INTERVIEWS Photo by DTC Photography
Music and Matrimony: An interview with
Amanda Hamers BY TARA LOW
A
manda Hamers is a bass player and vocalist who writes, performs, and records in the threepiece rock band Sunshine & Bullets. Last year, she got married during a music video on stage in front of a live audience of fans, friends, and family with her now husband and bandmate, Rich Keane, Jr. We checked in with her to hear what’s new with the band and the new couple.
piece, and we have a different drummer, Matty Exile. He is also an amazing singer, writer, and guitar player.
We first interviewed you back in 2014 after discovering Sunshine & Bullets on “The Bubba The Love Sponge Show” when you got to play a live show. Tell us about that experience. I have to admit—I was a bit nervous for that one! I was familiar with Bubba’s reputation and show personality, so I knew that I didn’t know what to expect! It turns out he’s really cool in person off the air, and we had a great time! We still listen to Bubba every morning. It’s one of our favorite shows.
Was there always a romantic connection between you and Rich? The truth isn’t as exciting as the rumors. Rich and I were friends before the band, and we became best friends over the years, though we did fight a lot! Yes, it is possible for a man and a woman to be best friends without a romantic relationship. We were both in other committed relationships, and unfortunately those relationships didn’t work out. When we were both single, we started spending even more time together. I didn’t quite realize it at the time, but we were starting to go on dates. I ended up telling him I didn’t want to date a musician, but that I’d think about it. It was actually right after the Bubba show that I told him, “OK, let’s give it a shot.” We haven’t fought since.
How did Sunshine & Bullets come to be? We started in 2010 and went through a few changes, but Rich Keane, Jr., has always been on vocals and guitar, and I have always been on vocals but switched from bass to guitar and then back to bass. We started as a three-piece, but experimented all the way up to being a five-piece at one time! Our fifth member was an on-stage lighting guy-slash-hype-man. Right now, we’re back to being a three-
I believe you even got married on stage during a live performance? What a dream! I was never the type to fantasize about a wedding as a young girl, but this was better than anything I could have imagined! We wrote a love song for each other (our only true love song in the band) and made our wedding into a music video shoot. The wedding invitation was a (free) concert ticket. We filmed it with our good friend and awesome videographer Christian
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