Today we’d like to introduce you to David Russell.
David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Back in 2013, Woogie Maggard and Ben McDowell were working together at Peoples Neighborhood Market in ocean beach. They both had similar music tastes and decided to get together and jam. They reached out to me (David Russell) to see if I would sing. I was playing in the bands Supersonic Dragon Wagon and BhoreLorde but I was interested in what they were doing so I joined in and picked up the bass and we became a three-piece. After we recorded our first single “Burning Temples” we started getting some attention online and the ball started to roll. We recruited AJ Belluto who was playing in the band Lexington Field and also working at Peoples to play second guitar.
We played our first show at the Casbah on a Sunday night in May 2014 and it was a great success. We released our first full-length album on Hevisike records in London on cassette and the vinyl both of which sold out and then it was released via Hevisike and Ripple Records and sold out again We were nominated for a San Diego music award and our song Burning temples was featured on a Classic Rock Magazine compilation. We went on a small tour up the coast of California in 2015 then recorded three songs for a split album released by Ripple Records in 2016 but it got delayed on its release till 2017.
We started writing a new album and played a lot of shows while we were waiting. In 2017 we recruited Gabe Fonseca to play bass and we because a five-piece. We realized our second full-length album in Nov 2019 on Electric Valley Records in Italy. We have played around 50 shows and are going out to Austin TX for South by South West in March. Our next show is March 14th at the Til two club.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In 2017 I (David Russell) got very sick and the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. I quit the band so I could try and focus on figuring out what was wrong and I wanted to get well. I ended up in the hospital in June and underwent open-heart surgery to treat Endocarditis. Once I had healed, I rejoined the band who in their search for a new singer/bassist, recruited Gabe Fonseca to play bass. We came back stronger and louder than ever.
We’d love to hear more about your band.
We are a high energy, riffy, hard rockin stoner rock band. We are known for our high energy live concerts and party vibes. We take pride in our ability to work together to write great songs that keep you on your toes and put you in a great mood. We try to march to the beat of our own drum. We do have a lot in common with plenty of other bands but our songwriting and our high energy live shows keep people coming back for more.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We are relentless in our quest to have a good time and bring everyone along with us.
Pricing:
- Carry On Vinyl Record $20
- Desert Suns Skull T $20
- Desert Suns Carry On T $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://desertsuns.bandcamp.com
- Email: desertsunsbooking@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertsunsband/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertsunssd/
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