Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Rainbow Kitten Suprise is a band that is difficult to put in a box. Their sound is heavily inspired by folk, rock, and alternative music but continually changes with each release. The band came to be as a group of college students in a dorm at App State in North Carolina and developed over a decade of performing live together.
Commonly referred to as RKS, the band takes pride in representing the LGBTQ+ community in the South. The band’s frontman came out as trans not long before Tenessee’s anti-trans legislation was passed. Many felt the band continuing to be based in Nashville went against what they stood for, however, the band released a powerful statement affirming that “it is ok to be southern and queer and proud of both.”
Beyond the band’s press releases, themes of what it means to grow up queer in the South are prevalent in the band’s lyricism. Lead singer Ela Melo wrote the song “Hide” as a way to process coming out to herself. The song describes the push and pull of coming to terms with a love that society has made so many feel guilty about. The song’s once-painful chorus—“hide your love”—has since become a defiant and celebratory anthem, with thousands of fans singing it out tongue-in-cheek, reclaiming that pain and turning it into joy.
Although the band had already cultivated a loyal fan base, their breakthrough came with the viral success of "It’s Called: Freefall" on social media. The song’s shift from a lackadaisical approach to optimism followed by a sharp shift in the chorus to an aggressive warning to someone falling victim to self-sabotage quickly became an earworm, propelling the band to the next level. Suddenly booking bigger and bigger shows across the country and appearing on the bill of major festivals, the pressures of sudden success led the band to take a step back, citing mental health reasons for a hiatus.
By the time the group returned from hiatus, the stage looked a little different. With a new bassist, a fresh album, and a poppier sound, RKS has hit the road on their biggest tour yet, bringing their raspy, folky alternative anthems to arenas.
While their music tends to have dismal undertones, the live performance is freeing. Though their ticket sales didn’t quite live up to the venue’s capacity, the stage production more than delivered. The stage had plenty of room for lead singer, Ella, to jump, spin, and pirouette. LED stairs and beams jolted alive with the vibrant stage lighting. The entire production was backlit with the band’s easily identifiable logo. New bassist Maddie Bouton fit right in, bringing her own infectious energy to the stage, despite having big shoes to fill in the eyes of RKS fans. By the end of the night, she proved herself a perfect fit for the new chapter of Rainbow Kitten Surprise.
Many fans were nervous that this new sound meant that the band would phase out the music that built their fanbase. However, the band showed appreciation for their longtime fans, playing a well-rounded setlist full of fan favorites. Rainbow Kitten Surprise continues to grow and evolve as a band but remains true to themselves, their roots, and their fans.