RUN-ON SUNSHINE

Today I had a peanut butter and banana and jelly sandwich for lunch. It was messy and delicious and it stuck to the roof of my mouth and bled all over my hands as I wrested with it. Afterwards, I had to wash my hands and face just to make sure I wasn't going to be all sticky, despite licking all the jelly drips off...only to find little resilient sticky spots after I had sat back down.Even later into the day, when I had washed my hands twice, I found a bit of red preserve stuck to my arm. ...And the funny thing is, I actually find that to be a lot like...eating a sloppy sandwich. 
...What, you thought I was going to make some dumb analogy about Lifer resilience or something? Dude, get over it. It was just a fucking sandwich. Go read a young adult fiction novel if you wanna wring overwrought meaning out of something so insignificant. 

...I'm sorry. I love you. Don't leave. Where are you going?...

You can walk out that door, but my memory will stick to your mind like Smucker's Strawberry jam!!!

...damnit. Here's an interview with Arizona's Run-On Sunshine:

One cool cat. And the feline's nice too.

Hello and welcome to the Richard Dreyfest blog. Who are you and what is it you plan on doing at Dreyfest?

My name's Mullarkey. I've played music with bandmates before in various projects, but this summer I'm touring the solo version of Run-On Sunshine. During my set at Dreyfest, me and the audience are going to dance, cry, and meow, all at the same time.

Taking a quick glance at your social media, I see a photo of you at a Blanks 77 show in ‘96- you are obviously a lifelong rocker! Can you give us a brief background of your involvement in underground music, including any big life-changing events that steered you in the direction you’ve taken?

Yeah, I guess I did see that band once or twice. I've been to so many shows that memories of some blur, while others stand out...like I can remember every detail of every time I saw Fugazi or Jawbreaker.

My involvement with music started purely as a fan. Then I began writing about music for magazines in Connecticut and Florida, as well as my own zine, No Bare Feet. Then I moved to Austin, then San Diego, and in those places reverted to just a fan. Then I moved to Tucson and went to so many shows that everyone in the town knew me for that. I'd promote a show occasionally if some band I loved and was friends with was coming through. Then after years of holding back my lyrics and song ideas from the public, I finally started being in bands when my friends gave me a chance. The first one was Monster Pussy. I had more songs than could fit in one band, so I started Run-On Sunshine, which has had solo a capella and duo forms, but now it's me making music on synth and percussion. Meanwhile, playing shows naturally went along with setting up more shows, so now I'm helping out touring bands any time I can, wherever I happen to live.

Some life-changing events along the way have been DIY fests like Brootal Sun Fest in Tucson and Indie 500 in Phoenix. I've gone to shows of all sizes and types over the years, but these days I'm almost entirely focused on all ages/DIY-DIT (do it together). That's where both the community and the best music is!

 

You also run a label, is that right? What sort of stuff do you release?

I created Cat Cassettes to have a label to release my own music on. Mostly it's still that, though some friends have also put the Cat Cassettes stamp on their tapes, like my friend Alex who's had a band called Hip Don't Dance and a brilliant solo project, Trochee Trochee. Me, him, and our friend Kim are in a band called Teen Planet. It would be cool to have more music on Cat Cassettes, which isn't a label with lots of money behind it, but friends just helping each other release their music.

Plus I've helped out at a Tucson-based label, Bloat Records, that has been releasing weird and awesome music since the 90s! 

You’re currently living in Tuscon, correct? What is your attraction to the place? Sun? Good Mexican food?

I lived in Tucson for 12 and a half years. I was attracted to it because it was like nowhere else on earth: the combo of an other-wordly desert and downtown that was pretty much entirely taken over by artists and music-makers. It's changed since, though the desert is still beautiful...money moved in and downtown is a lot more like lots of other places. Tucson, though, is still one of the nicest places you can be and there are great people and bands there. I moved to Phoenix in 2013 because I was ready for a change and it has the best music venue ever, The Trunk Space, along with all the great bands who play there and volunteers who make it possible. I'm happy to be helping out here while I can but I know the time to move on will arrive. I can only live places with warm weather year-round and tons of sun. Winter even in Phoenix/Tucson is too cold for me. So eventually I'm heading back to Florida...Tampa/St. Pete. 

Best moment for you last year?

Probably the second of the three shows I played with Teen Planet before my band mates moved away. I've mostly been a singer live, so it was such a thrill to drum in front of people locked in with my awesome band! That show was at The Trunk Space and included Bad Hex, Idaho Green, Priests, Psywave, and Tk and the Irresistibles!

 

If you were a sandwich, what would be on you?

Lots of avocado. Plus tempeh and many vegetables. 

Star: Wars or Trek?

A hard choice as both have a place in my heart, but I'd have to go with Star Trek because they have Leonard Nimoy, possibly the coolest person ever. And George Takei! 

Are you more prone to boredom or having too much to do?

I always have too much to do. Between my full-time job, my volunteer work, and my music, I've overwhelmed. I never get time to read books any more, which is sad and I hope to get back into that some day. Any free minute of time, I can find 100 ways to fill it. 

Favorite Richard Dreyfuss movie:

I had to do some research. I could say The Graduate, as wikipedia tells me he had an uncredited role in it! But I'm sure you mean movies where he had a prominent role, so I'll go with Close Encounters. 

How can we hear your music and learn more about you?

Music is on http://runonsunshine.bandcamp.com/.

If people want to know more about me, they can ask! run.on.sunshine@gmail.com