OncetheSun

(Ranked #9 for new albums 2016)
9. OncetheSun – The Ghost Inside Me
Taking a darkened metal/rock approach that veers ever so slightly towards a gothic/doomy edge, OncetheSun have been chipping away with a number of releases over the last 10 years. The experience shines through in some great arrangements and composition that blend a variety of emotions alongside strong vocals and addictive keys. Those looking for something full of dark melodies should seek this out. - Dead Rhetoric

(Rated 8.5 out of 10) By: Kyle McGinn
As the gushing usually goes, the greatest joy of spending hours on Bandcamp is finding that one band with so much potential that you would not have discovered otherwise. The latest example is that of Milwaukee-based act OncetheSun, who have been hard at work for over 10 years with a number of releases. The Ghost Inside Me is their latest release, and sees a band ready to ready to step up to the next level.
The sound of OncetheSun takes the darkened metal/rock of a band like Brave, complete with well-injected keys, approaching gothic/doomy territory but never really going fully into it. A complete fusion of metallic riffing and rock hooks, relying on the stronger aspects of both – solid songwriting composition and generating a dark and somber atmosphere from beginning to end. There’s only six songs per say, but they are surrounded by some interludes/intro (3 in total) that actually serve a purpose. Many bands are happy to toss in these type of things to pad the runtime, but these work as bridges between the tracks, even including a clever name tying the tracks together (“Breathless” separates “Asphyxia” and “Speechless”) – maintaining the mood of the previous track and flowing into the next one. It’s a little attention to detail that ends up strengthening the album. The band has a strong vocalist as well in Anna Bohn, who can provide an emotive presence when called for, accompanied only by keys in the beginning of “Chokehold,” but can also provide the needed power in the album’s hardest (and probably strongest) cut “Asphyxia,” going as far as to provide a few screams to elevate the mood. All in all, the music is compelling and diverse – hitting a range of ideas while keeping their intentions and sound completely genuine.
A thoroughly impressive introduction to this emerging act, The Ghost Inside Me is bound to have plenty of appeal within the metal or rock circuits. OncetheSun provide a great balance of heavy riffs, soaring vocals, and somber atmosphere that equally handles power and grace. An underground gem that’s primed to explode. - Dead Rhetoric

By: Kyle McGinn

At the risk of being redundant, there’s a certain rush that comes with finding bands out of the blue on Bandcamp. Particularly when they are as striking in nature as that of Wisconsin’s OncetheSun. Blending elements of gothic, metal, and rock in a way that feels genuine and unique. The band has been slowly working their craft for over the last decade, with their latest offering, The Ghost Inside Me, being released this past summer.
The Ghost Inside Me has all the tell-tale signs of an impressive band in the making. They’ve slowly built up their own sound – of course there’s some influences to be found but they are designed into something distinctly more. They work in big hooks when they need to, apply the necessary darkness without going too far overboard, and vocalist Anna Bohn’s vocals have the strength and diversity to carry the emotive weight of the material. Learn more about the band’s sound, struggles of being independent, and what they do outside of the band.
Dead Rhetoric: How’d you come up with the name OncetheSun?
OncetheSun: We’ll never tell (hahahaha). We actually have never told anyone the real story behind our name… All we can say is that it involved a winter night, a deer, and 4000 brown M&Ms… But that’s a story that is best served over a cold beer.
Dead Rhetoric: Who are some of OncetheSun’s biggest influences?
OncetheSun: We all come from some pretty diverse musical backrounds. So our influences are pretty broad. We all have our own “thing” but everyone trades new music with each other… Sam (Drums) has been obsessed with Atmospheric Black Metal… Josh (Bass) is into Melodic Death, Jay (Guitars) is into Punk and guys like Tommy Emmanuel, Nick (Guitars) is a Gothic and Industrial type of guy. Anna (Vocals/ Keys) is into everything from Hardcore to Hip Hop, and everything else we just mentioned. We all just add our own spice to the OncetheSun musical soup and let each song just be what it may be.
Dead Rhetoric: You’ve had a few releases prior to The Ghost inside Me. How would you describe the evolution of the band?
OncetheSun: We definitely keep getting heavier with each release…. Which is not the norm. Usually you see bands lighten up over time… but it’s been a natural progression for us. Also we have been really paying to attention to layering and adding atmosphere to the songs… You know, some ear candy for people to discover when they really pay attention to the song.
Dead Rhetoric: How would you describe OncetheSun’s sound for those who do not know the band?
OncetheSun: Dark and beautiful…brooding and heavy. We want people to know that in a world of hurt and feeling lost that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes the heavy is in the vibe of the song, distorted guitars, synths, double bass etc… but other times the heavy is in the emotional punch of the lyrics. If we had to compare it to current bands, we’d say throw some new In Flames and Cold in a blender with Lacuna Coil. That’s the closest we can explain it… It’s a weird mix… It’s a little bit of Metal, Alternative Hard rock, and a little Goth. We are really proud to say we don’t sound like anyone, OncetheSun is its own sound and its own creature.
Dead Rhetoric: There are a few interludes on the album – what planning goes into where to place them?
OncetheSun: There really wasn’t any planning…. Everyone had an idea for an interlude or intro… Josh wrote the Intro (“A Startling Revelation”), Anna wrote “Infinite Release” and “Breathless” that was all Nick. It all just really fell together pretty effortlessly and we are really happy with the outcome.
Dead Rhetoric: Could you explain a little about the cover of The Ghost inside Me? What brought about the limited edition color variant?
OncetheSun: The cover art is done by our good friend Alexander Jansson. He is a very well-known mixed media artist in Gothenburg, Sweden. We have worked with him for the last 3 albums. When we contacted him with our Ideas for The Ghost Inside Me this is what he sent us back. We always like to let people develop their own interpretations behind the meaning of the cover art. The Green cover variant was done only on the 1st run of CDs. The Limited Edition CD has a remix (courtesy of our guitarist Nick’s trip hop project Endless Blue) that will only be on this 1st run…. Our way of saying THANK YOU to everyone who came to shows and supported us.
Once they are gone, that remix goes with it. It will never be online. It is our gift to our core group of supporters and some of the new people who have discovered us at shows during this cycle, something they can have that no one else will. We are already on the 2nd run of CDs and have only a few of the limited ones left. Once they are officially gone we will start selling physical copies of the “Regular Version” online alongside the digital. On the other side of things we are getting a few new FREE remixes ready for our bandcamp page, to give new listeners and old fans a like a little bonus too.
Dead Rhetoric: On your Facebook page, it’s noted that you are already working on new material. What can we expect sound-wise or is it too early to tell?
OncetheSun: It’s definitely darker… We think people are in for a real treat… stay tuned!
Dead Rhetoric: What are your long-term goals for OncetheSun? Would you ever consider signing to a label?
OncetheSun: Our long term goal is to get our music into the hands of as many people as possible, in as many countries as possible. At the end of the day, that’s all it’s about… having the ability to be part of the soundtrack to someone’s life. As for labels…We would consider signing to a label…pending it’s a good arrangement and it would not hinder the music and how we make it. Making a living playing music is the dream, but the reality is pretty harsh. So there are a lot of things to consider when signing to a label. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there again.
Dead Rhetoric: What are some of the challenges that you face as an unsigned act?
OncetheSun: We always get told “I can’t believe you guys aren’t signed”. Being signed would be great but like we said before it gets complicated. So being unsigned and trying to stand out against signed national acts is tough… People can be dismissive if you are an unsigned act, you know like you are just some garage band that won’t be there next week. The sense of legitimacy with the masses is an uphill battle. But how do you get there? How do you get mass recognition? Get signed (maybe)… How do you get signed? Mass recognition… creating a buzz… it’s a never ending loop. The music industry is a very different creature than it was when we started this over 10 years ago. One things for sure… We have outlasted many “signed” acts that we loved… and will continue to with or without a label.
Dead Rhetoric: What prompted you to move your discography to the Bandcamp site?
OncetheSun: Bandcamp is a great site. Really artist friendly you know? Our Drummer rarely buys music anywhere else. We have always had music on Bandcamp… but we have had a lot of requests for some of our older stuff that’s no longer available. So we put it up to give people the ability to listen to us from our 1st offering to our newest. That way they can see the growth and progression of the band.
Dead Rhetoric: Your guitar player owns a bar and your bassist is a county treasurer – what’s everyone else do outside of the band?
OncetheSun: Well as you said, Jason owns a bar Called Sir James Pub in Port Washington, WI… It’s a very big hotspot for beer enthusiasts, he has over 860 different beers on hand at any given time. Josh just recently won the primary election for Ozaukee county Treasurer…. He is running uncontested in November’s general election and we couldn’t be more proud of him!!! Sam is working on his Journeyman card in Machining, Nick is a computer/tech guru who works for a high profile Marketing Consultation Company, and Anna is busy keeping it real by fighting the man and keeping the thug life alive…or she is a spy, we haven’t decided yet.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s a typical OncetheSun live performance like?
OncetheSun: High energy. We bring it when we perform…. No slouching allowed! We put as much emotion into live performances as we do writing an album. We think we always shock people when we get on stage… they never know what to expect. But by the time we are done we always make a lasting impression.
Dead Rhetoric: What’s next for OncetheSun?
OncetheSun: More Music, More Shows, and reaching more people! We are trying to have a new EP ready by next summer. And hopefully we will be doing another interview with you about that album too! Thanks for checking us out! - Dead Rhetoric

By: Anders Ekdahl
ONCETHESUN explode we as humans will stop existing. But as that won’t happen tomorrow you have the chance to check out this US band. Start with reading this interview. Anders Ekdahl ©2016

Could you please introduce us to the band?
-Sure! We are OncetheSun. A Hard Rock / Alternative Metal band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA. We are a 5 piece group consisting of Anna Bohn on Vocals/ Keys/ Synths, Josh Morrison on Bass Guitar, Nick Mitchell on Guitars, Jason Rabus on Guitars and Samuel Morrison on Drums. We have been together since late 2004 and just released new album entitled “The Ghost Inside Me”.
What has been the greatest catalyst in shaping your sound?
-Life in general has been our biggest catalyst lyrically… Most of us grew up together but come from pretty diverse musical backrounds… We just write about what we have been through and let each song grow into it’s own creature. When it comes to writing the music, everyone adds their own flavor to the song. We never go into a song with a preconceived notion of what we think it should be, we let each song dictate where it is going next.
How hard is it to record and release new songs?
-Not very hard at all! With the advances in technology over there years you can get so much done at home before you decide to go to a studio… That ability has made it far more economical to record and release new material. The only difficulties we have ever experienced in releasing new music involved lineup changes or serious personal / family illness… But we always manage to work through any dilemma.
Has digital made it easier to get your music released?
-Definitely! It makers it music a lot more accessible, making it a little easier to reach more people world wide…. Also we like to release free remixes of our tracks on our BandCamp page. Before digital music sites, doing something like that for our supporters / fans for free would have been almost impossible. We really love the freedom digital media gives us in those regards.
If you release your music digitally is there a risk that you release songs too soon, before you are ready compared to releasing them on CD?
-No, that’s never been a problem for us. We never even think to approach recording before we feel the songs are 100% complete and we have an idea of what we want to do production wise… We as a group have never understood going to the studio before the music is ready. We see bands do that all the time, and it just doesn’t seem like it would help anything…. too much wasted time in the studio (which costs money) not to mention the stress of being under the gun like that would impact our writing negatively.
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What kind of responses have you had to your recorded music?
-Overwhelmingly positive!!! We have received a lot of compliments on our latest album “The Ghost Inside Me”… Its been a tremendous response! We are so thankful for all the support and love we have received over the years. We are already working on a follow up album and hope to be recording by January or February 2017.
We live in a world where there are no real distances between people communicating anymore. What has been the most surprising contact so far?
-I think our biggest surprise was you Anders! (lol)… Seriously, getting a message from someone in Sweden was awesome! Oddly enough, The artist who we work with for our cover are is one of your fellow countrymen named Alexander Jansson. He is a pretty well known mixed media artist from Gothenburg.
Do you feel like you are a part of a greater community playing in a band?
-Absolutely. We have made so many good friends over the years, and been though so much with the other bands from the area that they feel like family to us. When you have been around as long as we have, you get to watch a lot happen in the scene, the Formation/ Rise/ Fall of other bands… the new bands that form from the ones that just fell apart. It’s easy to start feeling like you are all apart of a large family when you see stuff like that and go through these cycles with the people involved.
What is the live scene like for you? Do you feel that playing live helps building a bigger following?
-There is a huge live scene in Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago… There are so many acts from so many genres that it is hard to not get lost in the shuffle. Fortunately we have always been really good at sticking out. Playing live always helps you… We always give it 100% whether there are 3 or 150 people in the audience. The key to playing live is to not burn yourself out playing a show in the same city every weekend. You have to diversify and stagger your shows. A basement show here, opening for a national act next. Its about balance and we see a lot of younger bands make those mistakes. Its hard enough to get people motivated to come to shows here in the Mid West USA without giving people the excuse “I’ll just catch them next week when they play again”.
What plans do you have for the future?
-Release more material, Grow our fan base, and really focus on not just pushing our music in the US but worldwide…. Getting our music to more people in Europe would be amazing. Thanks for helping us to do that by doing this interview!!! - Battlehelm

There was a romantic quality to Once the Sun’s set. Both vocalist Matt Halleman and keyboardist/vocalist Anna Bohn had such a great on stage presence
and chemistry they seemed perfectly in sync. The stage was almost too small for this 6-piece act. They were heavy enough to be cool,
yet there was a very mainstream quality to their songs. The balance between Anna's innocent and pure sounding vocals and Matt's gravely rock tones was such a nice yin/yang mix.
Keyboards added something a little different to their sound.
I did like the ballad “These Tears” and I also really enjoyed the closing song “Inevitable. - Club Kingsnake