San Francisco-based Sonny Smith is a musician who’s been making catchy indie rock for over the last decade, and on May 27, his band Sonny & the Sunsets will release Moods Baby Moods. Ahead of its release, though, the group has shared a politically-charged song called “White Cops on Trial,” which is a punchy track that shamelessly tackles the song’s subject.
Of the track, Smith has this to say: “We’ve all been watching acquittal after acquittal of police officers for the killings of black and brown people. Here in SF the Frisco 5 are on hunger strike outside SFPD (Mission station), calling for resignation of the SF police Chief Suhr over the police assasinations of Alex Nieto, Mario Woods, Amilcar Perez-Lopez and Louis Gongora. There’s been a lot of positive resistance to the powers that be in this city, and our old racist system, so this song just came out of taking interest in what’s happening now.”
Videos by VICE
Stream “White Cops on Trial” below, and pre-order Moods Baby Moods on Polyvinyl here.
Sonny & the Sunsets on tour:
06/04 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
06/15 – Vancouver, BC – Psych Night @ Baltimore Cabaret
06/16 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
06/17 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
06/18 – Eugene, OR – Hi Fi Music Hall
06/19 – Guerneville, CA – Deathstock
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
06/24 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
06/25 – Visalia, CA – Cellar Door
07/07 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
07/08 – Cincinnati, OH – MOTR
07/09 – Cleveland, OH – Happy Dog
07/12 – Somerville, MA – ONCE Ballroom
07/13 – New Haven, CT – BAR
07/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
07/15 – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right
07/16 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern
07/17 – Carolina Beach, NC – Ocean Grill and Tiki Bar
07/19 – Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light
07/20 – Louisville, KY – Zanzibar
07/21 – Indianapolis, IN – The Hi Fi
07/22 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Tip Top
07/23 – Ferndale, MI – The Magic Bag
07/24 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
