New Music Of The Day: Sonny And The Sunsets – ‘Moods’ (NME Premiere)

“Well, it was kind of about cutesy kittens and murder at first, at the very beginning. Then it morphed a bit.”

That’s Sonny Smith, mainman of one of the US’ great cult bands Sonny And The Sunsets, on their latest track ‘Moods’. Taken from their forthcoming album ‘Moods Baby Moods’, Smith added that the track is largely a comment on the nagging, persistent way we’re delivered news now.

“I was just thinking about how we see images of police murders, or war, or refugees, or the planet burning up, or whatever is horrible on our phones and computers, and then we see a picture of a kitten doing something cute and it’s just back and forth all day.

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“I don’t know if I’m happy or sad or what the hell I feel half the time. This cascade of images and sources constantly affecting us… And then all the ways we try to stabilize that stuff; through deep breaths or jokes or self help books or drinks or pills or TV shows or whatever…”

It’s heavy, but you wouldn’t guess it by listening to the song, which is all major chords and shrill, vibrant production from Merrill Garbus (aka tUnE-yArDs). Speaking of working with her on the album, which is out on May 27, Smith told me:

“Working with Merrill was fabulous. She got everything I was trying to do. It was a real click, right away and she helped that song really crystallise. That’s what you want from a producer, just someone to help you get things more and more in focus. She’s great.”

Here’s the NME premiere of ‘Moods’:

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