From the sun-kissed shores of Portland, Maine, Sunburned Sharks’ debut the self-title album and first limited 12” vinyl pressing in red and blue swirl. Recorded in 6 days in June 2025 at The Studio in Portland, this is a collection of 9 original songs and 2 covers of classics by Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston. Written and arranged primarily by Ryan Allen Meier on guitar and vocals, the record features members of the band Jim Vannest on bass guitar and vocals and Spencer Cook on tenor saxophone as well as Caleb Matheson (Kudzu Recordings Studio, NYC) on drums and production, and additional talented Portland-based artists.
*Expected ship date late July.
Track Listing:
Side A - 19:40
Sunburned Sharks - 4:10
(I Want You To) Drive Me Crazy - 4:12
Peelin’ Like a Tangerine - 3:01
Save a Life, Break a Rib - 4:05
I Wanna Dance with Somebody - 4:35
Side B - 19:46
Lovesicker - 4:37
Candlelight - 3:06
Aloe - 2:17
Wet Paint Blue Eyes - 3:57
Collecting the Honey - 1:27
Dancing in the Dark - 4:18
ABOUT THE BAND
Based in Portland, Maine, this sun-soaked indie-funk R&B band distills everything from 60s soul, 70s funk, 80s pop, 90s rock, R&B, to classic rock into one singular vision: gritty vintage-meets-polished modern.
With bright guitar lines that catch the light like ocean spray, go-down-smooth vocals, and airtight horn lines that punch with big-band swagger, Sunburned Sharks has drawn comparisons to Hozier's spiritual intensity, Lake Street Dive's horn-fueled vitality, Vulfpeck’s vacuum-seal vision, and John Mayer's guitar finesse. The setlist might take you from Whitney Houston to Marvin Gaye, Al Green to Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty to The Dip, Bruce Springsteen to original indie-funk fever dreams—each delivered with an energy that could power a town for a week.
This is music that moves, shimmers, and sizzles.
At the helm is vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Ryan Allen Meier, a New England musician whose restless creative spirit has reimagined and reharmonized across genre-divides giving life to a wellspring of original music as well as a jumbled-up jukebox of classic hits. He's spent over a decade directing wedding bands, arranging, recording, producing, and learning how far each audience likes to lean. Sunburned Sharks channels all of it into one place: a band that sounds like the height of summer, feels like hopping between the cold plunge and the sauna, and glides like none other. Sink your teeth in.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
AURA, Maine Tech Week Finale 2025
Thompson’s Point, Independence Day 2025
North Haven Community DaysFestival
Wild Pines Music Festival 2025
Jamaica Plain Fest 2025
Big Falls Festival sponsored by Feel Good Inc. 2025
The Porthole
Filmed and edited by Sarah Violette (Violette Media)
Song: “Love-Sicker”
recorded at The Studio Portland
Big Falls Fest ‘25
Filmed and edited by Jordan Rowe Photography
Song: “Sunburned Sharks”
recorded at The Studio Portland
Thompson’s Point
Filmed and edited by Just One Look Media
Song: “Wet Paint Blue Eyes (demo)”
written, performed, and recorded by Ryan Allen Meier
North Haven Community
Street Dance
Filmed by the band
Edited by Ryan Allen Meier
Song: “Dancing In The Dark” written by Bruce Springsteen,
arranged and performed by Sunburned Sharks.
Recorded at The Studio Portland.
Blue
Portland Maine
Filmed and edited by Epic Frames Media
Song: “Wet Paint Blue Eyes (demo)” written, performed, and recorded by Ryan Allen Meier
Wild Pines Music Festival
Filmed, edited, and colored by Sarah Violette (Violette Media)