Forest Sun
Encyclopedia
Forest Sun is an American troubadour and songwriter.
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:
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.
'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).
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
Dam Square
Dam Square, or simply the Dam is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city.- Location and description :...
as part of the rally for the Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund...
, on June 18. Jan Eckhard of the Digital Club Network writes:
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
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
and Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
at the Shoreline Amphitheatre
Shoreline Amphitheatre
Shoreline Amphitheatre is an outdoor amphitheater, in Mountain View, California, USA, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Inside the venue it has a capacity of 22,500, with 6,500 reserved seats and 16,000 general admission on the lawn...
and then opened for Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Keb Mo, and Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
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
Jolie Holland
Jolie Holland is an American singer and performer who combines elements of folk, traditional, country, rock, jazz, and blues...
and Hot Buttered Rum String Band
Hot Buttered Rum String Band
Hot Buttered Rum is an American five-piece progressive bluegrass act based in the San Francisco Bay Area....
. 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
Point Reyes Station, California
Point Reyes Station is small unincorporated town located in western Marin County, California. Point Reyes Station is located south-southeast of Tomales, at an elevation of . Point Reyes Station is located along State Route 1 and is a gateway to the Point Reyes National Seashore, an extremely...
.
An East Coast tour followed; New York, the Camp Jam Festival in New Jersey, the Steel City Coffee House in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, Kripalu Yoga Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,947 at the 2010 census...
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
Rosemont College
Rosemont College is a coeducational college located in Rosemont in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as a women's college. A Catholic college, it is operated by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus...
, 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
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
at the University of Peace, Ciudad de Colon, Miami, Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Joshua Tree
Joshua tree
Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, Yucca palm, Tree yucca, and Palm tree yucca....
, California and back through San Diego and up the coast. In 2005, he opened for The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
at the Mountain Winery
Mountain Winery
The Mountain Winery, formerly the Paul Masson Mountain Winery, is a winery in Saratoga, California, USA. It was founded by Paul Masson, a pioneer of the California wine industry...
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
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
which led to producing compilations CDs called Songs for Laura. These albums bring together artists such as Sean Hayes, Animal Liberation Orchestra
Animal Liberation Orchestra
Animal Liberation Orchestra is an American musical group, currently signed on Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. They have released three full length albums...
, Brett Dennen
Brett Dennen
Brett Dennen is a folk/pop singer and songwriter from Northern California.-Biography:Brett Dennen attended UC Santa Cruz from 2000–2004, where he was a student at Kresge College....
, Matt the Electrician, Tom Freund
Tom Freund
Tom Freund is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the U.S.A.. Freund met Ben Harper when he was attending Pitzer College in Claremont, California. In 1992 the duo released an album, Pleasure and Pain. Not long after, he joined the alternative country group The Silos as their bassist,...
, Danny Schmidt
Danny Schmidt
Danny Schmidt is an American singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas where he was born and raised and now lives with fellow musician and singer-songwriter Carrie Elkin.-Biography:...
, 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
Alo
Alo or ALO can refer to:* Afghanistan Liberation Organization* Ahwaz Liberation Organisation * Air liaison officer* Alloa railway station in Clackmannanshire, Scotland* Alo , also known as Tu`a...
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
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Not Afraid |
| 2001 | Plenty |
| 2003 | For The Story |
| 2005 | Walk though Walls |
| 2006 | Dancing Again (Japanese release on Buffalo Records) |
| 2008 | Songs for Laura |
| Harlequin Goodnight | |
| So Nice | |
| 2009 | Songs for Laura Volume 2 |
| 2010 | Just for Fun |
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 KFOGKFOG
KFOG is an FM radio station in San Francisco, California, broadcasting on 104.5 and sister station KFFG 97.7 FM MHz. The 97.7 transmitter is located near Cupertino, California, and it is a simulcast of 104.5 KFOG....
's Local Scene CD featuring Bay Area artists.
Sun also produced Minneapolis based singer songwriter Alex Goldfarb
Alex Goldfarb
-Biography:Born in Seini in Romania, Goldfarb made aliyah to Israel in 1963. He worked as an electrician, amongst others in the Israel Electric Corporation, where he was also active in the trade union....
’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).