"Sun and Rain is a fully collaborative quartet that thus far has practiced a painstaking process of co-composing music together. Because of this extreme sense of collaboration and only working on the music when all four members were physically together, the album Waterfall took six years to compose. Beginning in 2014 the band gathered at Laplante's residence in Vermont for semi-annual rehearsal retreats. These were not particularly relaxing retreats, as the band held themselves to a rigorous work ethic, always working around the clock.Full days were spent obsessively working on two minutes of music which were then trashed the next day and never used. It was an extraordinarily patient and slow-moving compositional process.

With Morgan, Laplante, Nazary, and Smiley all having wildly different personalities and interests outside of music, the common ground in terms of communicating musical ideas to each other began to clarify over time, which was through the language of the natural world and the elements. There are parts of the piece that recall natural events such as tsunamis, a quiet wind rustling a wind chime, a flower blossoming, a still pond with birds and frogs, forest fires with the animal's cries, and of course a Waterfall. It was through these Earthly metaphors that a unique, vast band sound began to take shape. This common inspiration of the magic and power of the Earth makes sense when listening: how the music is one that spans great distance and is constantly shifting along the spectrum of improvisation and composition, the spectrum of intensity and gentleness, movement and stillness. This traversing of sonic territory doesn't occur in a schizophrenic way, but rather with integrity andwholeness.

In a time when it's more challenging than ever to be in a band, Sun and Rain hopes to keep the torch burning for the internal rewards of spending hundreds of hours on a single piece of collaborative music. It's not ultimately about the music compared to something else, it's about the act of devotion that it is for four people giving of themselves to each other in service of a unified sound. This sound carries within it the love of the music and love between people who play it. This love extends to the people who listen, and to the Earth itself.

Members of Sun and Rain are/were members of bands like Little Women, Battle Trance, Emperyan Atlas, Helado Negro, Elder Ones, Anteloper, Secret People, Subtle Degrees, Extra Life, Horse Torso, Folklords, Buckminster, VaVatican, Erica Eso, and The Hero of Warchester."-Out Of Your Head

"Described as a fully-collaborative quartet, Sun & Rain consists of Nathaniel Morgan on alto saxophone, Travis Laplante on tenor saxophone, Andrew Smiley on electric guitar, and Jason Nazary on drums. Co-composed by the four members when they were all together in the rehearsal space, their first album was built across a span of six years. An expansive work comprised of five sections, the music thrives on a collective precision that is in key intervals astoundingly intense. Waterfall is out now on vinyl in an edition of 500 copies through Out of Your Head Records.

The members of Sun & Rain have played in numerous ensembles but the most pertinent to Waterfall is Little Women, a four piece led by Laplante that featured Darius Jones on alto sax, Nazary on drums, and Smiley on guitar (replacing Ben Greenberg). Little Women recorded three albums between 2007 and 2013; the second and third, Throat and Lung, were released by Aum Fidelity with Smiley in the lineup.

The relationship between Little Women and Sun & Rain isn't difficult to discern, but listening to Waterfall, it's just as clear why Laplante chose to differentiate this fresh incarnation with Morgan stepping into the alto sax position. The rise in compositional rigor is palpable throughout the continuous piece (the sections are titled "Waterfall I" through "Waterfall V"), with jazz a vital component in the foundation. However, the overall structure is just as rooted in art-rock that radiates an appealing European vibe.

One could also cite Sun & Rain as having a non-noodlesome prog inclination, or just say they've honed an especially cerebral strain of experimental jazz-rock. The sound of Waterfall is likely to give a good goosing to fans of Soft Machine and ears attuned to the band that shape up the Rock In Opposition scene, while lovers of burly free jazz throwdowns won't be disappointed, as the intertwined lung power of Morgan and Laplante is substantial.

Improvisation certainly does figure into the equation, particularly when the band is really pushing outward in sections III and V, but it's also probable these beautiful ensemble melees are rooted in improv heights attained in the Waterfall's extensive practice sessions. These meetings took place at Laplante's home in Vermont, but Sun & Rain doesn't seem to have a specific home base.

There are a few spots reminiscent of contemporary work from Chicago-based groups, but overall, Sun & Rain sound like they could've evolved from just about anywhere (that Euro feel, again), a non-specificity that only strengthens the record's impact. And the impact is considerable. Plus, the time spent in composing and establishing the piece's tones and textures reinforces Waterfall isn't the byproduct of savant-like gifts but rather good judgement and skills honed from perseverance. It's a record that hits hard and never sets a foot wrong."-Joseph Neff, The Vinyl District