Sydney band SUN RUN have released their debut full length "Brick Six" through Sore Horse Records and are set to hit the road with WORLD SICK.
Brick Six features ten songs exploring the experience of first generation Australians, and renting and working in Sydney. It is the most collaborative release to date, with each of the four members taking the lead in different parts of the album to formulate a dynamic delivery of the sound Sun Run have honed in the years since their inception. The result is a considered approach to melodic, guitar-driven songwriting, which has a distinctly Sydney mood - it may feel bleak at times, but Sun Run refuses to submit.
Brick Six comprises different facets of melodic punk and hardcore, building off existing principles while managing to create a space that is infused with emo guitar lines and shoegaze tones alongside heavy, hard-hitting riffs to pack an emotional punch. “Disgust” provides a brutal introduction to the band’s heavier side which is followed up by hardcore anthem “Diminish” later in the tracklist. “Fishtown Diner, PA” presents slower, heavily-layered, shoegaze guitar music, with alto vocal timbres provided by Keeley Young (Mes Esque). Guitar interplay on “Mettle” and “Grid” delivers sparkling leads combined with diminished chords to contribute to the melancholia that underpins the album.
Rhythmically Brick Six is relentless - it features dynamic, nuanced drum beats and fills that focus on creating a platform for the guitar output to shine, while the bass tones are guttural, sharp, and combine smartly to provide solidity and sustained pressure. Fast punk beats inspired by the melodic hardcore scenes of the 90s and 00s are never far away, but they are measured, considered, and help sustain the energy of the album.
Sun Run match their take on post-hardcore with lyrical content that markedly screams “Sydney melancholy”, while building a mood board for defiance in the face of typical big city desolation. Album opener “Sharko” harks back to the simplicity of village life led by those who then uprooted and moved countries in search of prosperity, while “Nine Only” presents an ode to house-hopping in a rapid, almost manic delivery contrasted against the thoughtful vocal delivery. “Five Weeks” ends proceedings with lyrics pulled verbatim from the band’s current rental listings where the record took shape, with a harsher musical turn to match. Sun Run are flexible in the delivery of their message, but their sonic footprint is evident throughout.
To celebrate the release of Brick Six, Sun Run are embarking on a tour of Australia’s east coast alongside the indomitable World Sick, a fixture of Melbourne’s shoegaze scene for the past decade who will bring their heavy sadness to crush all in opposition. The Sun Sick Summer Tour, commencing 14 November, will be bolstered by a crop of exciting artists to round out a series of eclectic bills including Gush (VIC), Bodyshirt (ACT), Local Authority (QLD), Finnoguns Wake (NSW) and more. Tickets are on sale now - visit https://linktr.ee/sunrunband for details.
Sun Run formed in Sydney, NSW (Eora) in 2022, collaborating with friends around the country to record and tour since their inception. Their blend of punk, hardcore and alt-rock has developed into a refined post-hardcore sound driven by the versatility of the band’s songwriting.
A late-2023 international tour across New York, Philadelphia and Cleveland was quickly followed by runs up and down Australia’s east coast with Carb On Carb (NZ), Luca Brasi (TAS), and Spanish Love Songs (USA), all while forging relationships with the latest crop of artists in the country's evolving DIY scene. Performances alongside Angel Du$t and Koyo from the United States’ vibrant hardcore and punk scene punctuated touring while Sun Run continued writing and releasing music independently with three EPs in their first 18 months.
Sun Run concluded 2024 by heading to Brisbane, QLD (Meanjin) for ten days to record their debut full-length with engineer Christopher Brownbill (Diploid/Optic Nerve). Together at Underground Audio, Sun Run and Brownbill worked on capturing the essence of live performance, with the studio acoustics, big guitar tones, and analogue colourisation shaping the album’s sound. The resulting work, Brick Six, was released by Melbourne (Naarm) based DIY label Sore Horse, selling all physical copies in presales before a sold out launch show at the inaugural Sore Horse Festival.
