The first steps on Saffron Sun's journey were taken in 2015 by Pernilla Kannapin (vocals and violin) and Philip Steenbergen (percussion and guitar), who share a deep love for all the different kinds of traditional folk and world music. Both were looking for a project that would cross the boundaries between genres and cultures. Together with Lukas Gaedtke (guitar and vocals), whose energetic playing is heavily influenced by both reggae and African music, the first songs were arranged. Rico de Jeer (double bass), whose laid-back jazz grooves keep the sound firmly rooted, joined the band in 2016. Ilse Roskam (accordeon and vocals), whose dynamic playing rounds off the sound, completed the line-up in early 2017.