Tuff Sunshine at The HiFi Bar

Tuff Sunshine is a 3-piece pared-down indie-rock trio that Time-Out New York accurately describes as "cool, emotive indie fare that skillfully fuses funky soul with wiry post-punk." The band features Johnny Leitera (guitar/vocals), Ani Cordero (drums/vocals) and Turner Stough (bass). Those online offering accolades and critical praise include My Old Kentucky Blog, The Huffington Post, Tom Tom Magazine, Obscure Sound and BPM, among others. The band were AOL/ Spinner.com's "Download of the Day" and were prominently featured by Nic Harcourt ("America's most influential DJ") on his nationally-syndicated "Connections" radio show. They were recently named a "NY Band You Oughta Know" by stagebuddy.com and "New Band of the Day" by the UK blog Louder Than War.

Influences range from the punk and post-punk of the 80's and 90's to the great Stax recordings of the 60's and 70's, with a concentration on evocative lyrics and a direct, no-frills approach to production. Each member brings their own vibe to the arrangements, solidifying the band's distinct sound, which continues to define itself while it continues to expand in scope.

Tuff Sunshine has been playing consistently in NYC and beyond, including a string of East Coast dates with legendary Brazilian band Os Mutantes (who Ani has toured with in the past). Their first EP, Half-Mast Steadfast set the pace, being recorded after the band had been together for less than 3 months, leading to the 2nd EP Kids Know , which was recorded and mixed by famed no-wave pioneer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Brian Eno). The band is currently working on their first full-length, due out early 2015 to be entitled Fire In the Hero Building.