This might be the first time you are hearing about the Nashville-based band, New Translations, but it definitely won’t be the last. According to their TikTok, this group quickly went from playing in the backs of bars to opening for Rainbow Kitten Surprise and they are doing their best to serve these new audiences their unique vibe-heavy, synth-rock sound. Frontman Oliver Pierce, multi-instrumentalists Isaac Middleton and Andres Ahogado, bassist Ben Bunn, and drummer Philip Walker, went from promoting themselves through short-form social media content to being flooded with comments from new fans after just a few shows on the road this year. 

Just like Rainbow Kitten Surprise, New Translations provides an incredibly authentic look into being an artist - both on and off the stage. They are normal people like us, but happen to also be really talented in the world of music. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pierce played the entire set in just his socks and delivered the greatest dad-like dance moves you’ve ever seen to a crowd of 3,000 or so people. See, just totally normal people!

New Translations commanded the stage in a way that many opening acts are afraid to do. Dancing, still shoeless, across the stage and pouring all of their energy into a 45-minute set is everything a crowd could ask for of the night’s opener. It was a pleasure to be introduced to and witness what New Translations is all about. Fans who were planning to ride the barricade for Rainbow Kitten Surprise were also given a front row view to this personality soaked group and now have the chance to say they knew them way back when. Those who arrived late missed an opportunity of a lifetime, but we recommend you still check them out anyway. 

In looking to learn more about this group, we found their mission statement online, “...to find the outsiders and create a community that celebrates the strange”. We’re glad to have been a part of that community even just for a few minutes and look forward to seeing them again soon. While their run with RKS is coming to an end, you can check them out in June at the Winnetka Music Festival in Winnetka, Illinois or in September at Sails on the Square in Hickory, NC. With the fanbase they’ve gained recently, we think you might want to keep an eye on their social media for even more music and show announcements.