Sunset Lines Release New Single 'Season Of The Witch'

On May 15, Bay Area band Sunset Lines will release their EP Home Anywhere (pre-order). In anticipation of the upcoming release the band has shared the official video for "Season Of The Witch," the second single to be lifted from the EP. The video, which was created by the band and Frank Door, debuted today at Under The Radar and can also be shared at YouTube. Under The Radar says, "Though "Unresponsive" [the EP's first single] brilliantly showed the synth pop revival style of Home Anywhere, "Season of The Witch" takes a more meditative path, instead using glittering synth textures to provide color and presence to a spacious piano ballad. Matching brooding verses with a gorgeous shimmering chorus, the track runs through lush instrumental passages and haunting lyricism. Liz Brooks delivers hints of '80s glitter with her vocal performance, all while paying tribute to classic horror tropes and hinting towards underlying narratives of abuse and escapism."

On the song Liz Brooks says:

"One of the themes of Home Anywhere"was developing lyrics that sound like they are telling one obvious story but elude to another, more obscure narrative. 'Season of the Witch' was the first song I wrote for this EP that invoked that concept."

"I'm a huge fan of classic and modern horror movies, which strongly influenced the narrative theme of SOTW. Specifically, the song pays homage to works like Rosemary's Baby and The Haunting of Hill House, while at the same time recognizing the narrative of the "Final Girl." This also got me thinking about how akin this storyline is to that of a controlling or abusive relationship - drawing upon my own experiences and those so many have gone through - a haunting experience of its own. This song resonates with me in a deeply personal way based on those experiences."

"Season Of The Witch" follows up the release of the EP's first single "Unresponsive." The official video for the song debuted last month at MXDWN Magazine and can also be shared at YouTube. MXDWN says, "The video, which was directed by Frank Door and produced by Carmen Yvette, is a brilliantly hued clip that has an intentionally lo-fi appearance. It's as if someone in their 40s returned to their childhood home, dusted off an old VHS tape and popped it in the VCR, a perfect time-capsule into another era. Of course, Sunset Lines aren't simply paying tribute to the '80s - on 'Unresponsive' they push the synth pop sound forward while honoring the past." "Unresponsive" is available on all streaming services now to add to your favorite playlists.

Sunset Lines began when musical partners and founders Liz Brooks (vocals/synth) and Paul McCorkle (producer/synth) decided to start their own musical project after the band in which they met disbanded.

In 2017 Sunset Lines, featuring then members Brian Howell (bass) and Greg Weiman (drums), released their debut EP Slippery Slope which they recorded at Different Fur and Tiny Telephone. The album was a pop and synth heavy ode to San Francisco and the triumphs and losses that come from ending a longstanding relationship and moving to a new city.

After the release of Slippery Slope, the band took a hiatus for the next two years. Liz and Paul took this period of time to create a new sound for Sunset Lines with Liz taking on writing new material and Paul honing in on his musical production skills. The result would end in an even more synth driven direction and production techniques even more invokative of 80's synth pop. Joined by new members Ben Manning (drums) and Scott Smit (bass), Sunset Lines set out to play a new series of high energy shows and to record an EP that drew influences from acts such as Tears for Fears, Blondie and MGMT.

Just as momentum was building for Sunset Lines and they were getting ready to put out new music and travel to record their first music video, the pandemic hit. Like so many other acts, the band had to pivot and postpone plans, with members relocating outside of the bay area to be closer to family. Facing this new set of challenges, the band focused on working remotely to finish and finalize their new EP while working on a number of remote DIY performances.

The new EP, Home Anywhere, was completely recorded at Sunset Lines' own studio with all tracks played and recorded by members of the band and then mixed by Sean Paulson at Different Fur studios, with mastering provided by Peerless Mastering and Golden Mastering.

Home Anywhere serves as a time capsule for all that Sunset Lines had to accomplish and overcome in order to bring the EP to completion during a time of extreme chaos and uncertainty, with songs speaking to subjects such as navigating the indifference and radicalized political views of others, dealing with isolation, and the loss and lust of travel. While the subject matter can be somber and sobering, the lyrics are matched with intoxicating lush and shimmering synth sounds and a driving rhythm section that is still likely to make you want to dance.

As a side note, in addition to being musical partners and founders of Sunset Lines, Brooks and McCorkle and slotted to tie the knot later this spring.

Listen here:

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