It's nice to have things a little shaken up every now and then with my writing here, and what better way to do that than write about a band bold enough to bring back the old. By this I mean bring that futuristic mod from earlier days into the electronic computer age of making music. If anyone's seen the original War of the Worlds, A Clockwork Orange, or any movie of that era, you know the ominous, yet psychedelic sounds I'm talking about. Sunglow has such a beautiful combination of sound comrpised of the the movie soundtracks of the late 60s and the endless capabilities that can be made up on our computers today. The versatility he exposes through each song on his latest album, Jalopy, ​keeps the listener intrigued the whole way through. Normally when I write about a band or set, I listen to the music they've made thus far for inspiration's sake of course, but Sunglow's music really put my mind into high gear. I was put back into the Mod days of London. Listening to tracks like Jalopy made me feel like I was on the set of the original Willy Wonka, surrounded by furries, Mario, and everything was Instagram tinted. So if you haven't taken this mental acid trip through Sunglow's play-land yet, I suggest you check it out, right here, right now:
Lucky enough for us, I had a chance to interview the man behind the fur-pile, Daniel Lynch, and here's what he had to say.
K: How long has Sunglow been in the making? How would you describe the way the music feels?
DL: I worked with a DAW [software] for several years before switching to working solely with hardware to make music, but since the switch four years ago, I've dubbed all of my in-house and live production under this name. To me, I think the music is a sharp or soft on the ears depending on the mood or volume you prefer things.
K: What's your favorite part about this experience?
DL: The people who appreciate the live aspect of my shows make going out and playing a lot more exciting, thus motivating me to keep writing. I'd say that's my favorite part.
K; Describe your ultimate live show. If you could open for one artist, who would it be?
DL: A show where no one looks at their phones. [And] Portishead.
K: What's your favorite album/artist of the moment?
DL: [My] favorite album of the moment would have to be Jacker LP by Heavy Times; [my] favorite artist: The Notwist.
K: What are your essentials for a live show?
DL: I need to focus on stage so losing my head is something I try to avoid. I see a lot of people drink on stage, but I never have the time. I'm constantly moving so being as organized as I can be is most important.
K: To wrap it all up, where does the name Sunglow come from?
DL: I've been one to name things so many times before, and usually when I'm sure of something it comes back in an alternative way and my opinion changes. If I hate it, I obviously wouldn't choose the name. With the idea of having a name that works in two ways as "Sunglow" and "Sung low", I neither hated it nor loved it, and so I kept it. Hopefully it sounds nice in the long run.
And the name is definitely is quite fitting to this futuristic, technological rose-tinted world of music that Daniel has created. Just in case you missed it the first time, check him out at: http://sunglow.bandcamp.com/
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