Wake-up call
Working on new album helps revive Sleepy Sun’s love of music
Bret Constantino learns something new every day.
It’s what makes life fun and interesting.
In the case of making a new album, Constantino and the other members of his band, Sleepy Sun, had to figure out how to deal with not being in the same place while writing for the album, “Private Tales.”
“The process was a bit disjointed, and we were separated for a lot of the time,” he says in a recent phone interview. “I was living in Texas for the first year and a half. We continued to write, and then the drummer, Brian (Tice), was gone for the second year of writing. It was a challenge but also inspiring for us.”
Sleepy Sun, a psychedelic rock band based in San Francisco, released its first album in 2009. The band is rounded out by Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss.
The latest album was released in June, and the band has new music for the first time in three years.
Being apart was only one of the struggles for the band.
Constantino says that during the writing process, there was a moment where he questioned whether he really wanted to continue playing music for a living.
With life as a touring musician getting tougher, he realized he wanted to broaden his horizons.
“I needed to do other things with my time to make money and try to make a living doing something else,” he says. “For me, I started cooking more. And during the two-year process, I began to love writing again. I created a new identity for me while writing. It became fun again, and I knew I wanted to finish this album.”
With “Private Tales” completed, Constantino and the band realize they can continue with music and do other things with their lives.
“We enjoy touring and making music,” he says. “I think the main part of us needing a break came from the fact that we were on the road basically since our first album. We were getting tired of playing the same songs for years. Having time away from the band really helped me get a different perspective.”
Constantino is also taking away the fact that Sleepy Sun can still make music on its own terms.
“We don’t have to be in the same place to write,” he says. “This album really ignited the love for music again. We know that we can continue to tour and have fun.”