Where and how was Sunchild formed?
Sunchild is a unique blend of creative musicians from Southern California.
Sharing interests such as playing music and surfing has spawned a soulful,
energetic vibe. Since Sunchild's formation in 1996, the band has developed
significantly. What began as a group of friends who shared their love of music
has become a national and international touring act.
Sunchild was formed by world-renowned professional surfer Donavon Frankenreiter.
Donavon has received both national and international exposure through major surf
publications, has appeared on several television shows, and has starred in
numerous surf films. Despite his success as a professional surfer, Donavon has
dedicated the past few years of his life to his other love: music.
Through a mutual friend, Donavon was introduced to Scott and Joel Owen. The Owen
brothers began performing their unique brand of vocal harmonies in coffee shops,
clubs, and breweries in Southern California. On occasion, Donavon and Tristan
Michael, the lead singer and bass player for a Santa Barbara-based band, would
perform with them. After only a few shows together, the group knew they shared
something special and decided to form Sunchild.
"Most of the early shows we did were strictly acoustic," says Tristan. "We were
really focusing on the vocal harmonies and the songwriting. Soon after, we
decided to electrify our sound."
Donavon introduced the rest of the band to life-long friend and guitarist Matt
Hamilton. His blues-influenced style, when combined with Donavon's, creates
interactive dual guitar leads. This mix of strong vocal harmonies complemented
by the melodic guitars has become Sunchild's sound.
In May of 1997, Sunchild recorded their first CD, entitled Barefoot &
Live. The CD was recorded at a live show in Los Angeles and contains a
mix of original material and cover tunes.
"At the time that we recorded Barefoot & Live, we had only been together
for a few months. We included most of the original material that we had written at
the time, as well as a few cover tunes that reflected the band's early influences,"
explains Scott.
James Rhinehart has become the most recent addition to the band. Before joining Sunchild,
James played the drums for various bands in the Southern California club scene. His
solid drumming and high-energy performance has completed Sunchild's sound.
Sunchild continues to write new songs and maintain their rigorous touring schedule. They
are looking forward to recording their new album.
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