North American pair Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow are the duo at the head of Sungaze, bending genres into ethereal new ideas, drawing from an array of influences but resonating with the likes of Mazzy Star, Widowspeak, and Beach Fossils.
Live, the band is comprised of the lead duo, Angela Colvin on bass guitar and backing vocals, Zach Starkie on rhythm guitar, Justin Van Wagenen on drums, and Charlie Hausfeld on keys, giving the band plenty of room to expand their sound in the climactic moments and keep it intimate when necessary.
‘Freer Than I Could Be’ is the latest track crafted on the sonic journey that is Sungaze. The band take intricate arrangements to heavenly intentions, the distant, reverb-drenched vocals radiant and otherworldly as they absorb a steadily paced tempo. Found with this oasis of sound comes shimmering guitar tones and momentum-inducing percussion, lying on a bed of rich bass tones. Sungaze captures a beautifully magical sound, finding something ineffable in their style and letting it lead them forward. This leaves audiences with an emotional experience and a mood that lasts long after the final note.
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.”
