Rock music should be built to last. Since its genesis, the genre has been all about longevity not a “flavor of the month” or a “flash in the pan.” Whether you go back to the seventies or nineties pillars, the goal was to create something that can be lived with for a lifetime. It still can be that way. Akron, Ohio’s Red Sun Rising—Mike Protich [vocals/guitar], Ryan Williams [guitar], Dave McGarry [guitar/vocals], Ricky Miller [bass/vocals], and Pat Gerasia [drums]. —proudly carry on that tradition with their full-length debut, Polyester Zeal [Razor & Tie]. “It’s not today’s rock, but it’s a new alternative,” declares singer and guitarist Mike Protich. “We want to uphold the foundation with subtle nuances of what’s familiar. It’s fresh because we’re telling our story through that framework.” Sharing that story has been the goal since first breaking onto the scene in 2012. Akron is no stranger to rock ‘n’ roll, serving as home to everybody from Black Keys and Devo to Chrissie Hynde. That buzzing industrial landscape remains fertile ground for musicians to this day.

What does it mean to be a rock ‘n’ roll band in 2019? For Goodbye June, it implies an important responsibility. They don’t take that responsibility lightly either, which explains why the Nashville trio of cousins–Landon Milbourn [vocals], Brandon Qualkenbush [rhythm guitar, backing vocals], and Tyler Baker [lead guitar]–have quietly emerged at the forefront of the 21st century rock vanguard. In the wake of their 2017 full-length debut Magic Valley, the boys earned the endorsement of Rolling Stone, contributed “Liberty Mother” to a high-profile Budweiser campaign, packed shows across the country, and racked up 30 million-plus cumulative Spotify streams. An avalanche of rip-roaring rock ‘n’ roll, Southern-fried blues, and gospel soul, the group traverse their own lane at full speed, etching out a place ahead of the pack.