The following fill in the blanks come from Long Island-based rock band, WAKE THE SUN. This quartet consists of members Dillon Mealey (vocals), Jeff Alvarado (bass), John Creighton (keyboards), and Tom Perrotta (guitar). Their heavy blues and rock influences are evident in their debut EP. More specifically, WAKE THE SUN is influenced by other artists including the Stones, Foo Fighters, Gary Clark Jr. and the Black Keys. On September 29th, WAKE THE SUN will be performing at Wilbert’s in Cleveland. Learn more about the band from their responses and be sure to check out the video for “Wicked Souls” before the show.
Three words we’d use to describe us are….American Rock Band
The story/meaning behind our name WAKE THE SUN is….After much deliberation we settled on Wake The Sun because we felt it evoked a certain energy that is elucidated through our music and our live performances. It also ushers a sense of nostalgic vibes, a sort of ode to the acid washed, sun drenched, long haired-don’t care sentiments of the 60’s which very prevalent in our songs and songwriting.
We met each other….Dillon and Jeff met in college and after playing in a few different groups, decided to pursue a project they were truly passionate about. They found John through Wayne Martin, the bands manager, and found Tommy not long after.
The pickiest eater is….None of us are really picky. John eats just about anything. Our last national tour consequently left the van in a cloud of smells ranging from peanut butter to canned tuna. But given the opportunities in the Southwest to constantly indulge in great Mexican food, Dillon consequently eats it exclusively now.
The most OCD member is….In regards to music, Dillon is always fine tuning our arrangements with the goal in mind to reach the sounds he was initially inspired by when writing the song in question. Jeff is a real stickler on leaving far in advance for a show, nervous about the possible roadblocks (both literal and metaphorical) that might cause issues.
For fun we like to….Dillon is a Wine Connoisseur, Jeff is an expert Mixologist, John enjoys a game of basketball, watching standup comedy and documentaries and Tommy builds his own Custom Shop guitars.
We’re currently listening to….A whole gamut of music, ranging from the original Blues Men like Howlin’ Wolf, Freddie King and Robert Johnson, and the early 1970’s British Titans like Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and Cream all the way to modern rock greats like Reignwolf, Royal Blood, Band of Skulls and Gary Clark Jr.
Our favorite 90s jams include….On tour, John and Jeff really got a nasty itch for TLC and Destiny’s Child. It certainly made 5 hour rides in the van interesting.
Our favorite tracks to play live include…. “What’s My Name” – an unreleased song – has been an incredible high energy tune that really allows us to engage with an audience. We also really love performing our heavy hitter “Cold Blood,” and one of our newer tracks “Honest Man.”
The first song we wrote together was….The first song we wrote with this lineup of multi talented musicians was “Cold Blood.” Dillon came with a riff and some lyrics and we locked ourselves in a basement until we had that “aha” moment that this was a dope track. Everyone through their bits and pieces into that song, which is why I think it’s one of more organic and exciting songs to play with one another.
One thing we want you to remember while listening to our music is…….the feelings you get from listening to our music. We get such a rush, and such joy from playing music we ACTUALLY LOVE. And we’re not forcing anything. It’s our hope that people who listen will get that same feeling deep down that empowers. Some people say it’s nostalgic, others say it’s powerful and draws you in. It’s our hope that our music can help aid in the healing process of heartache or bolster feelings of euphoria. Because that’s what it does for us.
Something odd we want our fans to know about us is….We’re from NY but we’re actually nice people so talk to us after the show! A lot of people from our last tour were surprised to find out we weren’t jerks when they spoke with us. I guess NY has a bad reputation…..
We’re absolutely terrified of….Driving on icy roads in our giant van. Yet another reason we are looking forward to this National Tour this fall.
Our last meals would be….As a band? It would need to be Mexican food. Dillon has a high concentration of hot sauce in his bloodstream.
In the next six months you should expect….
- A full North American over the course of 7 weeks, tearing through around 40 cities in the US and Canada
- The world premiere of our first concept video “Grace and Faith”
- Updates on the release of new recordings
- Tour photos, stories and other fun stuff
[youtube+https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3x9oxryCsI]
Kryptonite Music Magazine 