Sunhaze

Why do we like this?

If you're in the mood for a little light-listening and some chilled out vibes, then Sunhaze's newest tune "Buddy" is going to be your jam today.

Leaning on a more melancholic tune than the normal stuff they have put out, Sunhaze rocks some catchy vocals over some dramatic and slightly dreary production.

"Buddy" is the kind of song you end a long-running television with, when two lovebirds have decided that they have reached the end of their road together, and now have to go on with their lives in completely opposite directions. Lover #1 walking towards the road that leads towards the mountains, an Lover #2 headed right back into the big city full of endless dreams.

Maybe as the seasons begin to change and some of your loves out there begin to follow suit, you'll find some comfort in the guitar licks and lyrics of "Buddy." - IndieShuffle

Sunhaze has released their debut album entitled, Wishful Thinking. Sunhaze originated from the vision of Danae Labraña, a San Francisco transplant hailing from the shores of Santa Barbara. Fellow San Francisco State alumni Priscilla del Rosario with Erin Walter then added their native Bay Area-influenced elements to a handful of Labraña's singer-songwriter works. The last two additions Brandon Iljas and Aaron Chin completed the lineup soon after and as a group, they began molding their sound. - Deli Magazine

We’re bringing you the first taste of what to expect from Sunhaze’s next release. The band is premiering their brand new track, titled “Always You”, exclusively with idobi.com. Check it out below!

The San Francisco act formed in 2012, released their debut EP in 2014, and has a full length album on the books for September 9th. The collection is set to be titled Wishful Thinking. Don’t miss it when it hits shelves, and get a glimpse of what you’re in for below! - idobi Radio

October 29th is the record release party at Milk Bar for Wishful Thinking, the first full-length record released by indie pop rock collective Sunhaze. (It’s also a Halloween costume party, but we’re here to focus on this stunner of an album.) It was recorded at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco and was engineered and produced by Sean Paulson, Brandon Martinez and Derek Schultz.

Band members Danae Labraña, Priscilla del Rosario, Erin Walter, Brandon Iljas, and Aaron Chin (whose spot has since been taken over by Jay Lee) have created an album of disparate tunes with a thread of graceful harmonies and clear instrumentals to tie the entire project together.

“For Her” and “Buddy” are particulars favorites for their dreamy vocals and adroit lyrics. Another favorite, “You Don’t Know” is an alternative pop tune with a punched up drum baseline that invites you to sing along, which I did.

The entire album has a drive with the top down quality to it. If you are in a warm climate, do that right now! - Impose Magazine

Once upon a time, this writer once dubbed San Francisco as the west coast’s own dream pop capitol. While much of this still remains true (with Los Angeles, Seattle & Portland giving SF a run for the most ethereal city title), San Francisco’s Sunhaze provide soundtracks for daydreams, afternoon hikes, brunch bound destinations, and twilight getaways. Santa Barbara transplant Danae Labraña started Sunhaze and recruited Priscilla del Rosario, Erin Walter, Brandon Iljas & Aaron Chin who have been dutifully working on the follow up to 2014’s Last Summer EP with the forthcoming album Wishful Thinking available September 9.

Sunhaze’s new single “Always You” hosts the ghosts of the Bay’s best dreamers past, future, and present. Leader Danae Labraña alongside cohorts Priscilla del Rosario, Erin Walter, Brandon Iljas, & Aaron Chin together create a serenity that skates off the aura of light seen and felt through the endearing glow cast by the sun’s surrounding force field halo. “Always You” coasts off the kind of permanence sought by all whose goals mirror their most wildest dreams where desires of secret meetings & subliminal meanings are expressed with the honesty that intimate evening conversations yield. Danae & friends find that sweet spot of creating a particular haze that only the most fervent of daydreamers can truly understand where vocals are blended with the pristine parallel placement and arrangement of the guitar-to-keyboard connection. Sunhaze breaks through the barriers of the temporal as their sound & lyrics reach out for a longer lasting touch. Read our interview with Danae right after the following debut of “Always You”.

Impose: How has your Santa Barbara by San Francisco adventures impacted your own approaches to songwriting?

Danae: My move from Santa Barbara to SF absolutely changed my perspective on life and I found the change in my writing almost instantly. I was inspired by the new people crossing my paths, new relationships, lost relationships, new adventures, the extreme change in scenery and learning to live on my own. I was in a transitional period of my life—turning into an adult and leaving my childhood behind. Leaving my childhood home sparked a surge of emotions—enthusiasm, fear, loneliness, passion, excitement—and I started channeling all these emotions into music. Whereas in SB I wrote sporadically, every now and then—I was not as inspired to seriously create until my move to SF. Although I would have undoubtedly continued to make music in SB, I must say that my inspiration to create wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is now, had I never took the plunge to move.

Impose: Tell us about moving from your debut Last Summer EP to the forthcoming Wishful Thinking album, and how the past few years have helped shape Sunhaze to who you all are today.

Danae: The Last Summer EP was a culmination of songs that range from my fear of moving, falling in love, losing that love, feeling okay with being free and ultimately finding strength to love again. The songs on this EP have a stronger singer-songwriter vibe as in the past, I used to my present my ideas to the group after I had written them all the way through. It was only then that the other members would write their parts to fill out our sound. I’m so proud to say that Sunhaze has grown much more confident the past few years in terms of writing and giving their own creative input making our forthcoming album, Wishful Thinking, that much more intriguing. We have grown to trust each other’s instincts, and are not afraid to challenge each other when necessary. We feel this growth and trust shines through in our upcoming album with the various elements and layers we incorporate throughout each, uniquely individual track.

Impose: What sorts of thoughts of romantic permanence informed “Always You”?

Danae: I’m so glad ‘Always You’ is the first single off the album because this song really marks the beginning of the chapter of my life that the whole album covers. I was deeply moved by the individual that this song was inspired by. The instant connection and various adventures we shared inspired the lyrics and overall vibe of the song. It’s about meeting someone new and without hesitation you find yourself running, playing, dancing, melting, loving and wondering where they have been all your life. About looking into someone’s eyes for the first time and your heart stops for a moment. The song also carries a side of fear to it, that side of insecurity that everyone has carried at one point in their life when falling for someone new. That curiosity you hold when you are still unsure about the sincere intentions of this person, but are willing to put all your trust in them regardless. About finding this person that breathes new air into you and instead of running away from it, you hold on tight and run with it, and hope for the best.

Impose: Other local Bay Area artists that the rest of the world needs to know about right now?

Danae: Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of music in the Bay Area is dead/ dying. All I have to say to these people is they could not be more wrong! We have built a solid network amongst local musicians and are looking forward to meeting more as we continue on this path. Owl Paws is a great local band that everyone should be looking out for, as well as Phosphene and Jay Som. They all bring something different to our thriving music scene and I am always looking forward to their new releases.

Impose: Summer & fall hopes & dreams?

Danae: This summer we most definitely want to keep playing shows. We have a few confirmed throughout SF and we can’t wait to book more to promote our album! Our album is set to release in early fall and once it’s officially released, I’m hoping to go on a small Southern California tour to spread our sound to the masses! - Impose Magazine

Sunhaze has been around since 2012 and they just released their debut album, "Wishful Thinking" on October 7th, 2016. The group worked with producers Sean Paulson and Brandon Martinez and engineer Derek Schultz at Different Fur Studios (San Francisco, CA) – they created a sound exactly what you would expect from a group out of California.

“Buddy” opens the album on a somewhat melancholy note. It’s a song that should accompany a long, summer night. The song blends bright, surf-pop guitar chords with driving, electronic drums. Even with lyrics that sing about a failed love, it’s a fun song that has the feel of a summer anthem. “You Don’t Know” is a great follow-up track, using elements that create an ambient atmosphere, sending the listener into an ethereal state of mind. After a few more reflective tunes, the band turns to more synth-driven tracks. Though the music on "Wishful Thinking" is unique and fun, Sunhaze shines brightest through their heartfelt, vulnerable sentiments about love and its struggles.

To top it all off, "Wishful Thinking" is a masterful display of production. In this venture, as with the melodies and lyrics, there is an experience of richly layered sound that never dulls or settles. It hardly seems right to pen an album review without mentioning at least one negative point, but finding drawbacks on "Wishful Thinking" is hard. Some listeners may question the addition of the brief instrumental track “Rain” that comes towards the end of the album, but I personally found it quite effective and a nice transition into the closing track “In The Shadows”. There simply are no significant missteps on this album and there isn’t a single track I would be tempted to skip over.

Simply put: "Wishful Thinking" is a wonderful work of songwriting, performance, and production. It is an album that proves Sunhaze is not just another pop band, but rather an act that has the potential to grow into something very unique and creative. It isn’t just emotional and it isn’t just melodically beautiful, it is intricate and diverse. Most of all, it is totally worth buying. "Wishful Thinking" is available on iTunes and Bandcamp and for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. - DOPECAUSEWESAID

San Francisco's Sunhaze is back with another DOPE track off their upcoming album, "Wishful Thinking", due for release on October 7th. This new track, 'Buddy' introduces a much more emotional tone to their usually airy recordings. Adding more complexity to the slated album release, the ensemble discusses the moments leading up to a relationship's demise. Allowing for an intimate approach to storytelling, we witness the end of something great.

When something familiar becomes blurred and presence turns into memory, Sunhaze offers us a window in. With each release, we learn more and more about this promising group, as they chronicle the various moods of today's youth, allowing for an authentic progression to occur.

Critics and audiences alike can agree this is the strongest release to date for the San Francisco crew, as they continue to build momentum and dominate their artistry.

BIO:

Sunhaze embodies the diverse landscape of their Californian roots. Surf-pop guitars and atmospheric synth amidst melancholic melodies create an aural environment influenced by coastlines and city streets. "Elaborate layers of harmonic instrumental flourishes, unconventional addictive rhythms, and vocal arrangements" are what define their soundscape.

Formed in 2012, Sunhaze originated from the vision of Danae Labraña, a San Francisco transplant hailing from the shores of Santa Barbara. Fellow San Francisco State alumnae, Priscilla del Rosario and Erin Walter, then added their native Bay Area-influenced elements to a handful of Labraña's singer-songwriter works. The last two additions, Brandon Iljas and Aaron Chin, completed the lineup soon after and as a group, they began molding their sound.

Sunhaze debuted their Last Summer EP in Fall 2014. Their first full-length record succeeds the previous bright, sun-baked release with a culmination of pop hooks, dynamic rhythms, and darker undertones. Wishful Thinking is to be released October 7th, 2016. - DOPECAUSEWESAID