"Blues is in a sense the seed from which most the other modern genres grew out of. I think often people are sometimes tribal in the music they listen to, but I think many people grow out of that, and I’m hopeful for a reemergence of blues rock music, or more likely, a “new style” that is a reinvention of blues."

Until the Sun: Blues Rock Enchantment

Arizona-based Rocking Blues band of Until the Sun formed in 2017. Their music includes and often fuses elements of Blues, Alternative Rock, Pink-Floyd-esque Psychedelia, and Jazz. Until the Sun quickly began playing national shows, has opened up for famous Blues and Rock artists, and has played world renowned venues. The band includes Brandon Teskey on lead guitar, Alyssa Swartz on vocals, Chris Tex on drums, David Raymer on Bass, and Michael Young on Keyboard. Until the Sun released their first album, ‘Blackheart’, in 2019 and completed their second album ‘Drowning in Blue’ in 2021. Then in 2022, Until the Sun released a live album consisting of mostly new material, entitled 'A Night at the Rhythm Room'. In 2023, Until the Sun released their latest psychedelic blues rock album, 'Enchantment'.

(Photo: Until the Sun are Brandon Teskey, Alyssa Swartz, Chris Tex, David Raymer, and Michael Young)

The band members all poured their hearts and souls into striving for what was before unattained levels of musicianship, songwriting, tone, performance, and reaching new levels of professionalism that continues to develop. Their music includes and often fuses elements of Blues, Alternative Rock, Pink-Floyd-esque, Psychedelia, and Jazz.

Interview by Michael Limnios                   Archive: Until The Sun, 2022 Interview

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

Brandon: For me, playing guitar has been a lifelong journey. I started playing in bands by the time I was 15 with people who were 30 or forty years my senior. When you are just learning as a kid, a lot of what one does is imitative, but along the way, listening to various artists, different styles of music and learning musical theory, somewhere along the way, you start developing your own voice and sounding like you. Learning and growing as a musician has been an ongoing process, both for playing guitar and songwriting. Since Until the Sun started, we’ve definitely moved in a more bluesy direction than our first album and our latest album, ‘Enchantment’ attempted to encapsulate the British psychedelic blues rock of the mid-late 60s.

As far as what has remained the same, for me, two things, my drive and hunger to improve, get better, and make whatever the next thing we’re doing, the best thing we’ve ever done. Secondly, another consistent is at least for me, is whatever I do, I keep one hand on the blues at all times. No matter what style I play or direction we go, blues is at the foundation or a crucial ingredient for me.

Alyssa: I have grown confident in my abilities as a musician in all areas. What remains the same in my music-making process is I’m most inspired when I’m going through something hard in life. And when I write a song, I always seem to start writing my choruses before I get the song's verse.

Currently you’ve one more release with Until The Sun. How did the idea of band come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album 'Enchantment'?

Brandon: Yes, for this latest release, ‘Enchantment’, we were heavily influenced by the sound of 60’s Psychedelic blues rock music (Hendrix, Cream, early Zeppelin, Yardbirds, the Beatles, Pink Floyd, etc.) That inspiration influenced a lot of how this album was recorded. Everything from the decision to basically cut a lot of the recording live in the studio, like the way things were done back then, in order to capture the warm sound, a little of the microphone bleed, to the equipment used, like old mics, vintage amplifiers, fuzz boxes and old guitars. Everything was done to try and capture something sonically classic, but also a new interpretation and our own unique take on it.

"Blues is the foundation for a lot of the great music we hear today; it’s important to keep it alive. I don’t know about the balance between the two. All I know is that if it’s feeding your soul and people can relate to it, that’s what counts." (Photo: Until the Sun, Rocking Blues band straight from the Arizona desert, their music includes and often fuses elements of Blues, Alternative Rock, Psychedelia, and Jazz)

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

Brandon: There have been a lot of great moments, from being the opening act for some of my heroes, to meeting with B.B. King, who took nearly half an hour out of his day to speak with me, to lessons along the way that opened up musical worlds, but right now, the highlight for me is this new album. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. Since we were essentially cutting a lot of it live in the studio, leading up to the recording sessions, for months I’d practice for three to five hours a night so I could improvise over any of those solos. I think the whole band really came in prepared and brought everything they had to the table. Alyssa laid down some of the most phenomenal vocals I’ve ever heard, and Chris’s Drums were amazingly tight. He got almost every song in one or two takes.

Alyssa: What changed my music life the most would be joining Until the Sun. I hadn't been in a real band before I met them. The highlights in my music life have been our new album, Enchantment, which we just released. I got to have a more significant influence; because the last album I had come into it at a time where a lot of the writing was already done. Another highlight is all the different shows I have been able to play since joining Until the Sun one of the best ones has been the blues festivals we have played in California and Whiskey a Go Go.

What would you say characterizes Arizona blues rock scene in comparison toother local US scenes and circuits?

Brandon: I wish Arizona had more of a blues scene. It’s not as prevalent as Texas or even California, but there are some cool blues bands in town and some awesome venues, like the Rhythm Room that are keeping it alive out here.

Alyssa: There isn't much of one out here in Arizona but we are trying to help grow the audience by playing and connecting with other musicians who carry the same influences in their music. We also traveling to other places that have a bigger scene for blues rock music.

"I believe that there can be. I think our bluesy, rocky sound, with its little touches of other influences that every band mate brings into it, can speak to a younger generation and really, I think it can speak to any generation. Blues has a lot of soul in it that is so relatable to everyone." (Photo: Brandon Teskey on lead guitar and Alyssa Swartz on vocals of Until the Sun)

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues rock?

Brandon: I think technique and musical theory can add a lot to a player’s arsenal of ideas. It can be beneficial both in soloing and in songwriting to understand how a Jazz musician’s, or classical musician’s approach to harmony would be over a certain song structure and incorporate those ideas into new songs, but if you don’t have soul, you don’t have anything at all as far as I’m concerned. Albert King may only have used five or six notes for a solo, but look at all he did with those notes.

Blues music is kind of the bed rock of almost all American music. Everything from Jazz, to Country, Rock and Roll, Funk, to Heavy Metal, from R&B, Indy, Pop and alternative, all evolved from the blues. So, it’s somewhere embedded in there. I think if you go back to the original wellspring of the great blues artists with everything that has happened since in perspective, sometimes you can come away with a new musical take on things.

Alyssa: Blues is the foundation for a lot of the great music we hear today; it’s important to keep it alive. I don’t know about the balance between the two. All I know is that if it’s feeding your soul and people can relate to it, that’s what counts.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Brandon: To never quit. To musically keep striving to be better. Never be satisfied or complacent as a musician. You’re either getting better or worse. I’m inspired by players like the late Jeff Beck, or players like Scott Henderson, who always keep growing and they never lost the hunger to get better and strive to make the next project the best thing they’ve done.

For songwriting, take the inspiration when it comes, and then develop those ideas.

Alyssa: Making music that speaks to you is important, and remembering to think about your audience is important, too. When you're onstage, you want your audience to feel a connection to the music.

"I wish Arizona had more of a blues scene. It’s not as prevalent as Texas or even California, but there are some cool blues bands in town and some awesome venues, like the Rhythm Room that are keeping it alive out here."

(Photo: Until the Sun, their hearts and souls into striving for what was before unattained levels of musicianship, songwriting, tone, performance, and reaching new levels of professionalism that continues to develop)

Do you think there is an audience for blues rock music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?

Brandon: I do. Because I think it transcends genres. Blues is in a sense the seed from which most the other modern genres grew out of. I think often people are sometimes tribal in the music they listen to, but I think many people grow out of that, and I’m hopeful for a reemergence of blues rock music, or more likely, a “new style” that is a reinvention of blues.

Alyssa: I believe that there can be. I think our bluesy, rocky sound, with its little touches of other influences that every band mate brings into it, can speak to a younger generation and really, I think it can speak to any generation. Blues has a lot of soul in it that is so relatable to everyone.

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