{"id":303314,"date":"2026-10-09T20:32:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T20:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/303314\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T20:32:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T20:32:18","slug":"song-premiere-scranton-alt-post-hardcore-band-sunblush-debuts-with-destructive-hamms-in-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/303314\/","title":{"rendered":"SONG PREMIERE: Scranton alt\/post-hardcore band Sunblush debuts with destructive ‘Hamms’ in hand"},"content":{"rendered":"

The struggle and eventual spiral of chaos, confusion, and destruction that alcohol can cause isn\u2019t easy to face, never mind capture for others to hear, but Sunblush<\/a> has come crashing out of the gate with all that personal havoc in their debut single \u201cHamms.\u201d<\/p>\n

The disarray makes sense from an alternative rock\/post-hardcore band that can only describe themselves as musical \u201cADHD.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we wear our influences on our sleeves pretty well, and we\u2019ve gotten a lot of weird comparisons, from Fugazi to My Bloody Valentine to more modern bands like Drug Church and mewithoutYou, but I think overall we blend a lot of influences from loud \u201990s guitar-driven bands like Dinosaur Jr. and a plethora of grunge bands, with a little healthy dose of shoegaze and hardcore. I think we never really sat down and said, \u2018Let\u2019s be this,\u2019 and personally I sometimes hate being held to a certain genre because it\u2019s mostly bullshit at the end of the day. If I had to sum it up in one sentence, though, I\u2019d say we sound like what ADHD feels like,\u201d guitarist\/vocalist Justin Troutman explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tracked this one in July at Windmill Agency<\/a> [in Mount Cobb] with [producer] Eric Ritter over the course of a few sessions. Working with Eric has been amazing, and I think he exceeded all expectations with how this track came out. It captures the energy we bring to life in such a perfect sonically pleasing way.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the past year, Troutman and guitarist\/vocalist Tyler Bednash, bassist John Meholic, and drummer\/vocalist Dom Nolan have unleashed that live vitality across their hometown of Scranton, so they\u2019re more than ready to take on a wider audience with the recorded versions of those songs, starting with \u201cHamms,\u201d which is premiering today exclusively on NEPA Scene.<\/p>\n

While it includes the cheerful commercial jingle for the beer it\u2019s named after, the lyrics are anything but happy, facing an all-too-familiar problem in Northeastern Pennsylvania and crying out for help.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you knew me around three years ago, you probably saw me with a Hamm\u2019s beer in my hand. This song is a personal one and is really about the weird mental gymnastics that come with drinking too much. It was written as a reflection of what it feels like being hungover or numb to everything around you and trying to figure your shit out with no success. I quit booze about two years ago now, and this song is my farewell to that. When we wrote this, I wanted the song to sound like a drunk priest was giving a sermon, and I think we nailed it,\u201d Troutman confessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the very first track from the upcoming full-length album, and it somehow became a crowd favorite, but it\u2019s also just a really fun song to play. I think we collectively felt like this is a great example of what we are, who we are, and I think sonically it covers a lot of bases.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamms by Sunblush<\/a><\/p>\n

Before Sunblush, he spent years listening to and supporting other local bands while assuming his days of performing in one were behind him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEarlier last year, Tyler, John, and Dom connected via a Facebook post about playing music, and I ran into Tyler at James Barrett\u2019s open mic at Voodoo [Brewing Company in Scranton] where he mentioned this and said I should consider getting together with them to see what happens. I was reluctant, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I missed playing, as it was about 15+ years since I\u2019ve done anything with music. We eventually got together and found ourselves clicking pretty quickly and, next thing you know, we started writing and the rest is history. We had all played in bands throughout the last few decades \u2013 and all went to high school together \u2013 but somehow it took us all of this time to decide to try something together,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s crazy how quickly time moves the older you get, and when we reached the point of being ready to play these songs live, we went headfirst and, honestly, every show feels so incredibly special, and we\u2019ve met such incredible people in such a short time that have been so incredibly supportive and kind, which makes this entire thing feel so satisfying. We just completed recording our first album with Eric, and it\u2019s pretty incredible sitting here and thinking about how this all came together in such a short time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what\u2019s really special about Sunblush is that we\u2019ve built this really strong brotherhood between us all and, any time we play, it feels therapeutic and fulfilling. You can so clearly see how this entire thing morphed track by track, and I think after a year and some change, we found this groove and bond that I haven\u2019t felt in any other project. We\u2019ve played a good amount of shows with some incredibly inspiring bands that actually inspired our own songwriting, and to be able to do that so quickly has been really incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those shows include their first on Nov. 22, 2025 at Union Vapors 570<\/a> in Dickson City right up through Aug. 29, 2026 at Bazaar Skateshop<\/a> in Scranton.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gotten very lucky with the shows we\u2019ve played, and every one of them has been special in different ways. Our first show was a bit of a mess with gear not working, but it was still such a great time. When we did [our first interview on] the NEPA Scene Podcast, we were gearing up for our first larger show at Mutant Brewing<\/a> [in Scranton] with pretty much all of my favorite bands and friends locally. We had Esta Coda<\/a>, Permanence<\/a>, and The Broke Pines<\/a> join us, and we played to a room of nearly 300 people. It was just a really positive experience seeing everyone forgetting that the world is bleak shitty place for a few hours and just enjoying original music. We played with Cloud Nothings<\/a>, Knifeplay<\/a>, and Loading<\/a> a few weeks back at Bazaar Skateshop and that was really great. I\u2019ve been a big fan of Cloud Nothings for a long time, and it was so great having that experience. Every set at that show was so honest and authentic, and it just felt so great.\u201d<\/p>\n

The positive reception from gigs like those led them to releasing a two-track demo<\/a> in February.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have been really kind and supportive of what we\u2019re doing, and I think we\u2019ve created a really great following so far. We\u2019re really excited to get this record out and see what the audience thinks. Guitar pedal enthusiasts tend to really love us, and I\u2019m never one to not talk about gear,\u201d Troutman noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kept getting asked when we were going to have music out because we kind of just started to play live, and we decided to record something at our home studio to give the world a little taste. We tracked two songs and put them out there, and the feedback was mostly positive. I always loved home recordings and lo-fi bands, so I definitely was really happy having something out there. These two songs will also be on the record, and I\u2019m excited for people to hear the night and day differences. We record everything live, and every blemish and wart remains on these songs, and to me that\u2019s special. Authenticity is everything for us! \u2018My Therapist Watches You Sleep\u2019 is the first song we ever wrote together, and it came together during our first session, and I still don\u2019t understand the song at all structurally, but that was the launchpad we needed, so we decided that would be the first release on the demo. \u2018Superdrugs\u2019 was a song Tyler wrote, and it\u2019s a noisy feedback heavy ripper that I love so very much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demo 2026: I by Sunblush<\/a><\/p>\n

The upcoming album, which he calls \u201ca really strong collection of deeply personal songs that I feel appeals to a lot of different demographics,\u201d will feature 10 songs, and the group is already planning more for a follow-up EP as well as a tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to continue putting out new music as much as we can and as much as people will listen. We\u2019re going to be the NEPA Guided by Voices\u2026 maybe,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really excited for our next two shows. On Friday, Oct. 16, we play Union Vapors with our dear friends in Esta Coda, Sweetnest<\/a>, S. Pine AK<\/a>, and Ed Cuozzo<\/a> of University Drive<\/a>. I have known all of these bands and the people in them for well over 20 years. The next night, Oct. 17, we\u2019re really honored to play the NEPA Scene 12th anniversary show<\/a> at The V-Spot<\/a> [in Scranton]. NEPA Scene has always been such an important part of this scene, and we\u2019re so happy to pay our respects to all of your hard work and dedication to the incredible scene we are so lucky to be part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

With all this on the horizon, it\u2019s hard to believe that, just a few of years ago, Troutman considered himself retired from music and \u201cHamms\u201d was a poisonous way of life rather than a promising new chapter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like you never know how much you need something until it comes back into your life. At the end of the day, I\u2019m so grateful to be doing this with three of my best friends. I had a pretty shitty few years for a minute, and being able to share the worst parts of my life to an audience has made this so worth it. I used to go to pre-game shows with booze, but now it\u2019s Advil and antacids, but the feeling hasn\u2019t changed one bit,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe kind to everyone and support your community. We\u2019re living in really dark times, but together we will overcome it. Go to a show! Support live music! Start a band! Follow Everything Evaporated<\/a> and Sunblush<\/a> on Instagram!\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about Sunblush in Episode 228 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:<\/p>\n