THE RUBY SUNS

Discography

Touring

Press

Sea Lion, the new album from New Zealand's The Ruby Suns, bursts with imagery from the natural world. Classic summery pop tunes are appealingly coupled with a dizzying breadth of musical styles from African and Polynesian folk music, to flamenco, to eighties synth pop, to Disney movie soundtracks. Everything's underpinned by a style reminiscent of US indie experimentalists Animal Collective, early Mercury Rev and Olivia Tremor Control. It's an album that'll charm the birds from the trees, invite them in for a cup of tea and teach 'em to talk.

The Ruby Suns' current line up is 24 year old lead singer/songwriter and Californian expat Ryan McPhun, plus New Zealand natives Amee Robinson and Imogen Taylor. The bands' first self titled album was originally released locally in 2005 on Auckland based indie Lil' Chief (home of the Brunettes amongst others) and in 2006 on Memphis Industries in the UK. Subsequent critical acclaim led to tours in the USA, UK, NZ and Australia variously with The Shins, Animal Collective and Field Music.

In early 2007 the band signed to Sub Pop for the USA while agreeing to continue their fruitful relationship with Memphis Industries in the UK. They put the finishing touches to their next album in a variety of locations in New Zealand and Australia with sound effects culled from Ryan's dictaphone travels round NZ, Oz, Africa, USA and Europe.

Sea Lion is a hugely inventive album, each song bursting with colour and glorious, summery vibes. The lyrical influences are direct ones referencing Ryan's experiences in Africa (see Ole Rinka - the name of one of Ryan's Maasai mates - Its Mwangi In Front of Me - Ryan shooting the breeze on Mount Kenya with a guy called Mwangi - and of course the punning Kenya Dig It?), New Zealand (Tane Mahuta - named after one of New Zealand's oldest trees - and Adventure Tour - detailing a rainy trip to the South Island) and California (Oh, Mojave). Whilst the first album's musical hat was firmly tilted toward the Wilson brothers, Sea Lion goes walkabout with a rucksack full of ideas, revealing a joy for the natural world that'd put Attenborough to shame.



Check out the band on myspace here

Band website here

SEA LION - OUT 04 MARCH 2008

Blue Penguin
Oh, Mojave
Tane Mahuta (CLICK TO LISTEN)
There Are Birds
It's Mwangi In Front Of Me
Remember
Ole Rinka
Adventure Tour
Kenya Dig It?
Morning Sun

Get from:
Norman Records
Rough Trade
Memphis Shop
iTunes
Watch the video to Tane Mahuta below

KENYA DIG IT? - OUT 26 May 2008

Kenya Dig It?
Gibble
Papatuanuku
Khaki Kikoi

THE RUBY SUNS - OUT 11 DECEMBER 2006

Trees Like Kids
Sleep in the Garden
Maasai Mara (CLICK TO LISTEN)
Look out SOS!
Function of the Sun
It's Hard to Let You Know
Criterion
Birthday on Mars
Trepidation Part One
Trepidation Part Two
My Ten Years On Auto-Pilot
There's Soup At the End of The Tunnel

Watch the video to Maasai Mara below

Watch the video to Sleep In the Garden below

PRESS

PRESS FOR "SEA LION"
"An ear boggling collection of blissful pop" The Independent ****
"A beguiling sophomore album" The Sunday Times
"Fairytale pop that's bold and forward-looking in equal measure....Even as pan-global psychedelic phantasmagorias go, this one's a real brain-buster." Mojo ****
"The Flaming Lips reborn as benevolent game wardens... could be a surprise hit" Word
"A stunning psychedelic symphony" Uncut ****
"Stationed on New Zealand's North Island, the California native dresses his work in global music, nibbling at the edges of unfamiliar sounds but, ultimately, skillfully creating sunny psych-pop. Pitchfork 8.3
PRESS FOR "THE RUBY SUNS"
"A lovely pop record to lighten winters darkest moments" Word
" A real melodic potency" **** Independent On Friday
"Harmonic Genius" 4.5/5 The Sun
"Sparkling multilayered sunshine pop" **** Uncut
"Astonishingly good" **** Mojo
"A psychedelic star-child of a record" NME
"Poppy, Sun-Kissed and strangely addictive" **** Boys Toys
"Whimsical, pretty and soothing" Sunday Telegraph
"This album lets the sunshine in" *** Independent on Sunday
"Top notch, glorious pop tunes" Play Music
"Bound to be big in 2007" **** Nuts
"The Ruby Suns shines as a consistent and blossoms with allure" Total Spec
"Sun-kissed, grandiose, eccentric and as far away from emo as it's possible to get" The First Post

Upcoming TOURING

18 Apr - Mohawk w/ Throw Me The StatueAustin, Texas
19 Apr - Lola’s w/ Throw Me The StatueFt. Worth, Texas
30 Apr - Alvin’s w/ FoalsDetroit, Michigan
01 May - Showplace Theatre w/ FoalsBuffalo, New York
02 May - Lee’s Palace w/ Foals, Toronto, Ontario
03 May - Cabaret Music Hall w/ Foals, Montreal, Quebec
05 May - Higher Ground Lounge w/ Foals, Burlington, Vermont
06 May - Middle East Downstairs w/ Foals, Boston, Massachusetts
07 May - Maxwell’s w/ Foals, Hoboken, New Jersey
08 May - Union Hall w/ Foals, Brooklyn, New York
16 May - The Deaf Institute, Akoustik Anarkhy nightManchester
17 May - The Great Escape FestivalBrighton
19 May - Hoxton Bar & Grill w/ Most Serene RepublicLondon
20 May - Firebug, Leicester
21 May - Faversham w/ Most Serene RepublicLeeds
22 May - Leadmill w/ Most Serene RepublicSheffield
23 May - The Captains Rest w/ Most Serene RepublicGlasgow
24 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham
25 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Bristol
26 May - Amersham Arms, London
28 May - Barfly w/ Most Serene Republic, Liverpool
29 May - Auntie Annie's, Belfast
30 May - Crawdaddy, Dublin
31 May - Fleche D'Or, Paris
02 Jun - Paradiso, Amsterdam
03 Jun - Witloof Bar @ BotaniqueBrussells
04 Jun - StadtgartenKoln
05 Jun - Trix, Antwerp
07 Jun - Hani Bi, Ravenna
09 Jun - Chelsea, Vienna
10 Jun - K4, Nurnberg
11 Jun - Bassy Berlin
12 Jun - Debaser, Malmo
13 Jun - Restless Romance @ Debaser, Stockholm
14 Jun - Pop Bar @ Razzmatazz, Barcelona
19 Jul - Pitchfork Festival, Chicago, Illinois

OLD TOURING

12 March - SXSW Fader Party @ TBD, Austin, Texas
13 March - SXSW Waterloo Records In-Store 3pm
13 March - SXSW NZ Showcase @ Brush Square Park, 6.45pm
14 March - SXSW Home Slice Pizza Party, Austin, Texas 4:45pm
14 March - SXSW Sub Pop SXSW Showcase @ Bourbon Rocks, Austin, Texas 8:30pm
15 March - SXSW Outside Music/Exclaim Party @ Saxon Pub, Austin, Texas 4:00pm
18 March - The Earl w/ Le Loup, Atlanta, Georgia
19 March - Local 506 w/ Le Loup Chapel Hill, North Carolina
20 March - The Barbery w/ Le Loup, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
21 March - Black Cat w/ Le Loup, Washington DC, Washington DC
23 March - Mercury Lounge w/ Le Loup, New York, New York
24 March - Union Hall w/ Le Loup, Brooklyn, New York
25 March - TT The Bear's w/ Le Loup, Cambridge, Massachusetts
27 March - Waldron Arts Centre w/ Le Loup, Bloomington, Indiana
28 March - Schubas w/ Le LoupChicago, Illinois
29 March - First Ave, 7th Street Entry w/ Le Loup, Minneapolis, Minnesota
01 April - Chop Suey w/ Le Loup, Seattle, Washington
02 April - Holocene w/ Le Loup, Portland, Oregon
04 April - Bottom Of The Hill w/ Le Loup, San Francisco, California
05 April - The Echo (Early Show) w/ Le Loup, Los Angeles, California
06 April - The Casbah w/ Le Loup, San Diego, California
07 April - Modified w/ Le Loup, Phoenix, Arizona
09 April - Lola's w/ Le LoupFort Worth, Texas
11 April - The Yauhaus w/ Le LoupCharlotte, North Carolina
12 April - TBA w/ Throw Me The Statue, Norfolk, Virginia
16 April - Drunken Unicorn w/ Throw Me The Statue, Atlanta, Georgia