Forest Sun

Forest Sun is an American troubadour and songwriter.

Career

In 1999, he started his own label and named it Painted Sun Records. The name was inspired by the small, dingy, smelly, dark room in which he was living in San Francisco. It only had one window that opened into the wall next door in a foggy depressing neighborhood near Clement Street. Sun remembers: “Looking in the morning, all I could see was gray foggy air and the wall next door so I painted a sun on a piece of cardboard and nailed it to the next house so I could see that when I got up. That’s how Painted Sun Records got its name.”

That same year, after recording his first album, Not Afraid he went to Europe and played on Dam Square as part of the rally for the Tibetan Freedom Concert, on June 18. Jan Eckhard of the Digital Club Network writes:

I met Forest during the Tibetan Freedom Concert in Amsterdam, Holland. I was introduced to him by the promoters of the show. I was a camera operator who got stuck filming a three-hour outdoor concert without a tripod. Forest helped me wrangle cable for the first few acts then excused himself. To my surprise he appeared on stage to perform a set. It was fantastic. As a person, he is humble, and straightforward, his music tells stories that immediately deliver you to a highly reflective state. He is a truly talented and very special musician. Give him a chance, let yourself go, you won’t regret it. (Jan Eckhard, June, 1999)

After that summer, he returned to San Francisco and moved to Mill Valley where he cleaned out an old workshop covered in sawdust and turned it into a recording and art studio. This is where he recorded his second album, Plenty which was released in 2001. In 2002 he played at the Strawberry Music Festival and opened for Bonnie Raitt and Lyle Lovett at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and then opened for Jackson Browne, Keb Mo, and Steve Earle at the Concord Pavilion in 2003. His third record, For The Story was born the same year. The album features guest appearances by Jolie Holland and Hot Buttered Rum String Band. For several years Sun hosted the live monthly event called the Songbird Series, at Venue 9 and the Bazaar Café in San Francisco. And also Songbird Radio on KWMR in Point Reyes Station, California.

An East Coast tour followed; New York, the Camp Jam Festival in New Jersey, the Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, Kripalu Yoga Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and then he returned for another West Coast tour. The following year, after hosting the Songbird Showcase at the Folk Alliance conference in San Diego he did a solo acoustic tour in Arizona, Texas, California, Oregon, Washington state, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Woodstock and at the Pondalooza Festival in Vermont, Pennsylvania at Rosemont College, Florida at Café 11 in Saint Augustine, and Virginia. Walk though Walls was born out of these travels. 2004 continued to bring more performances in Costa Rica at the University of Peace, Ciudad de Colon, Miami, Austin, Joshua Tree, California and back through San Diego and up the coast. In 2005, he opened for The Beach Boys at the Mountain Winery in California and Levitt Pavilion in Connecticut, and released Walk Through Walls, an all acoustic album.

After a 2-week tour in India he returned to the United States and, prompted by his mom battle with cancer, began a benefit project to support people with cancer and their families by hosting benefit concerts in Santa Fe, New Mexico which led to producing compilations CDs called Songs for Laura. These albums bring together artists such as Sean Hayes, Animal Liberation Orchestra, Brett Dennen, Matt the Electrician, Tom Freund, Danny Schmidt, Libby Kirkpatrick and more.

March 1, 2008 marked the CD release party for So Nice and Harlequin Goodnight followed later in the year by their official release. The song "Loveseat" from the record So Nice features performances from ALO and "Queen Anne's Lace" features Sean Hayes.

Sun's 2010 release is Just for Fun, a children's album for the whole family. The recordings feature members of Marley's Ghost and other guests.

Discography

Other contributions

Sun’s music has been used in compilations and DVD sounds tracks like Japanese releases Surf Time 1 and Surf Time 2, surf documentary The 5th Symphony Document (which was released in 2001 and won the prestigious Surfer Magazine Movie of the Year award) and KFOG's Local Scene CD featuring Bay Area artists.

Sun also produced Minneapolis based singer songwriter Alex Goldfarb’s debut record Magnifying Glass.

He won first place in the Café Scene Category in the Pacific Songwriting Competition with the song "Drops in The Ocean" from the album Walk though Walls (2007).

Best Song nominee for Just Plain Folks awards with "Gurus and Rockstars" from Harlequin Goodnight (2009).

Reviews

Forest Sun is now my favorite new singer-songwriter.

I had never heard of him, even though he has seven solo albums out on his own Painted Sun Records. How did this talented guy fall though the cracks? I'm not even sure how to describe his music because it incorporates elements of folk, pop, rock, Caribbean music, Cajun, jazz, country and blues. Did I leave anything out?

Artists that he recalls include Ryan Adams, Jack Johnson, John Gorka, Todd Snider, even Van Morrison and Lyle Lovett. But I think it's more of an attitude; his songs are jaunty, timeless and spirit raising, even life-affirming.

And he even has a children's album "Just for Fun" - "a children's album that the parents will love." And it's true. Try to get the song "Trampoline" out of your head after just one listen. Can't do it.

—Mac McDonald, Monterey Herald

Just for Fun - Songs for the Little Ones

In nine songs Forest Sun offers a crash course in roots music on his seventh cd, especially aimed at children: his own Trampoline merges seamlessly with the eight classic children’s songs that he changes into reggae, funk, calypso, country and folk.

Because they are practically unknown in Europe, it doesn’t strike you when listening that this cd was made for a youthful targetgroup. Furthermore Sun and occasional friends don’t make any stylistic concessions, so that the only 37 minuten long CD is an exemplary sample card of roots styles.

—Ruud Heijier, Kippenvel

... alt country, folk-rock jams, creating a hodgepodge of comparisons that ranged from Jack Johnson to Ryan Adams to David Gray. ...even into Bob Dylan territory ... a daunting place to tread, but pulled off with the grace of a musical veteran.

—Jessica Small, Santa Barbara Independent

Fans of Van Morrison, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper pay attention!

—CD Baby

worldly singer songwriter brings the Americana home...

—Rob DeWalt, The New Mexican Pasatiempo

...a toe tapping adventure

—Matt Kramer, Pacific Sun

...a wealth of star-roaming storytelling and slow drawl intimacy, recalling everyone from Chris Smither and Ryan Adams to Lyle Lovett in their easygoing charms and front porch bonhomie

—Todd Lavoie, San Francisco Bay Guardian

From the intimate folk sound of acoustic guitar, voice, and fiddle through full-blown gospel- and R&B-driven arrangements, irresistible rock-steady reggae, and the unclassifiably eclectic hybrids on For the Story, Forest Sun rises up with an authentic, original voice.

—Derk Richardson, KPFA 94.1 FM

External links

• Forest Sun Official Site
• Forest Sun MySpace Page