sunshine & irony is two parts sea breeze from the golden state, one part northwest woodlands , and one part birthplace of aviation. we met through friendship and serendipity. our roots are American but our music comes from somewhere beyond that. we love the music of the farmers, the teachers and preachers of old times, when music told us stories and helped us to look beyond our daily chores. America: the early jazz with the timbre of raw experience in every note, the painters like andrew wyeth with brush strokes and colors that tell the story of complex people living simple lives, the dead echo of the voice of leadbelly from his prison cell, and snapshots of the seasonal lives of everyday people.
we’re inspired by musicians and songwriters; old school and modern, and we’re excited to meet more people who are working on the fringes of song.
eric has been practicing playing with words and singing songs to illustrate the workings of the human mind since he was a kid on the california coast and there’s no work he enjoys more. he plays trombone, guitar, voice, harmonica, melodica and dabbles in the toy piano. kiana started playing guitar because she wanted to sing loud and be the nun from the sound of music. she started with a toy and never lost the fondness for tiny and bizarre instruments, which has expanded to banjo and accordion. madison has always sang: in hardcore bands, in school choir, at work, in a jazz ensemble, in the shower and walking to the bus. her voice is warm and achingly sincere, with a range of emotion that brings to mind billie with a stylistically modern twist. jon has been making music playing drums, keyboards, guitar, and mandolin since he lived in mansfield, ohio. he has an ear for detail and tone that comes from a lifetime of studying the music he loves. luckily, he was looking for someone to make music with. sunshine and irony is an amalgamation of their talents and interests that seeks to catch your ear, challenge your mind and move your feet. we like the results and feel proud to share our love for the art of the american song.
