Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American alternative rock indie band, featuring lead vocalist Ela Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), and Jess Haney (drums). The band formed in Boone, North Carolina. (Robbinsville, North Carolina is the hometown of Ethan Goodpaster and Jess Haney.) Rainbow Kitten Surprise's sound has been influenced by artists such as Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean, and Schoolboy Q.

History
Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Ela Melo and Darrick Keller in an Appalachian State University dorm room. They asked a friend who had just been through a tough illness to name the band. Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room. They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. RKS independently released its first album, Seven, which was later re-released together with the band's first EP as a joint album called Seven + Mary. RKS initially recorded its music under the Split Rail Records label, a student run label at Appalachian State University's Hayes School of Music, where three of the band's members attended. From 2014 through 2017, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has performed at multiple music festivals and other events, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Austin City Limits Festival.

On April 6, 2018, RKS released its How To: Friend, Love, Freefall album, under the Elektra Records label. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families. The single "Fever Pitch" from the album climbed to number 34th on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in spring 2018. In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album.

In April 2019, RKS performed at several venues across North Carolina to raise funds for Equality NC, the country's oldest statewide LGBT equality organization.

In May 2019, RKS released Mary (B-Sides), consisting of a studio recording of "Heart" (a song originally released via YouTube and SoundCloud in 2014) and the track "No Vacancy".

In June 2019, they ended their summer tour at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

In January 2020, the PBS show Austin City Limits aired Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a half-hour set recorded the previous fall.

On July 14, 2020, RKS played a livestream concert. This was their first of the year because of the cancellation of many events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On October 9, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Our Song", which had been previously played at multiple live events. This single marked their first release as a band since May 2019.

On August 13, 2021, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the live album ''RKS! Live from Athens Georgia''. It included a collection of 25 songs performed at a previous live concert.

On March 23, 2022, the band announced a new single, "Work Out".

On March 30, 2022, the band's lead singer came out as transgender.

On April 6, 2022, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Work Out", their first new single released in nearly 18 months.

On April 10, 2023, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single “Drop Stop Roll,” which had been played frequently in live shows during their prior world tour. The band also teased new upcoming “surprises from the rainbow” via a social media post.

On May 24, 2023, Rainbow Kitten Surprise cancelled their 2023 tour. The decision came shortly after a bandmate fell ill.

On February 23, 2024, the Rainbow Kitten Surprise webpage was changed to show only a spinning ballerina figure, accompanied by the sound of a music box, and socials at the bottom.

On February 28, 2024, The Rainbow Kitten Surprise webpage changed again, this time revealing a contest for fans to find boxes hidden around the United States.

On March 4, 2024, the band announced on Instagram that they would be parting ways with their bassist, Charlie Holt.

On March 8, 2024, the band released the lead single "Superstar" and fan track "LOL". These released singles accompanied the announcement of their fourth studio album Love Hate Music Box.

On April 5, 2024, the band released the single "Overtime" from their fourth album. The song features Grammy-winning artist Kacey Musgraves. It also marks the band’s first artist feature as a band.

On April 26, 2024, the band released the new single, "SVO" from their fourth album.

On May 10, 2024 the band released their fourth studio album, Love Hate Music Box. The album reflects on many of the hardships the lead singer, Melo, went through over the previous six years. It is also their biggest project since 2018.

Music videos

 * "Devil Like Me" (March 1, 2014)
 * "Cocaine Jesus" (May 1, 2015)
 * "Bare Bones" (May 3, 2015)
 * "Fever Pitch" (January 16, 2018)
 * "Holy War" (February 23, 2018)
 * "Hide" (April 3, 2018)
 * "It's Called: Freefall" (January 28, 2019)
 * "Work Out" (June 16, 2022)
 * "LOL" (March 6, 2024)
 * "Superstar" (March 8, 2024)