Leisure Coast garage rockers Sun Sap release debut EP

The cover art of the five-track record (which can be found on iTunes or stores like Franks Wild Years) is of the red brick exterior of Thirroul’s Beach Motel and the escarpment poking through in the background.

“I thought it captured some sort of vibe that’s in the music – that sort of beachy, Americana thing,” guitarist Evan Rotherham said of the image forged by a disposable camera.

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The band evolved after Rotherham had a musical brainstorming getaway with vocalist Adam McTaggart and drummer Shaun Gaida at Gaida’s parents’ farm on the South Coast about two years ago.

“We had some demos we were working on at the time and we just wanted to find the space to be able to finish them and turn them into actual songs,” Rotherham said.

Since then the trio released three songs, toured extensively and brought on a few more members to the band (Rob McCauley, Bec Chandler and Aaron Diaz) to “give life” to more songs they were working on.

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The new EP was recorded closer to home at Gaida’s studio in Austinmer with a mix of “surf, soul rock, sunny, gooey” tunes. It also features horn work from members of Kava Kinds and Yetti Calzone.

The group of 20-somethings mostly make music for the love of it, with the majority still holding onto their day jobs. They’ve managed to clear their schedules for a handful of shows between April and June including gigs in Thirroul, Wollongong, Newtown, UNSW, and Glebe.

Sun Sap, Franks Wild Years in Thirroul, May 6; Strawberry Boogie at the University of Wollongong, May 31. https://sunsapband.bandcamp.com/