The album debuted at #9 on the iTunes Reggae Music Albums Chart.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (November 14th, 2025): San Diego’s distinct music community has spawned a new acoustic album from two of the thriving scene’s artists who are poised for major national breakthroughs. Beach/Rock/Reggae band Sandollar and reggae/rock singer-songwriter Kela Sako have paired to record a set of duets of their best-known songs plus one new tune, “Glitter,” that they wrote together for “Sun Sets Vol. 1: An Acoustic Session,” which debuted top ten on the iTunes Reggae Albums chart. The labelmates of the San Diego-based Pacific Records recorded the project co-produced by the label’s president, CEO, and founder Brian Witkin and Sako in The Music Company’s studio, a nonprofit incubator for the San Diego music scene. The single “Glitter” was released ahead of the album release as an instant gratification track on October 17th.
The concept of recording an acoustic album together was conceived by Sako. A unique element to the album is that the artists sing each other’s songs. Neither act has ever recorded any of their music acoustically before. Not only does the project create an opportunity for them to reimagine their own material, but it allows them to introduce the songs to new listeners who may be unfamiliar with the original versions.
“I’ve always loved it when artists cut acoustic versions of their songs. I feel that it gives a song a whole new life and existence. The emotion can be felt so purely when it’s stripped down to just acoustic instruments and vocals. I asked Sandollar if they’d want to collaborate on the project with me and was so excited when they agreed to it. It was the start of a beautiful journey of creation,” said Sako, a native of Hawaii who now lives in San Diego.
Sandollar’s lead singer Baron Lunbeck concurred.
“When Kela approached me about doing the album, I got really excited. Sandollar has never recorded any acoustic music before so the chance to make an acoustic collab seemed right. We’re fans of each other’s music so working together felt natural. I had already played on her latest album, ‘Speed Bumps,’ and knew many of the songs. We’ve also played shows together and jammed at house parties and beach bonfires,” said the San Diego-based Lunbeck who plays keyboards and acoustic guitar on the album along with his bandmates Marco Rodrigues (acoustic guitar), David Basham (acoustic guitar, background vocals), Henry Ortiz (percussion, drums, background vocals), and Max Damkoehler (bass guitar, acoustic bass).
Opening with the Sandollar tune “So Dangerous,” the groove takes on breezier, island-like qualities when presented in an acoustic setting. “Promise To Return” is a slow, sultry Sako prowl that erupts into an impassioned melodic chorus. Midway through the original version of her single “Speed Bumps,” Lunbeck delivers a spoken word passage. He delivers that rap again on the new acoustic version and he gets to sing along with Sako throughout the infectious, reggae jam. Sako’s sunny and optimistic “Beautiful” has an entirely different vibe in the presence of Sandollar. The instrumentation and clever arrangement are illustrative of the band’s transformative imprint on the album.
“Sandollar adds a really special touch to the project. I was brought to tears by their work… multiple times. The feeling is inexplainable, intangible. The three-part guitar work, the layers of harmony, the elegant and intricate percussion, the insanely impressive seven-string bass playing…it’s unreal. I feel so honored and humbled to work with such talent. I am so insurmountably grateful for their help in breathing new life into all these songs,” said Sako who was a Best New Artist nominee at this year’s San Diego Music Awards.
Sako’s “Who Are You” is more haunting in its new form and the singalong chorus sounds even bigger and more animated than the original. Lunbeck and Sako’s voices merge sublimely on Sandollar’s bouncy “Up Up.” Initially, Sako was a bit apprehensive about singing the band’s hits.
“It was actually nerve wracking at first. Baron (Lunbeck) has a beautiful voice. I was in my head about not wanting to sound bad or not nail a harmony or just embarrassing myself on such good songs. But the band was so encouraging and supportive and the fear dissipated by the time of our live recording session. It was a lot of fun. I know people are going to lose their minds when they hear Sandollar go acoustic. I definitely did,” enthused Sako.
“Kela’s tone and charisma gave our songs a breath of fresh air and made for a unique sound,” said Lunbeck.
Sako provided background and insight into the inception of the album’s new original song, “Glitter.”
“My very first show in San Diego was opening for Sandollar. I remember it like it was yesterday. We became family and we always talked about writing a song together. This one truly happened organically. Baron had some pretty chords, I had some recycled lyrics, and from a simple jam session came a sophisticated song that captures an ever-lovely moment in time. For me, the song is a tale of two individuals whose souls find one another and spark a connection on a level that is unseen, but deeply felt in every kiss, in every hug, in every memory made. It’s a divine intertwining of life. When you find someone who sees you and you see them, who you would sail across the seas for, who isn’t the pretty gimmick of glitter but of pure gold, who takes your breath away relentlessly, you have found something rare and remarkable. It creates an everlasting layer of love that stays with you always.”
Sako and Lunbeck’s voices blend divinely on the anthemic “Change,” which closes the set on a lingering note of honest introspection, hope, and persistence.
“Singing along with Kela to her songs was a lot of fun. Our voices resonate naturally and I’m a big fan of her lyrics,” said Lunbeck who recently concluded a concert trek with Sandollar that played shows in California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico in support of their latest single, “One Way.”
After meeting in a high school woodshop class, Sandollar released their Pacific Records debut, “Roller Coaster Ride,” in 2013, entering the iTunes Reggae Albums chart at No. 7. The project helped the band develop their beach culture, rock, reggae, and hip-hop alchemy. Sandollar’s sound and songs serve up good-time vibes, searing guitar riffs, and taut rhythmic grooves. Two years ago, their “Under the Water” won the Best World Music Album at the San Diego Music Awards while the album’s “Warrior” was nominated for Song of the Year. Their vibey sounds have appeared on CBS’s “Magnum PI” and Netflix’s “Outer Banks.” Sandollar has been busy lately recording their next album in the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. Look for it in the first quarter of 2026 accompanied by a concert tour.
Sako takes pride in her Hawaiian heritage, which she incorporates into her music that derives influence from reggae, R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. Blending intricate and intimate storytelling with brazen vulnerability, Sako’s music reflects her inner world, each lyric and note a testament to the raw emotions and spirituality that shape her art. Her debut album, “Speed Bumps,” debuted on the iTunes Reggae Albums chart at No. 4. She has performed at notable venues in Hawaii and California, including shows with Hawaiian music legend Henry Kapono, Kaleo Philips, and with Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award (the Hawaiian GRAMMYs) nominated band Slack Key ‘Ohana. Sandollar & Kela Sako will be celebrating the release on December 19th, 2025 at The Template in Ocean Beach, California where they will perform the acoustic album live together.
“Sun Sets Vol. 1: An Acoustic Session” contains the following songs:
“So Dangerous”
“Promise To Return”
“Speed Bumps”
“Beautiful”
“Who Are You”
“Up Up”
“Glitter”
“Change”
To listen to the album album, visit https://orcd.co/acousticalbumv1.
For more information, visit https://pacificrecords.com.
# # #