“As we all know there are many challenges in the world. I believe music is the great equalizer between all humans. More than that, I believe that most people rely on the music they listen to as their own personal oasis from the day-to-day grind of life.”

Sunny Bleau: Fly to The (Blues) Moons

The band, Sunny Bleau and The Moons, is led by the powerhouse alto-vocals of Sunny Bleau and guitarist/ composer/ producer Nicholas Cocco. Based in Oxford, Michigan USA, the duo penned and released four full length studio albums and multiple singles between 2021 and 2025 receiving much positive press and ackolades for both their studio endeavors as well as their dynamic live performances. Working as both a Duo group and with their full band, Sunny Bleau and The Moons perform over 60 shows per year, in multiple states from Michigan to Florida and from Tennessee to New York! Kelly Brock, aka “Sunny Bleau,” is known for her straightforward lyrics, passionate performances, strong vocals, and playful personality. When writing and performing with Nic Cocco they have created some great music. They have teamed up with longtime bluesman Mick Kolassa to produce their new album, Passion and Regrets (2025).

(Photo: Sunny Bleau & The Moons)

On August 10, 2024, Sunny Bleau and THe Moons joined the Endless Blues Records family and immediately began work on their 4th feature album 'Passion and Regrets.'  Recorded in Memphis, TN in October, 2024 and produced by legendary bluesman Mick Kolassa, the 10-track album combines beautifully crafted and purposeful lyrics with soaring melodies and instrumentation. Bringing together a team of Mick’s “usual suspects” (drummer James Cunningham, bassist Bill Ruffino, Rick Steff on multiple keyboards, and a few tasty licks from guitarist Jeff Jensen). To add to the already impressive list of talent on the album, Sunny and Nic invited the amazing young harp player Kiersi Joli and their dear friend Dr. Peter Stephenson to round out this wonderful team of musicians.

Interview by Michael Limnios                    Special Thanks: Frank Roszak Promotions

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

As we all know there are many challenges in the world. I believe music is the great equalizer between all humans. More than that, I believe that most people rely on the music they listen to as their own personal oasis from the day-to-day grind of life. I listen to a wide variety of music. I listen to the story being shared and I want to be moved by the groove of the song. I want to be transported to the places that the singer and musicians are taking me. That is also what I want people to find in our music. I want them to find real, relatable stories set to music that moves them. When Nic Cocco and I started writing songs together, it was life changing for me. Suddenly, I had a way to bring my thoughts and feelings to life – its as if anything is achievable.

How do you describe your band’s sound and songbook? What is the driving force behind your continuous support for your music?

I am a storyteller. I love observing the life around me and writing about it and getting together with Nic to set the ideas to music. I also love retelling, adapting and reimagining many of the stories written by others that resonate with me. Songs like Etta James “At Last” or “I Sing The Blues” or Junior Walker’s “Messin With The Kid” or Kansas Joe McCoy’s “Why Don’t You Do Right?” or Paul Rodgers “Burnin’ Sky” to name just a few. I like songs that have a story to tell! Our band’s sound is focused on audience engagement. We play the blues – not gunslinger blues – storytellin’ blues. Blues that inspires, blues that you can move to, and, we hope blues that makes you think about life. We have incredible musicians in Sunny Bleau and The Moons, but we have always made it a point that the story is the most important aspect of our music.

”Both Nic and I fear for that the future of music is squarely in the path of AI.”

(Photo: Sunny Bleau & Nicholas Cocco)

Currently you’ve one release with Mick Kolassa. How did that relationship come about? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album Passion and Regrets?

Well, in November of 2023, my name was one of the 10 lucky names to get pulled from the hat by Michele Siedman, president and CBW of National Women in Blues to perform at National Women in Blues Showcase at Alfred’s on Beale Street in January 2024 during the International Blues Challenge. The weather that year was awful. Many people couldn’t even get there to perform. But Nic and I made down there, and we performed with Gina Coleman’s Misty Blues band. But due to the weather, Mick and many others were late to arrive. In fact, we were originally scheduled for 2:30pm performance but ended up performing at 12pm to accommodate the other artists late arrival. After the Showcase ended, Anne Bello, who we met on the same trip to Memphis, came up to us and said, Mick Kolassa from Endless Blues Records didn’t get to see your performance because of his late arrival, would you like to meet him and we said sure! She gave us a time, and as instructed we went to 152 Beale to meet Mick. The meeting was very casual and very nice. At the end of it, we exchanged business cards, shook hands and Nic and I both thought – another nice meeting but probably not going to turn into anything. Coming out of the WIB Showcase, we started to get a lot of momentum, more bookings and we were able to get an invite to perform at the North Central Florida Women in Blues Showcase the upcoming May. Well, in order for us to go, we needed to work our way down from Michigan to Florida and back. So we put our first official tour together May of 2024 – 3,600 miles in 13-days, 9 performances in Moonbeam (our converted RV/Tourbus) to generate enough money for fuel and food for 4 people. With Tom Sumner on drums and C.C. Wilson on bass, we performed in Ohio, West Virgina, (3) Florida, (3) Memphis, TN and Illinois before heading back to Michigan.

We were setting up to perform at South Main Sounds when Mick Kolassa along with Doug McCloud showed up to see us. We performed our sets and Mick stayed for the entire show and we talked for a bit afterwards. That meant so much to us. He said, “well, I missed your performance during Women In Blues, so I thought I would make up for it here.” It was really cool. While we were there, Nic mentioned to Mick that we were working on material for a new album and asked if it would it be ok to send him some tracks. He said sure. So when we got home from the tour, Nic started sending scratch tracks over to Mick one at a time. The first couple Mick wasn’t thrilled with – they were rough and not well thought out at the time. When Mick heard “two glasses of whiskey on Ice” – he called Nic. After a few minutes talking about the song, Nic asked if Mick would like to produce the new album. Mick said: “If the rest of the album is going to be like this, then Yes.” So, we met in January 2024, Joined forces to work together in August, busted butt to be ready to go to Memphis to record in October and Launched the album January 2025. We went from Meet and Greet to making the baby in 12 months!

It is impossible to do anything with Mick Kolassa and NOT have a story or two! The man knows or knew almost every significant figure in Blues since the early 1960s, has 15 of his own albums, recorded with some of the biggest names in blues, many of whom are on his albums. But, the most significant story to tell as of this date is how seriously and professionally he goes about the business of producing.

Before going to Memphis to record, at Mick’s request, we went to Mick’s home for a weekend and poured through every song. I mean every note, every lyric – he wanted to know everything about the song, what inspired it, why “that lyric” – why “that note”, why “that instrument”, why “that form” and so on. He took the time to get his head where ours already were AND THEN, offered ideas and thoughts for us to try. 3-weeks later, he came to our home for a weekend – and we did it again!

More questions, thoughts, conversation, trying different things. In the end, he did what every great producer does, he helped us develop our best version of our own song for the recording. The version that represents not only our emotions, thoughts and feelings, but our “Passions and Regrets.” Yes, there are many more stories, but that one is probably the one Nic and I will tell people until our last breaths.

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Both Nic and I fear for that the future of music is squarely in the path of AI. The genuine voices and talents of musicians are being replaced by computer generated and pitch corrected voices and instruments. We fear that children of future generations will not understand and appreciate that music represents the human condition as portrayed by humans. Another very unique and often great thing about the early blues genre is the “song call and response.” Long before social media, a woman (or man) could record and release a song to the public, and sometimes, a man or (a woman) would record and release a counterpoint song that serves as an answer or response. This public airing of personal issues would often be the core of spirited public debate in the juke joints. Back in the day this was commonplace. I wish we had this again instead of social media. To my knowledge, this only happened in blues.

What does it mean to be a female artist in “a man’s world” as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

The greatest blues singer/songwriter/storyteller and innovator of all times was Bessie Smith followed closely by the 1000’s of other women who came after her. There are plenty of great men, please don’t get me wrong, but the earliest recordings of the Blues were by women. Women will always play an important role in music, especially the blues. Since the blues is about the human condition, women are needed to tell the other half of every story!

”Long before social media, a woman (or man) could record and release a song to the public, and sometimes, a man or (a woman) would record and release a counterpoint song that serves as an answer or response. This public airing of personal issues would often be the core of spirited public debate in the juke joints. Back in the day this was commonplace. I wish we had this again instead of social media. To my knowledge, this only happened in blues.” (Photo: Kelly Brock aka Sunny Bleau, Detroit Michigan-based powerhouse singer)

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

Blues is about the truth, as the artist sees it, at the moment in time they penned the story. Stay true to your story and as your story evolves, update the story! Overtime, stories do change as the circumstances of your life change. The fans of your music will appreciate you letting them grow and morph with you. When you beat the “same drum over and over, you are not growing and neither is your fan base.”

Why is it important to preserve and spread the Blues? What is the role of music in today’s society?

As we discussed earlier, the blues is about the truth. The people who come to our live shows are there because they want to hear and see how we present and tell our stories, or they wouldn’t buy a ticket. Yes, people want to be entertained, but they want to be meaningfully entertained. We preserve the blues, one personal, meaningful story at a time. We preserve the blues by telling the stories of our lives in a song. The things we did right, the things we did wrong. The things we’ve seen, heard, watched and felt.

That has been the role of music for at least 400 hundred years, and it’s still the role of music. Humans sharing thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences with other humans!

Sunny Bleau & The Moons - Home

(Photo: Sunny Bleau and Nicholas Cocco)