Not to be confused with
New Model Army's frontman, American musician Justin Sullivan played drums in about half-a-dozen bands over the course of two decades before releasing his first solo material as
Night Shop in 2017. Sharing a certain folk-minded, indie rock-edged singer/songwriter aesthetic with his
Babies bandmate
Kevin Morby, Sullivan made his full-length debut with
Night Shop's
In the Break in 2018. Working with some of the same collaborators, including members of
Hand Habits and
Woods,
Forever Night followed suit in 2022.
Before he launched
Night Shop, Justin Sullivan made a name for himself as a first-rate indie rock drummer in groups including the Insurgent, Ringers, and, in the late 2000s, Bossy with
Cassie Ramone of
Vivian Girls fame. That band didn't last long, but it led to some higher-profile collaborations. First, he joined
Ramone and
Woods bassist
Kevin Morby's
Babies project, which released a handful of singles, various cassettes, and two albums over a short period of time before
Ramone and
Morby decided to focus on their solo careers. Then, he teamed with
Morby, playing in his live band and on albums beginning in 2013 and through 2016.
Sullivan ventured out on his own under the name
Night Shop in 2017, releasing a self-titled EP on Oakland's 1-2-3-4 Go! Records in February. He was joined on the EP by
Oh Sees bassist Tim Hellman and guitarist (and
Flat Worms bandmate)
Will Ivy.
Night Shop moved to Woodsist imprint Mare Records for its full-length debut. Featuring a backing band that included
Ivy,
Meg Duffy (
Hand Habits), and
Anna St. Louis,
In the Break arrived in September 2017. Over the next couple of months, the project toured the U.S. with
Waxahatchee (and
St. Louis) and
Shannon Lay.
Night Shop returned with the EP
The Fountain on Salinas Records in September 2020. Its backing band consisted of the same lineup, plus
Waxahatchee's
Katie Crutchfield (vocals),
Wand's Sofia Arreguin (piano),
Flat Worms' Tim Hellman (bass), and
Mirror Travel's Tiffanie Lanmon (drums).
Jarvis Taveniere of
Woods engineered and played several instruments on the release, as well.
Taveniere returned to co-produce
Night Shop's sophomore album, the retro rock-minded
Forever Night. Released on Dangerbird Records in early 2022, contributors included
Duffy,
St. Louis,
Spoon keyboardist/guitarist Alex Fischel, and singer/songwriter
Jess Williamson, among others. ~ Marcy Donelson & Tim Sendra