Forest Sun

Artist Information

Biography

San Francisco Bay Area troubadour and award winning songwriter, Forest Sun has regaled audiences around the globe with his wealth of songs and stories, all sung and told with back porch ease and bonhomie. Sun's music has been compared to everyone from Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers and John Mayer to Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, but his unique style is entirely his own.

Awards:
-1st PLACE in the Pacific Song Writing Competition, "Drops in the Ocean" (2007)
-BEST SONG Nominee in Just Plain Folks Awards "Gurus and Rockstars" (2009)
-SEMI-FINALIST in the International Songwriting Competition, "Trampoline" (2011)
-BEST SONG in the Kids Music Awards, "Trampoline" (2011)
-BEST ALBUM by the Kids Music Awards, "Just for Fun" (2011)

Collaborations:
He's opened for Bonnie Raitt, The Beach Boys, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Keb Mo and Brett Dennen among others and collaborations on his many records include the likes of such musical luminaries as Jolie Holland, Sean Hayes, ALO, Hot Buttered Rum to name a few.

Music placements:
His music provided soundtracks for Land of Saints, A Common Thread, and 5th Symphony Document.
Forest Sun has been featured on KFOG Local Scene Vol. 1 and 3 and the Japanese compilations Surf Time vol. 1 and 2 and on the Showtime Series, The Big C, MTV's Good Vibes

Band:
Acoustically, he tours with Ingrid Serban singing harmonies and the full band includes David Phillips on lap steel, Steve Adams from ALO

Festivals Played: The Tartan Heart Belladrum Festival (Scotland, UK), American River Music Festival (CA, USA), Fiesta City Festival (Belgium), Strawberry Music Festival (CA, USA), Rally on Dam Square for the Tibetan Freedom Concert ( Amsterdam, Holland), Homestead Valley Music Festival (CA, USA), Oregon Country Fair (Eugene, OR)

Venues:
USA: Great American Music Hall (San Francisco, CA), The Independent (San Francisco, CA), Café Du Nord (San Francisco, CA), The Mountain Winery (Saratoga, CA), 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley, CA), The Sweetwater (Mill Valley ,CA), Hotel Café (Los Angeles, CA), The Mint (Los Angeles, CA), Santa Fe Brewing Co (Santa Fe, NM), Cactus Café (Austin, TX), Levitt Pavillion (Wesport, CT), Uncommon Ground (Chicago, IL), The Sidewalk Cafe (NY, NY), Room 5 (Los Angeles, CA), SOHO (Santa Barbara, CA),
Omega Institute (Rhinebeck, NY), Kripalu (Stockbridge, MA)
Steelcity Coffeehouse (Phoenixville, PA), Chaplin's the Music Cafe (Spring's City, PA),
Sam's Bond Garage (Eugene, OR), Coffee Underground (Greenville, SC),
Zoey's Cafe (Ventura, CA)
International: The Luminaire (London, UK), The Railway (Winchester, UK),
Cinema Jean Vigo (Paris, France), Square and Compass (Dorset, UK),
Pilton Hall (Pilton, UK)
(check the past events calendar for a full list)

Instrumentation

Ingrid Serban - Vocals, Accordeon
Steve Adams - Electric and Upright Bass
Michael Messer - Drums
David Phillips - Lap Steel Guitar, Pedal Steel Guitar

Discography

1999 Not Afraid
2001 Plenty
2003 For the Story
2005 Walk Through Walls
2006 Dancing Again (Japanese release on Buffalo Records)
2008 Songs for Laura Volume One
Harlequin Goodnight
So Nice
2009 Songs for Laura Volume 2
2010 Just For Fun

Airplay:
NPR, BBC, KCLC, KCSN, KFOG, KPFA, KALW, KWMR, KDVS, KPIG, KMUN, KBOO, WERS, WRPI, KBAC, WCNI, WUSC, NCPR, Radio Parkstad, Radio 6, Radio Noord Friesland, RTV Katwijk, Crossroads Radio, Dollard Radio, Roots Paradise Radio, Dutch Roots Radio, Meer Radio, Radio Leith FM, Americana UK Radio, The Gilded Palace of Sin, Deveron FM, ISA Radio, Radio Avesta, Folk Alley, 3MDR Radio, Radio Voce Spazio, KMPR, WRIU, WVIA, WQKL, KUSU, WEFT, KFMU, WMUK, WVPE, WSLU, WSCA, KCSN, WHFC, WNEC, WUVT, WTIP, WBGU, WSCL, WSDL, KPFA, WIUJ, WVGN, WHFR, Folk Thyme, KIAL, KRVS, MVY Radio, WOJB, Wildman Steve International, WFDU, WOBC, KRCB, KMUD, KSYM, WSKG, WAYN, WJFF, WSLR, Acoustic Pie, WTJU, RadioCrystalBlue, KBCS, CJSW, 5UV - Radio Adelaide, WDBX, Coast FM, Auckland, Blueprint 461, The Bob Patterson Show, Folk on the Fringe, KRBC, Folk Sampler, WMUD, WCLX, WMUA, KZSC, KWGS, KANZ, WJSJ, KAOS, WWOZ, KPFT, Common Good Radio, HobartFM, WFMT-FM, Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation, KUAF, WTUL, KDNK, WRIR

Links

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Last.fm

Audio

• No Regrets
  Listen  
• Trampoline
  Listen  
• Harlequin Goodnight
  Listen  
• Twenty Toes In The Sand
  Listen  
• Queen Anne's Lace
  Listen  

Lyrics

• No Regrets
• Having a Ball
• Harlequin Goodnight
• Queen Anne's Lace

Video

Fiesta City Festival - Forest Sun & Ingrid Serban, Twenty Toes in the Sand

Forest Sun, Drops in the Ocean

Photo Gallery

Press

• No Depression [+ Show ]
  

  ... Forest seems to be one of those fortunate people (and I reckon they generally live in benign cli...... Forest seems to be one of those fortunate people (and I reckon they generally live in benign climates) who carries an air of unworried, unflustered ease with him and this is carried into his music. His songs flow easily and beautifully even when dealing with serious and poignant subject matter. Comparisons are apparently made with Jack Johnson, which is fair enough up to a point; he certainly sings with a genial smile in his voice a lot of the time. I feel there's a bit more meat on the bones with Forest Sun though; there are echoes of Paul Simon and 60s American folk and to be honest I can't quite put my finger on why this appeals to me rather more than , say, Jack Johnson's approach. Maybe it feels more thought through - lyrically and musically - and altogether more serious of intent....

• KFOG
  

  Instantly accessible…. easily one of my favorite releases of the year.

• Heaven Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  Harlequin Goodnight On Forest Sun's "Harlequin Goodnight," there are ten songs he wrote himself and...Harlequin Goodnight
  On Forest Sun's "Harlequin Goodnight," there are ten songs he wrote himself and Dylan's "She Belongs to Me." Still Sun combines folk just as easily with influences from pop music as from country. Thus, "This Lightning" contains a musical reference to the Kinks' "Dedicated Flower of Fashion."
  In his at the same time catchy and rootsy melodies Sun does not only sing, he also plays the guitar, the piano, wurlitzer and drums. Friends on dobro, cello, accordion and background vocals even enrich them. In them the melancholy atmosphere dominates over Sun's by no means small craftsmanship.
  Just for Fun - Songs for the Little Ones
  In nine songs Forest Sun offers a crash sourse in roots music on his seventh cd, especially aimed at children: his own Trampoline merges seamlessly with the eight classic children’s songs that he changes into reggae, funk, calypso, country and folk.
  Because they are practically unknown in Europe, it doesn’t strike you when listening that this cd was made for a youthful targetgroup. Furthermore Sun and occasional friends don’t make any stylistic concessions, so that the only 37 minuten long CD is a exemplary sample card of roots styles.

• Radioio
  

  Love it!

• Santa Barbara Independent [+ Show ]
  

  Alt country, folk-rock jams, creating a hodgepodge of comparisons that ranged from Jack Johnson to R...Alt country, folk-rock jams, creating a hodgepodge of comparisons that ranged from Jack Johnson to Ryan Adams to David Gray. ...even into Bob Dylan territory ... a daunting place to tread, but pulled off with the grace of a musical veteran.

• San Francisco Bay Guardian [+ Show ]
  

  ...a wealth of star-roaming storytelling and slow drawl intimacy, recalling everyone from Chris Smit......a wealth of star-roaming storytelling and slow drawl intimacy, recalling everyone from Chris Smither and Ryan Adams to Lyle Lovett in their easygoing charms and front porch bonhomie
  

• Johnny's Garden, Netherlands
  

  A humble artist with a wide range of unparalleled songs.

• Dollard Radio [+ Show ]
  

  Forest Sun's songs are like paintings where the music is the frame and his voice and lyrics the actu...Forest Sun's songs are like paintings where the music is the frame and his voice and lyrics the actual painting. You are all familiar with those paintings that keep getting your attention. As soon as the last accords of the final piece have subsided you want the cd to continue and the next song to start. Tip, put your player on repeat!

• Monterey Herald
  

  Forest Sun is now my favorite new singer-songwriter.

• Pacific Sun
  

  ...a toe tapping adventure Matt Kramer

• KPFA 94.1 FM [+ Show ]
  

  From the intimate folk sound of acoustic guitar, voice, and fiddle through full-blown gospel- and R&...From the intimate folk sound of acoustic guitar, voice, and fiddle through full-blown gospel- and R&B-driven arrangements, irresistible rock-steady reggae, and the unclassifiably eclectic hybrids on For the Story, Forest Sun rises up with an authentic, original voice.

• Zachary Grubb - Montgomery Newspapers [+ Show ]
  

  A 'Sun' shines through the clouds of music. Forest Sun is a multitalented individual with music i...A 'Sun' shines through the clouds of music.
  
  Forest Sun is a multitalented individual with music in his veins

• Scott Aycock, Folk Salad Radio
  

  At a different level! I was really impressed

Setlist

1:30 hrs.
Plenty
Bring Me Home
God's Breath
Come by Me
Having a Ball
Gurus and Rockstars
Harlequin Goodnight
Having a ball
Sometimes my mind
Lay me down
Be kind to you
Glass of Water

Basic Requirements

Calendar