SunSquabi announced the release of Arise, the group’s third full-length studio album, and shared the single “Scorpion” on Friday.
Due out on October 26th, Arise is SunSquabi’s first release since 2019’s Instinct. The album was inspired by the band’s experiences during the pandemic. “Since we’ve all been put down very hard for the past two years, the entire world has felt this pressure, sadness, and struggle,” said Kevin Donohue (guitar, keys, production). “So we tried to relay a message of arising from the ashes and becoming something new. This album shows how we’re able to do so during a really tough time.”
The 11 tracks on the album came together through a new creative process that took advantage of the lack of time constraints during the pandemic. “A couple of songs came together as jams in the basement or on livestreams,” Donohue recalled. “We’d rework these improv-based ideas in the studio. It was an extended process. We definitely took advantage of the time.”
Josh Fairman (bass, synth) added, “We’re very proud of the band staying true to the music and to each other. We came together during the Pandemic and made sacrifices together. We’ve bonded as a band. We don’t try to jump on any trends. We’re true to ourselves and make music we feel in our hearts.”
Along with the announcement, SunSquabi dropped “Scorpion”, which follows “Elephant Song” featuring Big Gigantic‘s Dominic Lalli as the album’s second single (though the band released the latter before announcing the album). Discussing the inspiration behind the track, Fairman reflected, “Scorpions are symbols of danger and death, a scorpion is usually a warning. However, a scorpion may also show up in your life as a blessing. It’s similar to how we were able to take this dark period of time and turn it into a blessing and a symbol of power.”
“Scorpion” has already become a staple of SunSquabi’s live shows since its hometown debut in February of 2021 at Denver, CO’s Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. Donohue described playing the song live as “like flying an ion-powered space fighter through the claws of a galaxy sized Scorpion,” adding, “The apex of the song really takes me there every time and we’ve been using some unique features live such as a live sidechain to really create the pulse in the bass.”
“Scorpion” is now available on all streaming platforms. Listen to the track in the player below.
Arise is due to drop on October 26th. Scroll down to view the album artwork and tracklist. Limited edition vinyl packages and merchandise bundles are available now for pre-order here. Ahead of the album’s release date, SunSquabi will hit the road for festival appearances including Sacred Rose, Resonance, and Jam Cruise. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit the group’s website.
SunSquabi – “Scorpion”
