Sunset Lines Photo credit: Brett Wiltshire
Santa Cruz, California-based synth-pop band Sunset Lines returns with their atmospheric new single, “In the Garden,” available everywhere on May 15th. Known for blending shimmering synth textures with heartfelt lyricism, Sunset Lines crafts music that is both deeply emotional and truly danceable, appealing to fans of MUNA, CHVRCHES, and The Naked and Famous.
“In the Garden” is the second single from their forthcoming full-length album, The Longest Day in June, set for release on July 11th. The song explores the intoxicating mix of beauty and melancholy at the end of a relationship, layered with lush synths, hypnotic basslines, and the signature evocative vocals of singer Liz Brooks. Produced by Alex Almgren, “In the Garden” represents a natural evolution for Sunset Lines, pushing their sound into darker, more cinematic territory while retaining the infectious energy that has earned them a loyal following.
The single is accompanied by a visually striking and beautiful music video, directed by Frank Door, that mirrors the track’s emotional landscape. Shifting between dreamy, colorful vignettes and flashes of haunting introspection, the video amplifies the song’s contrast between sweetness and unease, bringing the story to life in vivid detail.
About the single, singer and primary songwriter Liz Brooks tells The Big Takeover,
“In The Garden” was born in the quiet lull of late summer—a time when everything feels a bit still and slightly off. I was feeling a heavy, aimless kind of sadness (and I was unemployed at the time), the kind that creeps in when the days are long but don’t seem to lead anywhere. One day, almost out of boredom, I sat down at the piano and told myself, “I want to write something really sad.” And I did—or at least I tried to.
At the time, I found myself listening to a lot of nostalgic and melancholic music like Taylor Swift’s “Carolina” and Coheed and Cambria’s “Far” – there was definitely some Lana Del Rey in there as well. Those songs, with their aching minimalism and narrative depth, helped me channel what I was feeling into something tangible. I was also spending a lot of time in my garden—literally, getting my hands dirty, growing things, hiding out. It became both an escape and a metaphor.
Lyrically, “In The Garden” plays with contrast: delicate imagery alongside darker undertones. It explores the tension between traditional gender roles, creeping depression, and the unspoken edges of domestic unrest. I love using poetic ambiguity to hint at something deeper—something you feel before you fully understand, to hopefully embody something that is a little haunting, a little beautiful, and wholly personal to the listener.”
With this new collection of songs Sunset Lines is solidifying their place as one of the West Coast’s most exciting emerging voices in indie pop.
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