Washington, D.C. collective Stephen Sol & The 7 have stepped into the spotlight with the release of their debut EP, Sunshine Wine — a five-track project that blends psychedelic folk-rock, alternative grit, and soulful energy into a sound as warm and intoxicating as its name suggests. Fronted by singer-songwriter Stephen Sol, the nine-piece band channels influences from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Dave Matthews Band and CAKE. Known for their electrifying live shows, the group has quickly built a reputation for packed performances at local venues including Union Stage and Galactic Panther, often marked by big horns, gospel-inspired harmonies, and moments of playful improvisation.
Following the success of early singles Eternal Peace and Forever Changed, Sunshine Wine marks their first cohesive body of work — a project that captures themes of joy, reflection, heartbreak, and rebirth. Recorded in Washington, D.C., the EP carries the warmth of live instrumentation and the intimacy of collaboration. Each track explores a different emotional landscape: ‘Sunshine Wine’ is a nostalgic golden-hour anthem that evokes the final rays of summer; ‘The Moon’ is a mystical, harmony-rich track inspired by wolves under a night sky, with guest vocals from Yasmin Wamala, Bema Tadey, and LEIF; ‘Forever Changed’ is an acoustic ballad of love and loss that draws comparisons to Hozier and Iron & Wine; ‘Spring (I Made It)’ is a survival anthem that blends cinematic storytelling with alternative rock intensity; and ‘Hum of Love’ closes the collection on a radiant note, celebrating love as the universe’s deepest vibration.
To celebrate the release, Stephen Sol & The 7 will headline Union Stage on January 9, 2026, before embarking on a regional East Coast tour. A full-length studio album is already slated for February 2026, signaling that Sunshine Wine is only the beginning of a much larger musical journey.
Raised on Johnny Cash and Elvis by his grandfather “Boots”, Sol found his voice through a secondhand guitar and a love affair with The Beatles and My Morning Jacket. Now leading The 7 — a collective as cinematic as it is intimate — he is carving a space in the indie folk-rock scene where raw storytelling, soulful harmonies, and bursts of humour meet. With Sunshine Wine, Stephen Sol & The 7 offer more than a debut: they present an invitation into their evolving world — one where joy and reflection intertwine, and every note carries the pulse of something alive and deeply human.
Listen below:
