about Sunshine tip
Sunshine Tip throw voices, cello, guitar, mandolin, drums together to trawl the depths of human experience on the edges of city and country.
The algorithm calls it Americana, but this is Melbourne-rooted original music played by four lifelong musicians who draw on a rich range of musical experiences from country, rock, jazz and lounge, to Greek and Irish traditions.
Songwriter Dave Bowers’ lyrics wander along outer suburban train tracks and through emptying country towns. They evoke memories of dance floor heroics and hanging washing on the line, shifting from sadness to elation.
Dave Bowers (songwriter, vocals, guitars), Dee Hannan (vocals, mandolin) and Alice Garner (cello) have been playing as a trio since 2014, with a longer history of collaboration and experimentation across different bands and genres . In 2025 drummer Al Barden brought his steady hand to the band's sounds. Other bands the musicians have been involved in include Xylouris Ensemble, Eugene Hamilton and the Money, Flickering Stars, Hogbelly Morton's Country Revue, The Taps of the Holy Trinity, Sally Ford & the Idiomatics and many more…
Sunshine Tip's 2023 debut EP ‘We were the endlings’ recorded and mixed by musician-producer Mitch Cairns hit no. 5 on the Australian Independent Record Label 100% independent singles chart. In 2026, the band has been working on an album with Roger Bergodaz (Lost Ragas) at Union Street Studio. They have released two singles from the album so far. ‘Brooklyn Wind’ was inspired by the heady wind blowing in from the industrial zone, where suburbia and farmland meet. (Hear some of the back story here.) ‘New Shoes’ is a short and sweet Springtime ode.
The band's music can be found on most digital platforms - we recommend Subvert.fm (new artist-run coop) and Bandcamp. Or you can find it on Quboz - Tidal - Apple - YouTube etc (basically everywhere except Spotify and Amazon)… If you want to support artists first, we encourage you to purchase from this here website.
Visit the Shows page to find out when and where Sunshine Tip is playing next.
And grab a one-off upcycled Sunshine Tip T-shirt, available only at gigs!
