Portland psychedelic gaze-wave outfit Sun Atoms present their sophomore album ‘Everything Forever’, set for release on November 8 via Little Cloud Records. Meticulously crafted with cosmic energy, their magnum opus features notable guest appearances by Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock, Jasno Swarez of The Vandelles, and Lauren Andino of Tremours, amongst others. This sophomore album realizes the promise that was there in the debut not only musically, but in a sacred sense. This album gets between the ears, then heads south down past the brain and into the heart.
Sun Atoms is made up of vocalist Jsun Atoms (The Upsidedown, Daydream Machine), producer and bassist Peter G. Holmström (The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport), multi-instrumentalist June Kang, saxophonist-trumpeter-guitarist Mars de Ponte (LoveBomb Go-Go), drummer Eric Rubalcava and guitarist Derek Spencer Longoria-Gomez (Hi Hazel).
Homström and iconic mixing engineer Jagz Kooner had just finished The Dandy Warhols’ latest album, generating an extraordinary symbiosis. Credited with creating some of the most genre-defining songs of the last 30 years, Kooner began his career working with Andrew Weatherall, remixing and producing for the likes of Bjork, The Chemical Brothers and New Order, as well as mixing for Primal Scream, Massive Attack, Oasis, Garbage and Killing Joke. With Pete producing and Jagz mixing in one of the great marvels of prehistoric Britain (Avebury Henge) at Jagz’s Stone Circles Studios, the pair pushed the sonic envelope into the great abyss. The coup de grace was having Keith Tenniswood (Spiritualized, Death in Vegas) master the album at Curve Pusher UK.
Last week, the band shared the surreal, psychedelic fever dream of a video for ‘Narco Polo’ featuring Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, which Jsun Atoms says “feels like a dada ice cream party inside a Salvador Dali painting”. Holmström and Brock have been friends and collaborators for years, and Sun Atoms recently supported Modest Mouse for some West Coast shows. Earlier in 2024, Sun Atoms released the lead single ‘Ceiling Tiles’ with Leonard Cohen tribute ‘Tower of Song (in the key of JAMC)’, and fantastic sonic odyssey ‘Take This Love’ with B-side ‘And The Lion Saw The UFO’.
A genre-defying fusion of psychedelic rock and indie pop, Sun Atoms push the boundaries of their own sonic exploration. Their debut album ‘Let There Be Light’ (2021). mixed by producer Stephen Street (Blur, The Smiths, The Cranberries), also involved The Black Angels’ Alex Maas, The Vandelles’ Jasno Swarez and Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, Blitzen Trapper).
This year, Sun Atoms played a series of sold-out concerts with Dinosaur Jr., crowning the list of shows they have played with Fishbone, Modest Mouse, Federale, Besnard Lakes, The Veldt, New Candys and TREMOURS. They’ve also shared the stage with the likes of Ty Segall, A Place To Bury Strangers, Neko Case, Built To Spill. Allah Las, Broncho and Night Beats.
As of November 8, ‘Everything Forever’ is out everywhere, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. It can also be ordered on vinyl directly from Little Cloud Records. Sun Atoms has several upcoming concerts in Portland and Seattle, accompanied by The Veldt, Asteroid #4, Los Mundos and Valley Suns, capping off the year with The Dandy Warhols 30th Anniversary show (with LSD & The Search For God and TREMOURS) in Portland on December 11.
ALBUM TRACK LIST
1.Take This Love
2.Ceiling Tiles
3.Mandatory
4.Idiot Speaker
5.Narco Polo (Feat. Isaac Brock)
6.Bus Stop Gospel
7.Black Ink
8.I’ll See It When I Believe It
ALBUM CREDITS
Written & performed by Sun Atoms
Produced & Engineered by Peter G. Holmström at Air Traffic Control
Additional drums recorded by Gregg Williams at The Trench Studio
Lead vocals & Track 1 recorded by Tommy Dietrick / Joshua Tree Recording Studio
Isaac Brock vocals on Track 5 recorded at his Ice Cream Party studio
Initial tracking by Eric Crespo at Red Lantern Studios
Mixed by Jagz Kooner at Stone Circle Studios (Avebury, England)
Mastered by Keith Tenniswood at Curve Pusher (Hastings, England)
Sequencing by James Scott at Populist Recording
Jsun Atoms – vocals, guitar
June Kang – MPC, synths, percussion
Derek Spencer Longoria Gomez – guitar, vocals
Mars de Ponte – guitar, keys, vocals, horns
Eric Rubalcava – drums, percussion
Peter G. Holmström – bass, guitar, sequencers, keys, xylophone
Gregg Williams – hand drums on Tracks 4,5
Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) – vocals on Track 5
Allison Green (The Black Doors) additional vocals on Tracks 1,7
Jasno Swarez (The Vandelles) additional vocals on Tracks 6,8
Lauren Andino (TREMOURS) – additional vocals on Track 6
Maria Atoms – additional vocals on Track 7
Album cover by James Coffman. Layout by Sea Gothman
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
‘NARCO POLO’ VIDEO CREDITS
Directed & edited by Brady Tuazon
Produced by Brady Tucson and Jsun Atoms
Director of Photography – Nigel Coutinho
Filmed by Nigel Coutinho and Erik Meharry
Carter Craft Services – Herbert Ha
CONCERTS
Nov. 09 PORTLAND – Show Bar at Revolution Hall (with The Veldt, Asteroid #4 & Los Mundos)
Nov. 16 SEATTLE – Belltown Yacht Club (with Valley Suns)
Dec. 11 PORTLAND – McMenamins Mission Theater (with LSD & The Search For God & TREMOURS) – Little Cloud Records Showcase for The Dandy Warhols 30th Anniversary
Feb. 1 PORTLAND – The Get Down (with Elephant Stone & Asteroid No. 4)