Hailing from Brooklyn New York, Tuff Sunshine’s unique approach has led to a revolving door of talented musicians collaborating with the band, both live on stage and in the studio. While singer-songwriter Johnny Leitera is the one constant, helming the project since its inception in 2012, the likes of drummer Linda Pitmon (The Baseball Project, The Minus 5, Filthy Friends), bassist Turner Stough (Shilpa Ray, I am The Polish Army), Rich Hutchins (Live Skull) and founding member Ani Cordero (Cordero, Os Mutantes, Ras-putina) have all contributed, leading to Time Out New York describing their sound as “…cool emotive indie fare that skilfully fuses funky soul with wiry postpunk.”

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Tuff Sunshine about the latest music, keeping it cool as AI takes over, dream collabs, and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

This AI thing is getting way out of control. I have students using ChatGPT to write death metal songs about country music…and country songs about being sad. You can feed some Ais a text prompt and create a Hollywood-quality short film. How do you feel about this new wave of technological innovation?

I try not to be one of those people who get all bent out of shape with every new tech development and the exponential effects that we’re seeing, but AI is a tough one. I think it will eventually, like all technology, be used for both good and evil, and it’s up to us to think critically–but not irrationally–about it. The genie is out of the bottle, as they say…

I know it’s hard…but what’s your favorite song and/or favorite artist of all time? If not favorite, in your top 3?

That’s impossible to answer of course, so I’ll give you a top three right off the cuff: “Days” by the Kinks, “Somebody New” by Blossom Dearie, and “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones would all be up there.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific or different with this project? What’s the back story?

After the pandemic and its effect on the music business, I started recording at home and I have found immense freedom in that. Many of the folks I worked closely with moved away from New York, or were touring with others, and it just made sense to find a way to continue, and I feel that I have fallen into a nice spot right now with the (extremely simple) home recording I’ve been doing. This record “Vanity Matrix” is the second full-length where I have played and arranged everything (the first being “Yesterday Suit”) and as I get more and more experimental, the absence of having to worry about time restraints in a proper studio is incredibly freeing. This record is just about continuing that experiment. I will certainly go back to a “real” studio at some point, but for now I am enjoying recording at my apartment and at my cabin in rural Maine.

What drives you to create? What keeps you going, especially on the bad days?

Honestly I don’t really know sometimes. I’m not someone who picks up their guitar every day. Sometimes not even every week. I don’t write love songs, really, so I suppose it’s therapy and dealing with a pretty severe OCD diagnosis and everything that goes along with that (I’m not talking about the rearranging-the-items-on-your-desk type, but the you-might-not-be-able-to-leave-the apartment type). “Musician” is how I identify as a person, so stopping isn’t really an option, but I have learned not to beat myself up if I don’t work every day. But I do have to work at being disciplined. I used to wait for inspiration but now I just book shows and then I HAVE to get my act together in order to be ready for them I guess. Right when I think I’ll never write another song is when the next one seems to come.

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? Please plug them with a link so readers can check them out.

The aforementioned Blossom Dearie if she’d have me. 

I would love to work with Caetano Veloso or Kool Keith as well as East River Pipe. I have had fantasies about getting those last two together to make a record. I’d be happy just to watch that happen!

Where is the best place to stay connected with You?

Probably via Bandcamp I guess? I don’t use social media too much for anything besides cooking and food-related stuff, but Tuff Sunshine is on Instagram and whatever Twitter is called these days. That might have to change soon.

I appreciate Your time. Want to say anything else before we sign off? 

I appreciate YOUR time. It’s hard to get the work out there in this constant barrage of what the kids are calling “content” so I’m grateful anytime someone wants to listen. Follow Tuff Sunshine on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/49tslo4hf6dO2u3WXcZts7 . Be nice to people. Hug your friends.