SUNSHINE BOYSCLUB

BY CLARA SEELY-KATZ

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

In this article, read all about Sunshine Boysclub, the solo musical endeavor pioneered by the ever-talented Sam Martin. The new music’s mixture of upbeat sounds and bright colors paired with the lyricist's ability to encapsulate feelings of inadequacy and struggle make this Los Angeles-based artist's music a compelling listen. Our conversation covers the path that led him to where he is today, his various successes in bands, and what he wants listeners to take away from his music.

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

Sunshine Boysclub is a psychedelic-pop dream that explores topics of mental turmoil with the blasé attitude of a young teen boy in the seventies (the aesthetics, of course, help promote this idea). In my conversation with Sam Martin, he wanted to stress that although the songs on his new LP Hut on the Hill (out September 17th) cover dark topics and his own personal frustrations with life, he wanted every song to be a good time. Although the upbeat tempo of his music mixed with the darker musings of the lyrics can be jarring at times, all in all, it makes the album a very fun and fresh new listen. Think Elliot Smith in bell bottoms and grooving through the pain. Martin's Sunshine Boysclub really is a treat. 

Sam Martin has been in a few bands before his recent solo ventures, including Iglu & Hartly and the ever-popular Youngblood Hawke, but Sunshine Boys club is truly his own project and where Martin shines brightest. I started off our conversation by asking Martin how his pandemic experience has been. Luckily it sounded like he was able to make the most out of a challenging situation; he explained, "It allowed me the space to only focus on one thing and not have to worry about making money since that wasn't even an option. It was great; I was in the studio ten hours a day writing, and it really was a magical time for me. As hard as it is to say, this past year has given me the space and the freedom I needed to create. I've been working on music off and on for the past few years because I was so busy with other things. I never really gave it my all, but with everything shut down, I was able to focus." The positive outcomes are evident, as recently, he has released not just one but three new and funky songs in succession: Patience, Don’t See Why, and Like A God. 

The artistic style of Sunshine Boysclub is cohesive in a way that only an experienced musician could cultivate, and Martin has had experience. Martin told me he was an “avid listener and fan of music growing up”  but that it wasn't until later, when he started freshman year of college, that his true passion for music was realized. According to Martin, he started messing around playing music with some friends, and "something clicked, and I just became absolutely obsessed with singing and writing." Although he started his music career while at school in Colorado, he and his bandmates quickly realized they wanted to come to Los Angeles and really put their all into their music. After leaving college and making the big move to Los Angeles, his first band was quickly signed, and he felt like he was on his way. However, that didn't last very long as Martin explained to me, “we spent a couple of years touring, but that band came to a pretty abrupt end because one of the members had struggled with alcohol and drugs; so it really ended as quickly as it started.” After the dissolution of his first band, he and the previous band's guitarist decided to start a new project and so created Youngblood Hawke, with whom he toured a few more years. 

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

When I asked him how his pre-band college years shaped (or didn’t shape) him, he told me how much he truly loved his time in school. "It was a rad school, a very creative school. I met the kids who basically changed my life. They were true musicians and really talented. Without them, I don't think I would have ever kind of gone down this path. So I'm grateful for that."

Martin has been in Los Angeles now for around fifteen years, and so I felt the need to ask him about his opinions on the “city of angels”. Specifically, I wondered if there were any significant negatives to the music scene of Los Angeles. He couldn't really muster up any big complaints, as he explained to me, "I don't think there are any negative aspects of it. I mean, that's kind of why I moved here. In each band I was in, we had a really cool community of other artists and other bands. We'd go to their shows, they'd come to ours, and I still have some best friends now who are people I met through the music scene".  That being said, he did admit that sometimes the fact that there are so many hustlers in one city "can get a little weary but it is a magical place. I think that it's a place where there's just a lot of opportunity for you to get heard or seen in whatever you're trying to pursue."

Martin's musical influences range from The Rolling Stones to the Bee Gees, but he also is inspired by newer artists who have clear artistic intent and uniquely stylize their music. To Martin, the most exciting part about music is finding and cultivating your own sound and aesthetics, and his can be seen clearly in his music videos. Created on shoestring budgets, his new songs and accompanying videos have clear thematic ties and captivating visuals. His seventies/eighties influences can be seen in the very textured music videos that complement his pop music's darkness as well as its lightness.

I asked Martin if he ever considered directing or producing for other artists. He explained that he is really enjoying this time writing and creating his own music and genuinely figuring out his own voice first. "The thing that I love about writing music is it's not just music. You get to make the videos and the album art. I think that is what I really love about my new project (Sunshine Boysclub). Being in bands, and the collaboration that comes with that, is amazing, but in all the bands I've ever been in, I never really got to express my perspective fully. That's part of being in a band; all the members have to come up with something that they all agree on, which involves many compromises. So the thread of this solo project is that it is my first chance to take the creative reins and make the things I'm seeing in my head come to life, without having to run it by someone else."

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

Martin's new record was a cathartic process for the musician, a way to work through his feelings of stress, failure, and the multiple emotions that came with being in a few successful bands. In his words, it's about "throwing yourself in a hole, and having the courage and patience to pull yourself back out again." If you take away anything from Martin's new music, it should be, as he said to me, that "things ebb and flow and sometimes you're up and sometimes it down, but both states are crucial. You learn a lot about yourself from your time down in the muck when you're not feeling too hot, which allows you to enjoy the highs and when you are happy. My advice is just keep moving, keep your feet moving. Be nice to yourself, be kind to yourself, because there is always a chance for things to get better."

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

PHOTOGRAPHER: DANIEL YOON

Sunshine Boysclub

Check out Sam Martin’s Sunshine Boysclub on Instagram, and stream his new music here.

SPOTLIGHT LA: Los Angeles has a vibrant community of creatives ranging from photographers, actors, musicians, and everything in between. Some are known, some are unknown, but they all deserve a spotlight on their talent and efforts. This column is dedicated to them.