Canadian indie pop rising stars sundayclub have announced that their debut EP entitled Bannatyne is set to arrive on October 31 via Paper Bag Records. They have also shared their second single “Halloween Mask” to celebrate the announcement.
Following the release of the title track back in June, “Halloween Mask” is equally dreamy, intricate and vulnerable. “What are you gonna dress up as? / You’re dressed up all the time / Take off your Halloween mask and look at me / You don’t have to pretend,” vocalist Courtney Carmichael whispers over the complementary lush soundscape.
Lyrically, the song follows a couple as one partner returns home from a flight, seemingly just in time for Halloween. However, the mask they’re currently wearing is not part of a costume for the night, it is a metaphorical wall put up in order to protect themselves, to avoid emotional intimacy out of fear. The narrating partner spends the entirety of the night (and song) trying to encourage their other half to open up and enjoy the festivities, perhaps highlighting a one-sided relationship.
The duo have a plethora of indie and shoegaze influences at play including Slowdive, Yo La Tengo, Men I Trust, The Marias, boygenius, Clairo, The 1975, Metric, beabadoobee and Alvvays. Their iteration of dream-pop is informed by the transition from adolescence into full blown adulthood, existing in the space between longing for the familiarity of your past self and fear of the uncertainty of your future self.
Bannatyne EP Tracklist
1. Bannatyne
2. Halloween Mask
3. Nuclear Fallout
4. Bannatyne (Stripped Down)
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