Genuine Sun
With an explosive emergence into the national rock scene, Genuine Sun,
a melodic rock powerhouse, has reached the Top 30 on the FMQB AC40 Chart,
rising just behind Lifehouse, Matchbox Twenty, John Mayer and Colbie Caillat,
with “Goodbye,” the first single from their debut album ‘Return’. This melodic rock powerhouse shines a light on the Indie scene as the first artist signed to
Blaster Records.

 
Lead singer and songwriter Dave Ritz, his longtime friends, Adam Marra (lead guitar), Joey Gerbasi (drums) and bassist Tim Kollar have been performing in a grueling gig schedule all over the Midwest, with regular shows at hotspots like The House of Blues in Cleveland, Bogarts in Cincinnati and the Newport Theatre in Columbus.

Now, building upon an already impressive regional success story that includes regular appearances at the Hard Rock Café and House of Blues everywhere from Philly to Chicago and Nashville, the melodic powerhouse band is starting to break beyond the Midwest thanks to “Goodbye,” the irresistible first single from their debut album Return.

Breaking recently onto the FMQB AC40 chart at #27, the track is gaining steam right behind current hits by superstar acts Lifehouse, Matchbox Twenty, John Mayer and Colbie Caillat. FMQB also recently did a “Get To Know…” feature on Genuine Sun that introduced quirky and cool personal details about each band member. The band recently did an extensive Southeastern radio station tour that took them to Orlando, Mobile, Charleston and other markets in the Carolinas.

Besides LeBron and the Museum, another legendary local icon familiar to residents of The Forest City is Blaster Chemicals, which boasts over 50 years of manufacturing penetrants, lubricants, rust inhibitors and formulas for the automotive, industrial and hardware industries. Eager to expand his interests into the music industry, Tom Porter, the Cleveland based company’s chairman, was inspired to launch Blaster Records after being blown away by Genuine Sun’s opening performance at a benefit concert at the House of Blues in December 2006.

Porter’s production company had financed the show featuring numerous local artists, but this was the first that the executive had heard of Genuine Sun, and he immediately put his money where his mouth was. Genuine Sun became the flagship artist for the newly formed label and a starting point for a growing roster of groundbreaking independent bands in the future.

“Before the show, the band was backstage in the dressing room and Tom came in like a regular guy, asking us, ‘what’s happening?’ and sharing a scotch,” says Ritz. “Then we played and his wife kept asking him, who are these guys, they’re better than the headlining act. We kept in touch with him, became good friends, and he quickly took us on as a new project and a starting point for his record company. I think the thing that won Tom over was the fact that we’re very much focused on good songs with strong hooks that people will remember the minute after they hear them. Even before we hooked up with Blaster, that’s what Genuine Sun’s been about. Our live Show is our Bread & Butter. When we perform, we want people to leave the show with something or just a reaction like, Oh wow, these guys rock.”

Porter, who has owned Blaster Chemicals since 1994, says he launched a second career in the music industry to fill a void in his life that being a successful industrialist couldn’t fill. “The chemical business isn’t very sexy and in some ways, the thrill is gone,” he says - “After seeing Genuine Sun perform and getting to know Dave Ritz and the guys, I became a huge fan and started the label to promote the band. We’ve assembled a great team of music industry veterans and are having great success getting them exposure, which is the key to taking them to the next level. Working with Genuine Sun and running the label has been exciting and romantic for me and made my life a much richer experience. Everything about this is win-win.”

Genuine Sun also has the enthusiastic backing and marketing expertise of another local legend, renowned veteran broadcast consultant Mike McVay, a 35-year broadcaster who is President of Cleveland based McVay Media. Officially a consultant for Genuine Sun, McVay was quoted at the recent Radio & Records convention in Charlotte saying that in his 35 years on the radio business, this is the first time he has actually discovered a band.

“We’re so excited to have such a tremendous support system behind us,” says Ritz, who has been friends with Marra and Gerbasi since high school. “The main thing about Genuine Sun is that we’re a true rock band and we like to rock out and put on a show that everyone can totally enjoy. With rock, there’s always a fine line between being too hard edged for the band’s own good, but even when we’re jamming hard, the songwriting is at the forefront. The tunes are fun and easy to listen to.

“I’m a huge fan of rockers who are also great songwriters like Tom Petty, Rob Thomas and especially Dave Matthews, who is my all-time rock hero,” he adds. “When I write a song, I want it to be memorable, with that hook you can’t get out of your head. Those guys are all master lyricists as well, and I love working with words that have a deep meaning to people, that remind people of different times in their lives. I truly believe that everyone out there can relate to all of the songs on Return.”

The lead single “Goodbye,” a playful and wistful reflection on a summer love, makes the perfect soundtrack for the upcoming season—and showcases the optimism that characterizes Ritz’s overall songwriting vibe. It’s about all those special moments you create with someone you know is just a temporary light in your life. As he says, “It’s a good goodbye. They both know they’re heading for some amazing relationships in the future.” Likewise, “Feel” has a high-spirited, upbeat groove and celebrates life and love. It’s a fun, good mood tune that talks of some frustrations in a relationship but looks for the silver lining. Beyond the sweetness and light, Ritz delves into some heavier longing emotions on the title track “Return” (about the heartache of longing to spend just one more day with someone you¹ve loved and lost) and chronicles the frustration of giving our all to a nonchalant partner on “Throw It Away.”

In addition to playing full band shows, Ritz occasionally does duo gigs with Marra and performs solo acoustic dates on occasion. “This kind of versatility and being able to adapt the music of Genuine Sun to different settings goes back to something Rob Thomas once said about a good melody being the most important aspect of what makes a band connect with the audience. The connection with the fans is the reason we’re all doing this, and when they’re singing along to one of our songs, there’s no better feeling in the world. The crowd only sees the end result when they see us perform the songs onstage. But it’s cool also to let them in closer and remind them that each song began in a lonelier, quieter place, back in my living room with just an acoustic guitar or the piano. Songs have even come to me when I’m outside cutting the grass. I run in, get it down and go back out and continue. It’s a process I’m always fascinated by.”

Album Review: ‘Return’ by Genuine Sun.
The first thing that came to mind when I listened to Genuine Sun’s debut album ‘Return’, was - how can this be a debut album? These guys sound like they’ve been playing to sold-out stadiums for the past 10 years. From the first song on the album ‘Feel’ to the last song ‘Champagne’ – expect nothing less than pure originality, strong melodies that will hook you immediately, wistful words that will resonate with your inner being, and a kick-ass sound that comes from a kick-ass band that not only knows their music, but obviously loves it. Every note has a place in their songs, and listening to just one song isn’t enough - these guys are the next biggest talent to watch so be sure to put their album in your collection. Review by Lisa D. Smith.

Dave Ritz, lead singer and songwriter for Genuine Sun was a featured guest on SouthwestBlend.com’s ‘Champagne Sundays’ Online Radio Show. The show aired live on June 8^th, 2008. To listen to the entire, unedited show, please click here. To Listen to Dave’s interview and to hear their songs ‘Goodbye’ and ‘Return’ - please Double Click on the Play Button Below. 

For more about Genuine Sun and to buy a copy of their Debut Album ‘Return’ – visit www.GenuineSunMusic.com