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• Sunrise for Sunset Stallion

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With the CU music scene on a highly anticipated growth spurt, new bands are as ample as hot cakes and baked fresh daily. If you’re not constantly prowling around for the newest gigs at Canopy or Cowboy Monkey, it’s easy to miss the next-bests cruising just beneath the radar. Sunset Stallion is just that for those looking for that mellow, indie-folk fix. This week, buzz snagged a sit-down with the fresh foursome, Chad Warner, Hannah Newman, Otto Stuparitz and Martin O’Donnell.

All of Sunset Stallion’s members already have strong footholds in CU music; Newman is in the a cappella group Girls Next Door and Warner, Stuparitz and O’Donnell have previous and current involvement in student band Santa.

According to Stuparitz, Sunset Stallion continues to play harmoniously alongside the local music veteran and is looking forward to jumping headfirst into a bright future here in the CU.

“We kind of rose from the ashes during last Easter break,” said Warner. Newman added, “So we’ve been a group for a little over three and a half months — our first show was actually on Easter Sunday.”

While Sunset Stallion has no album to call their own yet, easily accessible MySpaceand Facebook pages post their autumn-tinged, fresh tracks. Ranging from upbeat to mellow but never straying from “chill,” this group has discovered the formula for lyrical seasons.

The group’s unique collaborative chemistry flies from band meetings to the compositions of the tunes and lyrics. With Warner on the keyboards, guitar and vocals, Newman as his female vocalist counterpart, Stuparitz on bass and O’Donnell at the drum set, they each bring a different talent to the table.

The group has been influenced greatly by their beginnings with Santa as well as their personal favorites Wilco, Kings of Leon and a little bit of Ben Folds.

With their appearance at Pygmalion Music Festival scheduled for Sept. 18, there will only be a few pre-Pygmalion chances to catch this freshly minted group. But for those who want a sneak peak, check them out at the Canopy Club Aug. 28.