With music that’s as sun-drenched as their name implies, Naarm-based Sunbather have cooked up their second EP, Simmer.
We caught up with one half of the dream-pop duo, Sally, to chat about their new 5-track, what they’ve been listening to recently, and their musical guilty pleasures.
PINNIES: What have you been up to today?
SALLY: It’s a sunny Saturday morning as I’m writing and we just got back from surfing at Torquay! Despite the sun, it’s June in Victoria, so it was freezing. I can barely type.
PINNIES: I’ve been loving your latest single, No Charm. Can you talk me through what the songs about?
SALLY: No Charm is about letting go of the pressure to make sure everything works out exactly to plan. I think a lot of time we try to program or control our existence, but everything always changes, everything is always different. It’s not necessarily always ‘growth’ either, our lives and personalities are sometimes just discontinuous and contradictory. The song is about leaning into that instead of fearing it.
PINNIES: When was the last time you heard a song that you wish you’d written?
SALLY: I’ve been listening to a lot of HTRK lately, one of my recent discoveries. I love the song Kiss Kiss and Rhinestones. It’s so cool and haunting and I’m glad it exists.
PINNIES: What songs did you have on repeat while you were writing the new EP?
SALLY: For both Out of Context and No Charm, musically we took specific inspiration from a deep dive into midwest emo, particularly bands like American Football and Cap’n Jazz. For the other songs we were listening to bands like Alvvays, Warpaint, Cocteau Twins and Beach House. We also really like a local band called Brightness, and we were listening to his self-titled album from 2019 while writing the EP.
PINNIES: What’s the best holiday you’ve ever been on?
SALLY: I think my favourite holiday was to Portugal in 2018. I went by myself and made no plans. I started in Lisbon and just worked my way north along the coast by bus, stopping in towns for a few days at a time and moving on when I was ready. I did get stuck for a bit because I lost my bank card which is quite typical of me. But otherwise, it was such a fun and freeing way to travel.
PINNIES: Do you prefer food or drink and why?
SALLY: Food! I love sharing food with people. I am fortunate to have some friends who are great cooks and I’m doing my best to learn their ways. We also live in Melbourne’s west which has an amazing diversity of cultures and cuisines.
PINNIES: What’s your guilty pleasure song?
SALLY: Definitely You Can Do It by Caribou.
Sunbather’s debut EP Simmer is out now! Get a taste for the release below.
Pinnies Mag 