Roo AOTD #50 Rainbow Kitten Surprise

By Daniel Karasek | March 24, 2025

All aboard the hype train for Bonnaroo 2025! Only 80 days until we are all on the Farm again, can you believe it? It’s coming up fast and we can’t wait to be dancing with all of you at Bonnaroo! Today’s Artist of the Day is the one and only Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Learn more about the artist below. Don’t forget to check out all of our artist spotlights! Thank you for reading these posts!

Artist Biography

Rainbow Kitten Surprise has become one of the most electrifying and emotionally resonant names in indie rock, blending raw vulnerability with genre-defying sound. Formed in 2013 at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, the band’s lineup has evolved over the years, with founding members Sam Melo and Darrick “Bozzy” Keller recruiting Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt to complete their lineup. Their ability to merge folk, rock, and alternative influences has created a sound that feels timeless and fiercely modern, a sound that pulls listeners in, compelling them to sit with their emotions and never shy away from authenticity.

Their debut album, Seven, was released independently in 2015 and helped to establish them as a force within the underground scene. A few years later, the band re-released Seven as Seven + Mary, combining their early work and showcasing their ability to evolve musically while staying true to the raw emotional core of their sound. But it was 2018’s How To: Friend, Love, Freefall—released under Elektra Records—that truly launched them into the mainstream, particularly with the breakout single “Hide,” which would become a defining track of their career. The song’s haunting and heartfelt delivery was a clear reflection of the band’s ability to intertwine intimate storytelling with infectious melodies.

In 2022, the band’s lead vocalist, Ela Melo, made a deeply personal revelation when she publicly came out as transgender, marking a pivotal moment in both her own life and the band’s. Her bravery has added even more depth to the emotional resonance of their music, giving their already powerful lyrics a new level of authenticity.

With their fourth studio album, Love Hate Music Box, released in 2024, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has evolved yet again, crafting a collection of songs that reflect the hardships Melo faced over the past six years. The album feels like a reckoning, one that’s been earned through personal trials, and it’s a powerful testament to the band’s journey. It’s music that’s meant to be felt as much as it’s meant to be heard—a sonic space where joy and pain exist in equal measure.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise isn’t just a band; they are a living, breathing force in indie rock—one that continues to redefine what it means to be vulnerable in the public eye. Every record, every performance, is another chapter in their ongoing exploration of self, love, and all the complexities in between.