Electronic Press Kit SUNUP - THE KEY IS LOVE album

SUNUP’s 50th Anniversary Album - The Key Is Love

Sunup's music, like the sun itself, offers a spectrum of light. Their sound is built on warm acoustic guitars, soaring vocals, and catchy melodies, mirroring the sun's uplifting warmth. Yet, they don't shy away from illuminating life's shadows, tackling themes of stress, heartbreak, and social unease, just as the sun reveals the landscape in all its complexity. Ultimately, Sunup's music, like a sunrise, promises a new day, filled with hope and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. This can certainly be evidenced in the title track. They don’t shy from straddling the fences of music genres. It is a cross between Singer-songwriter, Americana and Acoustic-Rock.

*The bonus track, Friendly Eastbound Train, was recorded in 1975 at PCI Studio in Rochester, NY. We included this song for a few reasons, but the most predominant reason was to pay tribute to the late, Kerry Peterson, who was so much a part of the Sunup fabric for three decades. He was an amazing bass player, as you’ll hear on this track, but he was a terrific friend, very funny, and a constant encouragement to Sunup.

The song also has Ben Gramm on drums, who played on this 5 songs session and played numerous live concerts with Sunup. We always loved having Ben playing our sessions and shows. He’s been busy for 25 years performing with some major artists and primarily his brother, Lou Gramm.

And lastly, Jimmy Duvall plays some incredible pedal steel here. You can tell we were having a good time with song and it wasn’t indicative of our sound at all. I had lost track of Jimmy. As it turns out, he plays tons of gigs on his pedal steel now in Texas. We discovered this as Garry became friends with his nephew in the last couple years, and well, you know the phrase, “It’s a small world.” We’re so glad we could include this song on the album!

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1rq7Z4bEq01cjwZ6ZglCkmsi=U1dzxdvzS6O25KgmRLa2jw

On Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-key-is-love/1760707359

MUSICIANS & PRODUCTION:

Garry Manuel: Songwriting, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Percussion, Bass (Standing At the Edge of Life & I Can See Clearly Now) & Producer

James “Goon” Wilson: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Songwriting

Charlie Castilano: Bass (except, Standing At the Edge of Life, I Can See Clearly Now and Friendly Eastbound Train

Brian Soule: Keyboards, Vocals & Percussion

*Kerry Peterson: bass on Friendly Eastbound Train

Marshall Manuel: Recording Engineer, Edits & Mastering Engineer (RAMP Studio)

Music Guests:

Aaron Lipp: Dobro, Fiddle & Lap Steel

Billy Goodness: Drums

Ben Gramm: Drums on Back To My Soul and Friendly Eastbound Train (1975)

John McNeill: Percussion on Someday

Bernie Heveron: Banjo & Dobro

Laura Wilson: Vocals

Jimmy Duvall: Pedal Steel on Friendly. Eastbound Train (1975)

Mick Guzauski: Recording Engineer on Friendly Eastbound Train (PCI Studio - 1975)

After recording their first two songs in the studio with renowned recording engineer, Mick Guzauski, Sunup eased their way into playing clubs, coffeehouses, colleges, as well as, opening for acts like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, the James Gang, Eric Anderson and others. Throughout the years they also performed a number of live shows both on WCMF and WGMC, both in Rochester,, NY. On a humorous note, at a college on Long Island, their opening act was non other than, Zippy the Chimp. If you think that is a weird circumstance, we’ll also throw in that one year apart, both Goon’s and Garry’s acoustic guitars fell on the stage and cracked!

Sunup's foundation was music, and the friendships grew because of the music.. The journey began in 1973 with Garry and Goon as a duo. Shortly thereafter they invited Charlie to join the group. Garry and Charlie had played in several groups together prior to Sunup.

In 1974, Kerry Peterson solidified the band's sound as the new bassist, contributing immensely to the sound in the subsequent years through the various group configurations. Sadly, Kerry passed away in 2009, but his legacy lives on within Sunup's music.

The band's story intertwines with Brian Soule, a talented keyboardist and singer whose path crossed Sunup's in their early days. With Brian sharing a similar musical vision, he joined forces with Garry and Kerry in the 1980s after Goon pursued a career in broadcasting, in fact, he still is a morning show broadcaster on Danbury, CT’s classic rock station, WRKI-fm (I-95). Drummer Phil Lake completed the lineup for a period in the 80s, with John McNeill taking over drums in the 90s. Throughout these transitions, the core of Garry, Kerry, and Brian provided the ongoing chemistry of Sunup

The late 80s and early 90s saw Sunup return to the studio, culminating in the "Saratoga Sunrise" album. Their focus has always been on songwriting and recording, with live performances serving as a secondary outlet. Now, five decades since their inception, Sunup presents a new album - a collection of songs that bridges their past to the present. Once again, the three original members and Brian Soule, rise again to deliver another set of Sunup’s uplifting songs.

While Sunup may not have achieved mainstream success: they have; however, carved a special place in the hearts of their listeners. Their music offers a spectrum of emotions, from lighthearted joy to introspective reflection on the human condition. Through it all, Sunup's story remains a testament to the enduring power of friendship and the unifying force of music.

Reviews

Review from Sinusoidal Music 8/21/2024: https://sinusoidalmusic.com/reviews/music-reviews/genres/rock/the-key-is-love-by-sunup-charming-classic-country-rock/

Review from Steel Notes Magazine: 8/18/2024

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The feedback that we have received after the performance was phenomenal, and we would be honored to have you back… T.T. (SCCC)

Sunup’s music is contemporary folk, with some jazz riffs thrown in here and there, With their right instrumental work and mellow harmonies, they provided a perfectly compatible opening act for Eric Anderson. (Rochester, NY)

The sweet mellow sound of Sunup harmonies with relaxed atmosphere made the Friday, Sept. 25th coffeehouse a success. D.A. (Monroe Doctrine MCC)

We’ve listened to the CD many times and can’t wait ‘til the next one. TR (about Saratoga Sunrise CD)

Sunflare Songs Comment:

***To be candid, Sunup has not performed live since 2007, which was a reunion gig. The group’s live performing ended in June of 1995 on the release of the Saratoga Sunrise album. The current recording takes you on an arc from material they performed in the early 1970s to the present. It should be a joyful music album for past followers and attract new listeners as well.