. Sam Melo, lead vocalist of Rainbow Kitten Surprise performs at the Georgia Theatre, on Tuesday April 8, 2018, in Athens, Georgia. ElA you are beautiful! In early 2013, before becoming the full ensemble that is the current Rainbow Kitten Surprise, lead singer Sam Melo and guitarist and backup vocalist Darick "Bozzy" Keller released the band's . The group held its earlier rehearsals in Boone, North Carolina . Recorded at Nashville's Neon Cross Studio, where the group took advantage of a collection of vintage instruments, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall was produced by Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, the Head and the Heart) and released in 2018.