Just For Fun is a concoction of songs showing Sundae Girl’s playfulness, as well as their melodic and retro likings. Recorded at David Scholten’s Spaces Between studio in Halifax, this debut EP was produced by Adam Warren (Glory Glory), while finishing touches were added by Brooklyn-based engineer Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, Weezer).
https://soundcloud.com/user-256142913/sets/just-for-fun/s-xnX39RpNaIm
“Just For Fun is a mantra,” said Sundae Girl vocalist Laura Kempton (she/her). “It’s an approach to handling the pressures of life and finding ways to look on the brightside.”
The EP manages those pressures in different strokes. Opener “Sandbar,” for instance, is a shimmery pop single that spins the tale of a protagonist at her wits-end with an unsympathetic and inept lover. One of the band’s earliest songs, “Sandbar” took on a new surf-pop life through their work with Warren, epitomizing their newfound sound.
“Faces,” meanwhile, presents a glamorous and intimate look at inner battles with self-worth. The song is a beautiful nightmare, neatly exploring the dark thoughts we all tell ourselves.
“‘Faces’ is about an uncontrollable spiral into self-doubt and questioning your worth,” said Kempton. “It’s about struggling to find the brightside, coming to terms with the personal demons that we all fight with in our minds, and a constant striving to be kind to yourself.”
From there, Sundae Girl push and pull between conventional indie pop and their psych and dream pop/shoegaze tilts, on “Stay Home” and EP closer, “Rock Show.” Throughout, their driving yet atmospheric sound remains remarkably textured and decidedly optimistic.
https://soundcloud.com/user-256142913/sets/just-for-fun/s-xnX39RpNaIm
Freaky, sparkly, wavy. Sundae Girl are a five-piece indie-rock band from Halifax. Recalling and reinventing sounds from bands like The Smiths, Blondie, and The Strokes, the band’s debut EP puts their playful, retro, and rock leanings on display. Since their inception, Sundae Girl (f/k/a The Drug Rugs) have showcased at Nova Scotia Music Week, Evolve, Into the Night Festival, and the Halifax Jazz Fest, won “Silver” for “Best New Band” in The Coast’s Best Of, and shared the stage with artists like T. Thomason, Said The Whale, Walrus, and Adam Baldwin.
+ + + +
PRAISE FOR SUNDAE GIRL:
“Canadian quintet The Drug Rugs charmed us with the upbeat indie pop of ‘Sandbar.’ Full of deep swirly chorus tones and an upbeat, jangly demeanor, this fresh faced crew mixes elements of pop, psych, and indie rock. If anything, “Sandbar” is certainly indicative that these musicians are destined for good things,” – BUFFABLOG
“Though the band is young and new to the scene, you’ll immediately notice an incredibly grown up and mature sound. Take for example this new single “Sandbar”. It manages to blend elements of driving rock like Springsteen with more modern sounds of shoegaze and pop music. It’s a beautifully constructed track,” – Austin Town Hall
“The band’s two tracks have a psych-rock tinge and are charged with the anxiousness that comes with trying to fit in even though you don’t like the people around you. Kinda like the feeling you get at a party in someone’s shag carpeted basement,” – Grayowl Point
“No, [they] are not a stoner band. Far from it. ‘Crawlin’ is actually edgy indie that creatively shifts from hesitant angst pop to noise rock and then back to melodic territory,” – Ride The Tempo
“[They] in one word are bubbly. In one sentence they are a jangly, indie-rock band from
Halifax with lyrics worthy of being on a t-shirt,” – Grid City Magazine
+ + + +
Learn more about SUNDAE GIRL:
