THE SUN LEE SUNBEAM
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Music
Press
Fronted by the charismatic Jessica Sun Lee, there's a lot of talk about SLS, and with good reason. On the pop-rock tip, the trio is headed directly for the mainstream. All they need is a genius producer and a couple more high-profile gigs. - Brent T. Ingram, The Weekly Dig 2008
Is there a hint of PJ Harvey, Joan Jett, or Hole in this band? Maybe. "We crush the lies that hide the light." Did I mention great lyrics? Yeah, I know, who gives a fuck about words. But you should listen to mine because this is the best CD I've heard this year, maybe in a few years. - Slimedog, The Noise 2008
Discography
Look for the Light | June 6, '08
Beneath the Burning Sky | Oct 16, '09
Photos
Bio
THE SUN LEE SUNBEAM are not mods, punks, glam, goths, emo, new wave, hipsters or scenesters. They're not Samoan, Svengali, and they don't speak Swahili. They're not retro, nu, or glow-in-the-dark–although one of them may or may not sleep with a nightlight. The point is, they’re not trying to be the cool kids or have you believe they’re too cool to be cool. They know where it’s at, and where it’s at is in the heart of the music they create together.
THE SUN LEE SUNBEAM is fronted by Jessica Sun Lee on vox and rhythm guitar, with Mary Flatley on bass and BV’s, Jeff Clarke on drums, and Mike Ward on second guitar. In their short time together, they have built a small arsenal of songs–written by Jessica and brought to life by Mary, Jeff, and Mike.
So, what’s with the sunbeam, you say? Well, there’s a moment in everyone’s life when it pivots from existence and observation to full on consciousness. For Jessica, that moment was at the ripe age of three when a powerful sunbeam shot through her window and woke her on contact. She sat up, gazing into that blinding pool of light and finally knew what it felt to really be alive, feeling, believing, aware of herself and the life all around her. Anything was possible. But, as time can twist to make you bitter and burnt, she lost that feeling for a couple of decades. Until one morning when it broke into her apartment window and found her once again. She picked up the guitar and started writing.
The music is about simplifying the complexities of life. It’s about throwing a wild party for the people in your head, the metamorpheses we go through every breath, every hour, everyday. It’s about taking a handful of troubled thoughts and throwing them into the air like hot pink confetti. Ranging from serious and soulful to cynical and rambunctious, they maintain substance with a sly grin, hard-wired to the varying degrees of humanity.
A former three-piece variation of the band released its debut, Look for the Light, in 2008. Early Fall of 2009, the foursome released a full-length, more textured album–Beneath the Burning Sky–that delivers on the promises others have spoke of them. You can stream it in its entirety and view videos from past shows on their web site, listed below.
Links
