When we last checked in with Winnipeg’s sundayclub, they were gearing up for not one but two Toronto shows to build on the interest around their debut single “Bannatyne” and I was working out how to fit at least one of them in my schedule. As it turned out, both shows were canceled due to illness, if I recall, and while I saved on a sitter the band consequently fell off my radar a bit.
And what I missed in the intervening months was that they announced their debut album – a self-title if we disregard typecasing – that is due out July 10, and the fact that they’ve previewed it already with two great singles that find the duo pivoting a bit from the slightly electro-pop vibe of their debut single to a scrappier live rock vibe (read: real drums) that will definitely solicit comparisons to Alvvays but those comparisons will be very favourable so that’s just fine with me.
The videos for the two singles are framed as act one and act two of a larger story of a young couple’s relationship, and whether that’s a narrative that extends to the album as a whole or just the visuals remains to be seen. Of the first song, “Camera Shy”, they say:
We often describe ‘Camera Shy’ as being as the quintessential ‘sundayclub song’ and the blueprint for the record. It’s about a good night gone very wrong; one of those back and forth, hazy NYE nights bound for absolute disaster.
sundayclub
“Didn’t Capture the Night”: sundayclub Blur the Line Between Living & Remembering on “Camera Shy,” a Dreamy Indie Pop Rush of Memory & Modern Self-Awareness @ Atwood Magazine
And for “Blue Wave”, they offer:
It’s about wanting to be a different, better, and more evolved version of yourself despite not being there yet, and seeking escapism in the past as a way to find solace
sundayclub
sundayclub Look to the Past for Escape on New Single “Blue Wave” @ Flood Magazine
These descriptions certainly tie into the official description of the album as:
“Dreamy, gut-punch pop”, like sunlight softly glimmering through a window, ink slowly bleeding across a page, or a grainy film photograph blurring hard edges, the album’s layered, textured soundscapes evoke a romantic feeling of nostalgia and ephemeralness.
sundayclub / SUNDAYCLUB @ Paper Bag Records
Which sounds like something AI would write after going through my streaming history so yeah, I’m here for it.
The band have set a new Toronto date on July 25 as part of the dreamgazey Loveless Festival which I may or may not be in town for, so here’s hoping the album takes off so they have to keep coming back to town.
