Sullyman the Third’s jubilance as a hardcore, acoustic, old-school indie rock group likely comes from the fact they’re fans first. Citing iconic sixties band The Eagles as one of their premiere inspirations, John Sullivan and his cronies are able to mix references firmly planting them as sixties and seventies kids with their own, unique spin on that kind of sound. They create a strong, effective new record in Condo Florida. Sporting ten original tracks, the record is one of the band’s strongest efforts yet, already having made a considerable splash since the release of their singles starting in the early 2020s.
URL: https://www.sullymanthethird.com/
“(John) Sullivan launched Sullyman The Third as a solo project in 2018 after fronting three rock bands and two duo acts over 25 years,” the band writes on their official page. “He began by recording a four-song EP featuring former Billy Joel saxophonist Richie Cannata and current Yardbirds guitarist Godfrey Townsend. After the isolation of the COVID era, he expanded the project into a full band in 2021, reuniting with drummer Steve Glover and bassist Gregg Steele from earlier projects and adding guitarist George Kurth, a college friend.
As the band developed, Sullivan sought advice from his longtime friend Pete Townshend of the Who on how to build visibility in a changing visual media landscape. That guidance pushed ST3 toward short-form visual storytelling. From 2022 through 2024, the band released three short music comedies that won a dozen film festival awards and helped establish a creative partnership with editor Matt Murphy, who later co-produced Condo Florida. Much of the album’s tracking and mixing was completed in New York at the Mix Palace by Murphy in 2025. Sullivan also traveled to London last August with his wife, Mary Pat, to record much of the lead vocal and acoustic guitar at Grand Cru, Pete Townshend’s recording studio inside a converted barge docked near Tower Bridge, where he worked with engineer Michael Nyandoro while the Who rehearsed for their 2025 farewell tour.”
While sporting considerable production value, what sets Sullyman the Third apart is the fact they’re not interested in pitch-perfect performance quality, electronic mixing, or overly catchy hooks. If something is slightly out of tune, they leave it in if it works – just like the old-timers. The result is this slightly dissonant, yet undeniably evocative element to each of the tracks Sullyman the Third produce. Think of any iconic band from the sixties, be it Sullivan’s idol Eagles, or The Band, or The Doors – and what do you have? Music that feels like a singular, almost storytelling-like experience. Vast and poetic narratives that make you feel entertained as much as transported. While Sullyman the Third don’t quite meet that threshold of immersion like their forefathers, there’s no denying their ability to sport a similar kind of power.
A sense of definitive time, place, and distinctive musical identity. You might not always be surprised by a record John Sullivan and his band record, but with said familiarity you’ll know it’ll be worth it.
Chadwick Easton