In high anticipation ever since the Melbourne/Naarm band released their Certified Organic EP in 2020, One Degree by Sunfruits sees the band deliver their most mature and conceptual songwriting to date. As heard in recent singles ‘End Of The World’, ‘Believe It All’ and ‘Made To Love’, the album showcases Sunfruits’ incredible talents in writing memorable pop songs and their desire to use their music for good. Through the album’s 11 tracks the band explore environmental collapse, resilience, self-reflection, love and relationships, all textured with a coming-of-age feel.
Comprising of Winter McQuinn, Evie Vlah, Elena Jones, Gene Argiro and Charlie Bowmaker, Sunfruits have been making waves around Melbourne/Naarm and Australia for the past few years. On their debut album One Degree, the band presents new-age, anthemic psychedelia and indie-pop, similar to MGMT and Pond. The album’s memorable guitar hooks and garage-rock grit nods to artists such as Ty Segall and 70s glam-rocker, T. Rex, while the album’s softer moments echo the cinematic folk of Weyes Blood. Sunfruits take this eclectic mix of influences and create something uniquely their own, branded by euphonious four part vocals that have become a big part of their new sound. One Degree lets the listener sit with their feelings and encourages them to experience the rawness of human existence — highs, lows and the in-betweens.
One Degree presents a number of perspectives on environmentalism, the world and relationships with oneself and others. These perspectives circle from optimism and calls to action, to pessimism and anxiety. The album is like a prism and through each song, a different emotion comes to light, highlighting why every feeling is valid in our experience as humans. It is through this examination of our environment, the state of the world and our place in it all, that Sunfruits have created a unique and meaningful concept album.
The album was recorded over 10 days in June 2021 on Wadawurrung Country / Kennet River, just off the Great Ocean Road on Victoria’s coastline. While the finished album has the modern sound of a high-end studio, it was actually recorded with a DIY approach — converting the living room of a classic Aussie home into their recording room. Theo Carbo was at the helm engineering the sessions, with Sunfruits’ own Gene Argiro on production support.
Leading up to recording, Sunfruits were surrounded by the uncertainties of the pandemic and recent bushfires that rocked the continent. This anxiety was deep in the band’s collective consciousness and seeped into the songs, giving the process a frenetic and frantic energy. Despite this, the beautifully calm and lush coastal backdrop made for the perfect remedy for the band and brought a positive vibe that was conducive to creativity and inspiration. Once recorded, the album was handed over to John Lee at Phaedra Studios (Laura Jean, The Murlocs) who did the mixing and mastering.
One Degree previous singles all received glowing reviews and praise from Rolling Stone Australia, The Guardian, Music Feeds, Triple J and Rage as well as being added to a number of Spotify’s editorial playlists including Modern Psychedelia (800k), undercurrents (220k) and Local Noise (50k). The band was nominated for the highly prestigious Environmental Music Prize and backed up the release with their biggest headline Australian tour yet which saw them sell out Northcote Social Club in Melbourne and pack out rooms across the east coast. This album sets up 2023 to be Sunfruits biggest year yet with recent debut international tour of Aotearoa / New Zealand, support slots alongside Grace Cummings, Nicholas Allbrook, Mildlife, Nice Biscuit, The Lazy Eyes and more as well as a 22-date European tour in September 2023. Prior to this Sunfruits have been mainstays at Australian festivals with appearances at Meadow, NYE On The Hill, King Street Crawl, Euroa Music Festival and more. This commitment to meaningful songwriting, exhilarating live show and aesthetic brilliance put Sunfruits as one of the most exciting young bands coming out of Australia.
