Written by duo Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow and performed by a full six-piece live, Sungaze is a project of musical artistry, a true passion for creativity. Untethered to a singular influence, the band’s constantly evolving sound finds its centre in sounds of otherworldliness and ethereality. Releasing ‘Light in All of It’ and ‘This Dream’ in 2019 and 2021 respectively, their most recent sonic exploration arises with their third album, the eponymous ‘Sungaze’.
Throughout the project, they dive into alternative rock with a new space-filling goal for the sound. Despite the roar of effect-drenched distorted guitars and chest-thumping drums on tracks like ‘Not Mine To Hold’ and ‘So Light’, the vocals remain steady and angelic, delightfully in control of the meticulously arranged reverberating chaos beneath them.
‘Daisy In The Wind’, is tinted with nostalgia, the lead guitar embracing an Americana-vibe, giving it a folksy, traditional flow that is refined into an anthemic rock song. ‘Freer Than I Could Be’ evokes the peak of their more distant feel. Pulled back, slow and swaying, the delays and reverb melt instruments and vocals together, the molten product filled with sparkling frequencies.
Ferociously unique throughout, Sungaze are unapologetically reflective and always willing to let the soundscape lead them forward.
Sungaze explains the thematic roots of the album, “We like to think of this album as a “coming of age” album. The songs are more personal and direct than we’ve written in the past, and each track on this album details pretty major life themes that have been present for us in the past few years. And as is often displayed in coming of age stories, there was an element of soul-searching and a level of self-acceptance that needed to happen in order for this album to even exist at all.”