Track by Track is written by the artist giving us insight into their work. Today we feature the new EP from Sunbathers… –
Sunbathers EP “Track by Track”
Below are descriptions of the 5 tracks from Sunbathers debut EP. Overall, we describe our music as ‘energetic groove-based indie rock’, channeling the sounds of alternative rock, indie, R&B, dance and electronica. Sunbathers EP is now available for free download on SoundCloud and BandCamp, and streaming on all other digital platforms.
Intimacy
Intimacy originated as an outro to one of our earlier songs, and was used as a sort of minimalist groove to transition from one song to another. We recognized the potential of the simple, pulsing chords cycling continuously, as well as the tension and release we were able to create within that structure, and decided to let the idea stand on its own. Lyrically, the song explores the course of a relationship and the overwhelming feeling of being close with someone, as well as the hurt it can cause when it falls apart. The first verse is surrender, letting yourself be overwhelmed in a moment, to someone you haven’t known for long but trust unconditionally. The second verse signals a sea change, when the relationship is falling apart, and realizing it was built on little more than sex. The bridge and final chorus is a lament, desperate to fuck and feel beautiful again.
Glory
Glory came about through layering a grooving bassline with jazzier chord movements. This song builds to a peak in intensity for the final chorus. The track pairs darker, more intense lyrical imagery with playful, lilting vocal melodies. Lyrically, it is an attempt at coming to grips with a particular tragedy–a result of youthful reckless abandon. It blends visions of a person lying dead on the ground with realizations about the unrelenting nature of living. The song explores the notion of how people can be gone in an instant, leaving you with feelings of existential dread and severe rage, directed both to the world and to the person who just left it.
Summer in the City
Summer in the City is the most ‘feel good’, upbeat song on the EP. It was one of the first few songs we wrote and released as a band, and quickly became a sing-along among our friends/fans throughout our first several shows in DC last year. This song was intentionally structured to be more of a ‘pop-rock’ tune with catchy, easily repeatable melodies. It originated in February, when the thirst for summer was strong. Our singer Sean had the idea for it one day while driving home from work, and we were able to quickly flesh it out over the course of a couple hours. The lyrics deal with, literally, a summer in a city, but at the end of the season–late August–when things are winding down. You look back on how you’ve spent it in a haze, half in-love, half-drunk, but absolutely alive.
Daisy
Daisy is the flower typically used for the “she loves me, she loves me not” game. Lyrically, the chorus line came first and informed the rest of the song. It tells the story of two people from the point of view of the one who doesn’t want to be falling for the other, but can’t do anything to stop it. The first verse depicts a natural scene, young and outside, sweaty and “new to this”, excited but afraid. The second verse takes place at night, through the same point of view, watching the other dance around wildly and realizing love has taken hold. Instrumentally, the song pairs quick and light guitar sounds with a tight, driving rhythm section.
All Your Lovely Colors
All Your Lovely Colors is another one of our bands earlier songs, and a favorite of multiple members. The song pairs a lighter vocal delivery with more intense themes and heavier instrumentals. The lyrics deal with the loss of innocence and how, once it happens, it impacts the rest of your life. The first verse details an absurdist scene, violence pasted onto an idyllic and typical setting. The first line of the song was inspired by an interview our singer Sean read with St. Vincent where she described her self-titled record as a party where there is blood on the piñata, an apocalypse you can dance to. The second verse focuses in on a single person in the aftermath of that lost innocence, quiet yet capable, putting on a face for the world. The breakdown and ending serves as a release of that suffocated spirit.
