Bay Area-based band Sunset Lines are pleased to share the official video for “Unresponsive” the first single to be lifted from their EP Home Anywhere out May 15 (pre-order). The video debuted today 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 ‘Responsive’ they push the synth pop sound forward while honoring the past.”
On the song Sunset Lines’ Liz Brooks says, “At first glance it seems to be about unrequited love, but in reality, the song was originally written based on my experience of getting ghosted while trying to find work when fresh out of school. Suddenly I realized the parallels of being vulnerable and putting your best foot forward only to be silently rejected without an explanation…an idea that just took off.” The band’s Paul McCorkle adds, “This is the single that really captures the essence of the driving pop and 80’s synth influences that helped create the basis for this EP.”
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.
Atwood Magazine described the debut as “Separating psych pop and new wave, Sunset Lines defies the standard rules of one genre by complying with those of the other; it’s this sort of contrasting, unanticipated motion that will keep listeners on edge throughout, while Brooks’ voice carries a feminine ‘80s glint…surely one’s ears will be craving a bit more of Sunset Lines and their label-bending beginnings.”
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.
