Gunshine Returns with a Fresh Sound

2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for Florida’s Gunshine as the hard rockers prep for a new release slated for this summer. While their upcoming album, Grand Rising, is not due out digitally until July 24 on vnclm_/Create Music Group, the band is releasing monthly song teasers throughout the winter and spring, beginning with “Goth Girl” last month and the appropriately titled “Valentine” this month.

What is exciting is that you can begin to order physical (vinyl and CD) copies now, which is a different approach for the band. To drill things down further, Grand Rising represents a fresh feeling for the band. This spontaneity is a hallmark of the band’s creative process.

“I just love music, so I’m influenced by a lot of different things,” said vocalist and guitarist Austin Ingerman. “I try to stay spontaneous and explore what I’m in the mood for at the time.”

What they discovered from the new songs is that there are more dynamics involved, where the songwriting is more eclectic. It shows up on “Valentine,” where the band plays around with balladry. “I’m a huge Boston fan, so there’s a lot of Boston and Def Leppard influences that I pulled into the production, while bringing out Jordan Benson’s (lead vocalist) different dynamic ranges and keeping core to what rock and roll is all about.”

For Ingerman, it’s about bringing swag back to rock and roll and having a good time, and that stems back to the conception of Gunshine.

Born in Daytona Beach and moving up the panhandle—living in Gainesville then Pensacola—the swampiness of the geography blends with Ingerman’s variety of musical influences, from Sunset Strip rock to New Wave.

“I’m really into big catchy choruses and poppy melodies that also stem from a love of modern rock and metal. I’ve always been a songwriter and drawn to writing songs since I was a teenager. My favorite part about playing guitar and about playing music in general was the creation of something.”

Having sole creative control was not in his cards at first, but his career moved at a very fast pace, going from playing in various cover bands to standing on big arena stages with the band New Years Day. The band was opening for massive groups like In This Moment, Falling In Reverse, and Ice Nine Kills.

“It was great to get all of that tour experience and play in arenas, but I was more of a hired gun in that band. It wasn’t scratching the creative itch or the songwriting itch that really drew me towards music in the first place. What I really wanted to do was start my own band and play music that I wrote.”

Ingerman can thank the pandemic for that kickstart. New Years Day flew home from Germany after a European tour, and then two days later, the world shut down. It put everything on a halt for the band and gave him the time and space to search for the right musicians to make his vision a reality. It was a daunting experience for him to start from scratch. “There’s a lot of things you don’t realize that you have to do when you’re running a band. There’s a lot of accountability.”

Ingerman faced a lot of trial and error along with progression through frustration. That’s when he met Benson.

“He plays in a dueling piano bar down in Pensacola,” said Ingerman. “Someone told me that I should get this guy to join the band because he would sound really good for what I was trying to create. At this point, I was super jaded with singers. We had tried out singers from all around the country. When Jordan came over, we had instant chemistry.”

Between Ingerman, original drummer James Renshaw, and Benson’s Memphis foundation, they began working on their first album. Enter Chris Collier (Mick Mars, Korn, Whitesnake, Lynch Mob, and more), who not only mixed and mastered the album but also filled in the rest of the sound.

For their EP Checkmate, they added bassist Jake Tripp to fill out the lineup and add the power that they needed behind the rhythm. As the band progressed and began to work more together, they found a natural progression to their sound.

“I try to stay spontaneous with whatever I’m in the mood for at the time. Some of the riffs on the first record date back to 2014. You basically work your whole life to make your first album, right? That was a lot of me coming up as a teenager and creating the kind of band I wanted to have back then. Nobody’s the same person they were 10 years ago. There’s a lot more going on with Grand Rising where I understand our singer a lot more, and I understand his voice when we are working out a lot of the vocal melodies. It’s a lot more eclectic.”

The band’s growth also caught the attention of industry veterans. This time around, they experienced talent from afar. Brian Howes—best known for producing and co-writing Hinder’s debut album, Extreme Behavior, and Skillet’s 2006 album, Comatose—reached out to work on a couple of songs on the new album. This led to the band flying up to Vancouver to record “Goth Girl.” They walked into a studio echoing the ghosts of hard rock greats and moments like Bon Jovi recording “Livin’ on a Prayer” and AC/DC recording “Thunderstruck.” The backing vocals and choruses of the songs bear subtle respect to AC/DC’s hallowed cry.

“It was the first time we ever finished writing something on the spot. I came in with a couple of vocal melodies that were almost like two choruses put together and the riff. Jordan came in with this really cool lyrical concept about a goth girl. It was a really cool feeling with the three of us sitting down and writing lyrics together.”

Wrapping Grand Rising all together is the artwork that builds abstract meaning to the concept. When they were on their last tour, they were playing a show in Biloxi, Mississippi, at a venue that was a converted church and also served as an Airbnb. When the band was touring the venue, they got acquainted with the artwork of Jennifer Miller. Ingerman felt a Zeppelin IV vibe from the designs. So, he got Jennifer on the phone to create something that represented their concept of a sunrise and the “grand rising.”

With everything coming together, it’s like a new dawn for Ingerman and the band where possibilities are like an open door.

“I always would say if I could just play my own music in front of five people, I would rather do that than play in someone else’s band in front of 5,000 people. It’s just because of what makes me tick and what I’m passionate about. I’ve always heard vocal melodies in my head and been really passionate about songwriting. There’s all of these flavors on the new album. There’s all of these different moments that are kind of abstract. It’s been great to get out some different vibes and express ourselves more.”