Rainbow Kitten Surprise, often shortened to RKS, is an American band from Boone, North Carolina, known for blending indie and alternative rock with folk and pop influences. Centred around vocalist and songwriter Ela Melo, the line-up also features Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, Ethan Goodpaster and Jess Haney.
Formed in 2013 at Appalachian State University, the group first issued the EP "Mary" and the album "Seven", later combining them as "Seven + Mary". Their self-titled record "RKS" followed, helping them grow from college shows to major festivals. In 2018 they released "How To: Friend, Love, Freefall", featuring standout tracks such as "Hide" and "It’s Called: Freefall" and cementing their reputation for poetic, emotionally charged songwriting.
After extensive touring and a brief hiatus, they returned with the expansive 2024 album "Love Hate Music Box", led by singles "Superstar", "LOL", "Overtime" and "SVO". In 2025 they continued their evolution with the album "bones", including songs like "Dang" and "Tropics", further establishing Rainbow Kitten Surprise as one of modern alternative music’s most distinctive bands.
