Sungaze is the dreamy project of Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow. Joined live by the talents of Angela Colvin, Zach Starkie, Justin Van Wagenen and Charlie Hausfeld, the band’s writing evokes a deep dreaminess, their grunge-tinged indie pop embracing angelic ethereality that leaves a mark on your soul.
Continuing to captivate the hearts of listeners, the latest from Sungaze is the hypnotising elegance of ‘Free Than I Could Be’. Opening with lonely, effect-drenched guitars, the track quickly leads the listener into a clearing of melody and rhythm the steady drums a foundation for floating guitar tones. Ivory’s vocal performance seems to fall from the heavens, the rose-tinted nostalgia a shining light to guide her through the darker times.
Flourishing in textures as the music takes a slightly more melancholic tone, the single becomes a lament for the past, it’s destination the end of life itself, a freedom like no other.
Ivory shares, “The initial inspiration for this song was remembering those hot, sticky, lazy summer days from childhood that seemed to go on forever. Back when the biggest worry was whether or not you had to take a bath that night, and the concept of death was foreign; something that had no place in your world. The first half of the song explores that feeling of invincibility, while the second half takes a look at the aftermath of that bubble of safety being burst and reckoning with the uncomfortable reality that comes with it. Wishing hard for that sense of childlike wonder and freedom, and being a little bitter that the ‘freedom’ you’re now most acquainted with, is seeing loved ones pass and trying to find comfort in the thought that they are now free of the earthly struggle.”
Listen to ‘Free Than I Could Be’ here…
