Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Formed in Boone, North Carolina, the American band Rainbow Kitten Surprise emerged in the early 2010s around Ela Melo and Darrick “Bozzy” Keller, who met on the campus of Appalachian State University, before solidifying as a quintet with Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. Rainbow Kitten Surprise works in an indie rock and alternative folk vein, with songs driven by an expressive lead voice, pronounced vocal harmonies, and a flair for dynamic shifts that weave together intimate passages and more electric surges. After self-released beginnings and two EPs quickly gathered into the 2013 album “Seven + Mary,” the band issued “RKS” in 2015, cementing a writing style centered on personal narratives and a blend of melodic guitars and pop-tinged rhythms. Gradually establishing itself on the American indie circuit, Rainbow Kitten Surprise toured extensively in clubs and at festivals, then joined Elektra for 2018’s “How to: Friend, Love, Freefall,” a record that further sharpened the vocal arrangements and the contrasts between stripped-down ballads and more energetic tracks. With 2024’s “Love Hate Music Box,” Rainbow Kitten Surprise continues to explore an indie rock that is both melodic and fragmented, where folk influences, pop touches, and songwriting that regularly engages with themes of intimacy, spirituality, and identity intersect.