Slightly Stoopid is a band based in Ocean Beach, California, 10 miles from downtown San Diego, who describe their music as “a fusion of acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk”. As a band, they have released seven albums (2 live) with their fifth studio album, entitled “Chronchitis”, released on August 7, 2007. The band was originally signed by the late Bradley Nowell from the band Sublime to his label Skunk Records. Back In 1995, while still in high school, Miles and Kyle caught the ear of Sublime vocalist Bradley Nowell, who then signed them to his own Skunk Records label. Staying true to the D.I.Y ethic of punk rock, the band released its first two albums independently on Skunk. With minimal distribution (primarily in Southern California), the Skunk label released the punk-tinged debut Slightly Stoopid (1996), and the heavier-produced reggae leanings of the band’s surf inspired Longest Barrel Ride (1998).

After a couple of years of hard core gigging, and between recording a legitimate new studio album, Slightly Stoopid delivered a live CD from an hour long live acoustic set from San Diego’s Rock 105 which helped them kick off their own Stoopid Records imprint. Titled Acoustic Roots: Live and Direct, it featured both players on acoustic guitars and vocals, and was recorded live, one take with no overdubs. Then in 2003, Slightly Stoopid released Everything You Need, their first legitimately produced studio album since 1998. A departure on some levels, Everything You Need was the culmination of the band reaching a new creative plateau, forging their own brand of music without abandoning the philosophy of where they started. According to co-front man Kyle McDonald, “Miles and I both love music, and we have been friends since we were one and two years old. We are just like brothers, and it’s really nice to be able to make music with your family. We’ve been listening to music together all of our lives, have been playing together since our mid-teens, and are in our 11th year as a band.”

The band tour relentlessly, putting on nearly 200 shows every year. Their most dedicated and hardcore fans, known as “Ese locos” (Spanish for “Crazy person”) or “Stoopidheads” support them heavily, attending as many gigs as is humanly possible and spreading the word. Slightly Stoopid’s touring schedule typically has them locked into two-plus hours of improvisational jamming, five days a week. Along the way, they have supported such acts as The Marley Bros, Sublime, The Roots, G-Love and Special Sauce, Blink 182, Toots and The Maytals, N.E.R.D, Pennywise, and The Warped Tour, to name a few. The group’s diversity appeals to a wide demographic of music fans. “Our live shows are fun, and we get every sort of person you can imagine in one room,” Kyle reveals. “And a lot of them are crazy. We’re all about having fun – we interact with the crowd and get ’em riled up.”

Slightly Stoopid remain a group devoted to the pursuit of the perfect mix of lifestyle and sound. With ‘Closer to the Sun’, Slightly Stoopid has created a soundtrack to compliment their quest for the most crucial mix, and prove that hard work, perseverance and staying true to their roots is their path to creating genre-bending music with integrity.