Bristol based, alt-electro-pop duo Sun Spot have released their first single 'Clipping 02', from their upcoming 'Clipping' EP, due out September 3rd via Rosecoloured Records.
Sun Spot have made a name for themselves embracing a strange juxtaposition of ethereal pop hooks spliced with layers of coarse lo-fi grit. The pair’s understanding of pop music is rooted in experimentation - drawing from new wave, bedroom pop, trip-hop and electronica. Sun Spot’s minimalist approach to the genre is saturated with bombastic, sampled drums, waves of synthesised ambience and interjections of distorted, glitched out melody harking back to the titans of early 2000’s sample culture.
Having released ‘Johari Window/Lovesong’ on Rosecoloured Records in late 2020, the duo now look ahead to their sophomore release with the south coast label.
We had a chat with the pair as part of our Get to Know series...
How did you meet and when did you start making music together?
George: "We met when we were both in college, Will got roped in to play bass in my band at the time, we’ve been intensely good friends ever since and haven’t really stopped making music together in one way or another."
Is there a story or meaning behind the band name? Will: "In terms of the name, I remember when this project started I was listening to loads of Touch & Go Records bands and all the weird indie stuff like Pinback and Modest Mouse. I think “sun spot” kept popping up as a lyric in these bands and I liked the sound of it as an indie band of that ilk. It’s in 3x0 by Pinback but more importantly, there’s also a Nine Inch Nails song called ‘sunspots.’ I just go with that if I’m tryna impress someone lmao."
For anyone who hasn’t heard your music before, how would you sum it up in a sentence?
George: "Sad songs for people who want to dance."
Where are you guys from and what’s your favourite thing about it? Do you feel as though your surroundings have inspired your sound in any way?
Will: "So we both grew up in small villages not too far from Brighton, which is still one of my favourite places on earth. I played in my first bands there and I’ve always loved that it’s teeming with all kinds of different creatives, and I think that really helped me find my feet in a lot of ways. Bristol’s a really similar vibe, where there’s just loads of people doing their own thing and co-existing. It’s probably no coincidence that since we’ve moved here that our sound has got significantly weirder and more electronic. We’re musical sponges, what can I say?"
Who are your biggest inspirations, musically?
George: "We’re both into a wide variety of music, which is what makes Sun Spot such an exciting project, we can take influence from almost anywhere and twist it into a song. One of my favourite things I’ve discovered recently is Sylvan Esso, their new album ‘Free Love’ has been on repeat at our place for a couple of months now, it slaps! I think we both take a healthy amount of influence from 80’s pop and new wave as well as the weirder side of dance music."
Will: "Like George said, we’re both into loads of different stuff and we try and treat Sun Spot just as the name we put music out under rather than something limited to one genre. I think one very important constant for us both has been From Indian Lakes, though. Joey Vanucchi’s approach to music has always fascinated me and he’s just one of those folks that’s just disgustingly talented at everything they do. I really love ‘Everything Feels Better Now’ - it’s so minimal and dancey yet emotive at the same time."
Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
Will: "There’s so many! I’d love to work with someone like Toro y Moi or Now, Now - artists that have a unique handle on their production too. I really love the last Now, Now LP and would just love to pick their brains on it."
You’ve just released your new single ‘Clipping 02’! How has the reaction been so far?Tell us a little about it!
George: "We wrote ‘Clipping 02’ around the start of this year, I remember we were particularly excited by how short it was, all the elements of a song are there, but you have to assemble it yourself. That’s definitely inspired by the most recent Porches release, ‘Ricky Music’, a lot of those songs feel like they could be full blown pop songs with a million choruses, and the fact that they’re not makes them so much more exciting!"
Will: "It’s been good, thank you! Like George said, that song kind of came out of nowhere but has somehow ended up feeling like a massive turning point for us in terms of our sound. I’m really excited! It’s kinda mad to think about, I remember thinking of the vocal melody at work and frantically recording a demo on my phone in the walk-in chiller so I wouldn’t forget it. Oops."
Do you have a favourite part or lyric from the track?
George: "I have nothing to do with the lyric writing, Will is the wordsmith here, but I love the line “it feels so good, watching everything fall apart” I think that sums up the song really nicely - bitterly enjoying your world collapsing around you."
Will: "Considering there’s about 8 lines in 'Clipping 02' I’m gonna go with that same one. There’s something really cathartic and emotionally intense about that line, and I think it kind of gives the song a real kind of twisted vibe. Absolutely not a wordsmith btw."
What’s coming next for you guys?
"Clipping 02 is just the start, we can’t say too much right now, but the era of Clipping has certainly begun!"
'Clipping 02' is out now. Listen HERE
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