Indie rock five-piece SUNTWIST is on the brink of a major life milestone: graduating from university. For anyone who has been through higher education, they might recall the simmering anxiety, the bubbling excitement and the bittersweet goodbyes for friends that you’ve made life-lasting bonds with. For this group of musicians and pals who started out as a dorm room project in Phoenix in 2024, they’ve turned all the mixed thoughts and emotions of this landmark moment into a debut EP. Titled Matchbox, this five-track collection navigates the expectations of young adulthood, finding a place to call home, the lasting effects of burnout and living in the present even with the knowledge that it’s all temporary. Through their deft blend of shimmering guitars, melodic vocals and energetic rhythms, listeners might notice shades of iconic indie bands like The Strokes to Tame Impala and Flipturn. Yet, what gives this EP that distinctly SUNTWIST signature is how they confidently move from sentimental longing in ‘Stay High (Chasing Ghosts)’ to the preemptive melancholia of ‘Winded in Moonlight’ to staring down the great unknown in ‘Man I Wanna Be’. This really demonstrates how SUNTWIST is a step apart from other college indie bands; there’s a deeper layer of meaning and direction to their music that we sincerely hope they continue to foster. With all of this in mind, we wanted to dig deeper into Matchbox and so for On The Record, we’re joined by bassist and co-founder Isaac Morrison to discuss the EP’s making, the group’s evolving dynamic and what he hopes listeners will take away from these songs.
Congratulations on the release of your new EP! How would you describe Matchbox in three words?
Hey, this is Isaac, the bassist/co-founder of SUNTWIST!
Three words I would use to describe our EP Matchbox are nostalgic, collective, and melancholic.
The EP is about growing up, graduating from university and finding home, so do you think you’ve found some answers through the process of writing and recording these songs?
For me personally, yes, this whole writing process has had its ups and downs, and we’ve all kind of just been figuring out what we want and don’t want for ourselves in the future during the time of making this.
Being that none of you are from Arizona, but the band was formed in a Phoenix dorm room back in 2024, are you having to navigate long distances and different life paths in order to keep SUNTWIST alive?
Definitely, and this past year was probably the most stable we’ve been when it comes to being in the same area, but we all have our own lives, and we try and contribute the most we can with the time we have.
For us, one of the most striking tracks is closer ‘Man I Wanna Be’, which doesn’t simply look forward, but also considers repeated attempts and failures along the way. What’s the story behind how this one came about?
The song started as a guitar riff idea from Logan, our singer. We then jammed over it and added our individual parts, and it just all came together. It definitely came a little easier than some of the other songs.
Elsewhere, the EP veers into more escapist territory like ‘I Just Wanna Dance’, which is reminiscent of mid-late 00s indie. Did you have any band/artist inspirations for this cathartic sound?
I think the Strokes had a lot of influence on that track and just on our band in general at the time.
‘Why Mind It’ carries another important theme of burnout, which there’s more awareness around these days, but would you say it’s a prominent issue within your generation?
I would say that’s definitely an issue within our generation, but it’s not limited to people our age. I think it’s very important to respect yourself and your limits regardless of what generation you are. Growing requires consistency but, most importantly, rest.
Have you had a chance to play any of the tracks live yet? How’s the audience’s reception been so far?
Yeah! We’ve gotten a couple of chances to play all the songs before they even came out, but we recently played a great show with our friends Moontour right when our EP released. Fun fact: that was the first time we played a show where all the songs we performed were out on streaming platforms.
What else do you hope listeners will take away from Matchbox?
I hope people take away nostalgia when listening to the EP. I’m hoping people realize and reflect on their own experiences and who they are as people.
Following the release of this album, what will be next on the horizon for you?
The next chapter is a new band dynamic and writing songs that expand on the sound we established with this release. We can’t wait to grow alongside the people who have supported us this far.
Listen to closing EP track ‘Man I Wanna Be’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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