Family Harmony: Ethan Carey and Sunup Partner Garry Manuel Collaborate with Sons on New Album Titled ‘SonsUp’

This is an update from the original article dated May 2021.

In early 2017, my musical collaborator and best friend from our "Sunup" days in the '70s, Garry Manuel, sparked an inspiring idea! Our sons, Ethan James and Marshall Manuel, are both talented musicians and singer-songwriters. Garry envisioned us creating an album featuring our two sons, and we named the project "SonsUp!" Marshall embraced the producer role with his college degree in audio engineering, setting the stage for a powerful creative journey.

The SonsUp album includes one Beatles cover, three original songs by Ethan James, one track written by Marshall Manuel, and four original compositions by Sunup. You can find all of our music on Apple Music and Spotify. Enjoy one of the songs written by Ethan James!

The weekend became an extraordinary bonding experience between fathers and sons, as we came together to write, record, and share original songs. Once all the vocal tracks were completed, Sunup's first bass player, Charlie Castilano, joined numerous other talented musicians in the studio to enhance the music with guitar, keyboards, and drums. After this creative journey, the SonsUp album was sent to Garry's son, Marshall, the album’s producer, who skillfully handled the mixing process. The SonsUp album was proudly released in August 2017.

At 73, Garry and I felt it was the right time to record our final Sunup album, "The Key Is Love." This album, featuring 15 tracks, includes a selection of cover songs by some of our beloved artists. Released in August 2024, and available on Apple Music and Spotify, our album reflects the bond of our 50-year friendship and our never-ending passion for the music. One of those tracks is a tribute to one of the great songwriters of our time, John Prine.