San Antonio’s BRIGHT LIKE THE SUN are sharing “White Lights,” the first single from the quintet’s massive new self-titled sophomore record. Due out on April 21st via Sun Sea Sky Productions, Bright Like The Sun create post-rock music with nuance from the crashing waves of guitars to the band’s haunting use of vocals as another instrumental layer and the inclusion of instruments not typically associated with the genre. Their music is epic, dissolving the lines between powerful and meditative, creating something that’s both brains and brawn. Stereogum magazine premiered “White Lights” noting the finer points and pitfalls of the post-rock genre before claiming “Thankfully, Bright Like The Sun make good post-rock music” before expanding on their thoughts on the single, “a remarkable dedication to form, all sparkling guitars and teetering drums and hopeful build-ups”.
Bright Like The Sun’s Chris Etheredge shared some insight into the song’s writing process:
“A few years back on New Year’s we were all gathered at my place downtown and made our way to the roof of the 4 story loft complex to watch the fireworks. While it was great to have such a beautiful view of the main display, we quickly realized that, being in the center of the city, we were surrounded at all angles by the smaller “home-brew” displays. It was an absolutely magical moment, the frivolity and whimsy that accompanies New Year’s and being surrounded by the beautiful fireworks that so perfectly embody that joy. That’s what that whole song is about, the lyrics and instrumentation and mood are all meant to reflect those feelings.”
Bright Like The Sun carries a great deal of restraint, keeping with a mellow approach to the post-rock spectrum, a beautifully meditative sound that joins together the genre’s slow builds with unique flourishes of Rhodes keyboards, synths, and even the occasional horn accompaniment. Their cinematic sound retains a futuristic quality. Heavily instrumental, Bright Like The Sun are able to manipulate moods with extended passages of serene beauty and gargantuan moments of enveloping sound. With influences ranging from M83 and New Order to The Beach Boys and Cave In, it’s safe to say Bright Like The Sun have a definite diversity to their music.
Texas has always had a profound effect on its musicians. Whether made evident through identity, personality, tradition or sound, it is apparent in all cases that bands from Texas are shaped from and heavily influenced by the Lone Star State – Bright Like The Sun is no exception. Born in early 2012 from the collective desire to make beautiful, thought provoking, and at times, chaotic music. Their songs build in waves, moving from barely audible echoes and haunting vocals to walls of guitars more closely compared to a symphony of noise than to a rock band.
They are known for their extensive use of effects pedals and their incorporation of non-traditional instrumentation (most notably the Wurlitzer and Rhodes electric pianos, brass, and electronic synthesis).
The band’s debut album, Coda Fin, was released in April 2013 and received heavy praise in both local and foreign media. They have toured extensively throughout the US, and were an official artist for the 2014 SXSW Festival. The band’s eponymous follow up full length will be released in April 2015.
Tour Dates:
03/18 – Austin, TX – Official SXSW Showcase @ The Hideout Theater (8 pm)
03/28 – El Paso, TX @ Monarch
04/25 – San Antonio, TX @ 502 Bar [Album Release Show]
04/30 – Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
