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New Album & Tour
July 1st, 2026 by Amaris Becker
From their start in a dorm room at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, to selling out shows across the globe on their Bones Tour, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has finally returned to North America for their victory lap.
Their Bones Tour isn’t just a concert series – it’s the culmination of a decade’s effort becoming one of indie music’s most beloved bands. Their following is not one built from algorithms or viral fame, but from the love of their fans and their friends who trust them enough to listen to their recommendation of a self-admitted, uniquely named band, and saw why they were so highly recommended.
This band has built a reputation from deeply personal songwriting and welcoming performances. RKS have been one of indie music’s most quietly influential bands, and this summer’s tour feels like a long-overdue arrival into the spotlight. Known for blending indie rock, folk, and soul, the band has leaned into alternative rock and pop in recent albums.
The Appalachian alums have never looked back since they first blew up. The band features Ela Melo on vocals, Darrick “Bozzy” Keller on guitar and backup vocals, Ethan Goodpaster on lead guitar, and Jess Haney slaps the skins. Their collective sonic vision delivers a uniquely crafted journey of sight and sound.
No matter where they play, their fans show up and scream for their favorite songs, “Mission to Mars,” “It’s Called: Freefall,” “Painkillers,” “Our Song,” “Wasted,” “Cocaine Jesus,” and their latest, “Never Have I Ever.”
There is a difference between a good band and a great one – the ladder being the emotion displayed by their fans at their shows. All things being equal, Rainbow Kitten Surprise is on the cusp of being phenomenal.
Boone, North Carolina’s Cigarettes at Sunset; whose self-described “possum rock” blends Americana, indie rock, and Appalachian folk, joins Rainbow Kitten Surprise through the end of July, bringing another hometown connection to the tour. Spacey Jane, the Australian indie rock band currently making serious waves back home, will take over support duties for the September dates, closing out the tour.
There’s something genuinely moving about RKS. Looking at their socials, it is obvious this band did not chase trends or compromise their sound or beliefs to reach this level of success. They continue to make honest and emotionally vulnerable music for their fans, resulting in their audience growing until the rooms they’ve been playing in had no choice but to get bigger.
For anyone experiencing Rainbow Kitten Surprise for the first time, while this band may no longer be indie rock’s best-kept secret, there’s no better introduction into RKS than the Bones Tour.
Their music hasn’t changed from what made people fall in love with them in the first place; it simply evolved alongside the band, inviting new listeners to discover a beloved catalog that has resonated with fans for years.
TO FOLLOW
SID 250701 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
