New Artist Discovery: Sun Airway

Sun Airway (Photo via Dead Oceans)

Here's a simple rule -- when you hear that a new band is on tour with a group you already like, it's a wise move to check them out.  When I read that Sun Airway was traveling with M83, it made me want to delve deeper.  By embracing all things synths with a pop sensibility, M83 has moved on from their solid but small opening festival slot during last year's Moogfest into headlining bigger arenas, with like minded Sun Airway in tow.

Sun Airway's recent release Soft Fall was featured on MTV Hive with an interview with Jon Bauthmus, the Phili-based singer/songwriter who is behind these "electro-acoustic pop productions." As a graphic designer, Bauthmus approaches composition with an artistic eye for chopping up classical music samples. He records them live with the help of an arranger, Joshua Stamper, who would "try and rebuild them into sheet music" (according to Bauthmus). Quite the musical experiment, rendering an unusual sound structure for incorporating strings into the songs.

Take a listen on the MTV Hive webpage or in the mixtape from the Sun Airway Soundcloud page here.