Portland’s SUN ATOMS release “Take This Love” + “And The Lion Saw The UFO”

In a whirlwind of sonic serendipity, Portland psychedelic gaze-wave outfit Sun Atoms present their new 2-track single ‘Take This Love’ with B-side ‘And The Lion Saw The UFO’, released via Little Cloud Records digitally and on 7-inch vinyl. These songs offer a sonic odyssey to a realm of pure musical enchantment. The fun continues in the clever sci-fi video, created by Bradley Tuazon at Oregon’s world-famous Airplane Home.

Sun Atoms is made up of bassist Peter G. Holmström (The Dandy Warhols, Pete International Airport), vocalist Jsun Atoms (The Upsidedown, Daydream Machine), multi-instrumentalist June Kang, Mars de Ponte (LoveBomb Go-Go), L.A. drummer Eric Rubalcava and Boise native Derek Spencer Longoria-Gomez(Hi Hazel).

Mixed by iconic producer Jagz Kooner (Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Oasis, Garbage) and mastered by Keith Tenniswood (Spiritualized, Death In Vegas), ‘Take This Love’ sees Jsun Atoms delving into introspective realms, while pondering the “hieroglyphs in bright lights” illuminated by the desert stars. Its lyrical crowning blow lies in the line “take this love and shove it up your heart”.

Venturing into strange new sonic frontiers, the B-side ‘And The Lion Saw The UFO’ emerges as a sci-fi cautionary tale, resonating with experimental Krautrock beats and psychedelic textures. Initially recorded with Eric Crespo of experimental psych outfit Abronia, and featuring the illustrious Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, The Dandy Warhols) on hand drums, this auditory odyssey delves into dreamlike reverie, blurring the line between reality and imagination.

“I was writing the lyrics for “Lion” at an entirely off the grid location in Kipahulu about 30 miles past Hana on Maui. My wife Maria and I hadn’t seen other humans in 4 days and we were watching a mongoose run through the garden and talking about “After The Goldrush” and how Neil Young dreams of silver spaceships that were “flying Mother Nature’s silver seed into the sun” and it led us down a whole wormhole of ideas and journaling about non-human experiences and that animals all over the planet may be having close encounters as we speak,” explains Jsun Adams.

“In our escape from civilization for this extended period, looking at the stars, the relief and peace was the absence of the bombardment of a world constantly hurling “too much information” at us. When Pete sent the song off to Jagz for mixing, there were about 6 more verses on the subject. Thankfully, for the sake of the song, Jagz removed these details and kept the verses and choruses that were really working.”

As for the A-side, ‘Take This Love’ came to life in the wee hours of the morning following a transformative show in the enigmatic locale of Pioneertown. Once at Joshua Tree Recording Studios, the band found themselves ensconced in a creative fervor at 3am, recorded by Tommy Dietrick (The Brian Jonestown Massacre, David J, Mark Gardener, Smallstone, Sky Parade).
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Meticulously crafted and imbued with cosmic energy, Sun Atoms’ music captivates the senses, operating beyond the boundaries of sound and space. A genre-defying fusion of psychedelic rock, indie pop and post-punk, Sun Atoms push the boundaries of their own sonic exploration, inviting listeners on a musical escapade that defies categorization.