guava duff

Larson Sutton is a songwriter, singer, and guitarist whose music reflects a lifelong connection to coastal New England landscapes, improvisational rock, and thoughtful Americana songwriting. Raised in a farmhouse in Rhode Island, Sutton developed an appreciation for rural life shaped by the rhythms of the Atlantic Ocean. “I tend to write most of my songs from experience,” he says. “Snow on a barn or a sunrise over the water can inspire me as much as any sound.”

As the creative force behind Guava Duff, Sutton blended folk, rock, and roots influences into songs marked by vivid imagery and melodic warmth. The band’s debut album, Two Days Until Tomorrow, drew inspiration from travels to London and the Bahamas, while the follow-up Does It Matter? pursued a more immediate, live-band energy. Their later release Detritus gathered songs from a decade of Sutton’s earlier musical projects.

Before Guava Duff, Sutton led the Syracuse-based jamband Sons of Papaya (1991–1995), a group that played hundreds of shows along the East Coast and won Best College Band at the 1995 Sammys. The band shared stages with artists including Blues Traveler, Gov't Mule, and G. Love.

Sutton’s adventurous side emerged in the instrumental ensemble Nebraska and the expanded horn-driven project Buckminster Fuller, both influenced by John Lurie and the Kronos Quartet. He later reunited with longtime collaborators in Berube and Sand Bear, the latter formed in honor of independent-music champion Mimi Fishman.

Across every project, Sutton’s work balances poetic storytelling, improvisational spirit, and a deep sense of place.