Sunchoke is a quartet composed of David Leon (Alto Saxophone), Aaron Quinn (Guitar/Compositions), Walter Stinson (Upright Bass) and Matt Honor (Drums). Combining the raw intensity of early 2000s screamo with sophisticated compositional techniques drawn from contemporary classical masters.
All filtered through the lens of exhaustion and daily inadequacy that defines modern existence, Sunchoke’s work can be best described as a door into Quinn’s memory and the ensembles ability to adapt and question these thoughts. Their debut record, ‘to be held’ was released on Endectomorph Music.
“This is music that resists easy categorisation and easy pleasure. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to engage, “To Be Held” offers a bruising, cathartic experience – one that cracks open the heart precisely because it refuses to soften the blow.”
–Mike Gates (UK vibe)
“What a singular joy it is for me to hear Aaron Quinn in his full multidimensionality:
glitching noise punk, contrapuntal composer, and improviser with ears wider than I can
see. To Be Held synthesizes all this and more, condensing a coherent seven tracks
from such disparate histories. You can hear all the patience of Morton Feldman in the
space left by “Please Sit at an Interval” and “Sunchoke,” balanced against the high-wire
energy of “Turnips” and the dizzying circularity of “Beet.” Explorations of extended
techniques are a consistent throughline, whether whisper subtle or entirely chaotic.
Some tracks groove, but all at an angle. Quinn’s utterly sincere, sincerely devastating
harmonic vocabulary cracks my heart open, and Sunchoke the band fully heaves this
music into the world, matching its energy pound for pound. I fucking love this record.”
-Dan DiPiero (Boston University) author of Big Feelings: Queer and Feminist Indie Rock After Riot Grrrl and Contingent Encounters: Improvisation in Music and Everyday Life
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