Boston-based Dipsea Flower bask in the present’s beauty on their second single “Sundance,” a summery and seductive folk rock ode to living in the moment, inspired by a transformative road trip to a Mt. Joy concert.
Stream: “Sundance” – Dipsea Flower
‘Sundance’ is about embracing all of the beauty of the moments in front of you and not letting the questions of the future impact the present.
Any song that references Mt. Joy within the first 20 seconds is good in my book; seeing as “Sundance” is the first one I know of, I’ll go so far as to say it’s also my favorite.
Yet, Dipsea Flower’s second-ever single does a whole lot more than name-dropping one of Philadelphia’s finest; at its heart, this tune is an ode to living and loving in the present, and focusing on what we have today, rather than what tomorrow holds for us. A love letter to the here and now, “Sundance” is a seductive, summery folk rock singalong; a radiant reverie celebrating the moment – because ultimately, that’s all that we have.
Play my favorite Mt. Joy tune
Dance along in a haunted hotel room
Underneath the California stars tonight
Point my feet up to the moon
I’m fallin’ hard, I’m fallin’ into you
And those stars, they’re nothing like your eyes
And when the sky’s a winter shade
I ain’t got time and I ain’t got space
In a sentimental way
I’ll be missing you
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Sundance,” a fresh breath of warm light and sweet, smile-inducing sound. Following last November’s debut single “Hummingbird” (which has already amassed over 350,000 streams on Spotify alone), Dipsea Flower’s second career single captures the bright, burning fire at the heart of singer/songwriter Ari Rosenberg’s folk rock project.
Together with bassist Marley Striem, drummer Andy Baker, and lead guitarist Trevor Hurvitz, Rosenberg invites audiences to join in a moment of feel-good musical sunshine. While currently based in Boston (as he finishes his last year at the revered Berklee College of Music), Rosenberg is a Northern Californian at heart, and that spirit seeps through every nook and cranny of this beautifully relaxed, enchanting song.
In fact, that spirit is one of Dipsea Flower’s core principals as a unit; the group like to say they channel a vintage California vibe (“perfect for a campfire”) influenced by the nature and nostalgia of the West Coast. The band name itself inspired by a trail in Rosenberg’s hometown in Northern California called the Dipsea Trail. “The trail runs from up in the redwoods out to the beach, and covers all of the land that I feel the songs embody,” he explains. “Using it as a name allows me to stay connected to my roots and my home. People sometimes call me “Dipsea” now on the street and such, which is funny to me given what it actually means, but I’ll take it!” he laughs.
So light my fuse and build my fire
Burn me down, ’cause every empire ends
And I won’t be the one who breaks the chain
So take my cards and tell my stories
With pretty pictures and allegories and
Tie the bow, and send me on my way
And when the sky’s a winter shade
I’ll take my time and I’ll take my place
And when those birds the fly away
I’ll be missing you
So when those clouds, they roll away
Just let that sun dance across your face
There ain’t no time for the world today
There will be plenty soon
“Sundance” does a lot more than solidifying Dipsea Flower’s sun-kissed roots; the song establishes the band as a definitive artist-to-watch, here to shine their beautiful, heartwarming inner light out on the world through glorious, irresistibly catchy folk rock tunes. Fans of Mt. Joy (who do indeed get a mention in this song, and probably helped inspire a few more tracks), John Vincent III, and flipturn are sure to fall hard and fast for Dipsea Flower’s Golden State magic.
“‘Sundance’ was born out of a road trip to see Mt. Joy last summer,” Dipsea Flower’s Ari Rosenberg tells Atwood Magazine. “Marley and I took a trip down the coast last summer to see them in LA. We stayed in sketchy hotels (I’m pretty sure Marley got possessed for a sec), played music with friends in Santa Barbara, crashed on couches, had a panic attack at Jersey Mike’s, but we finally made it to the show and I sang ‘Julia’ as loud as I could.”
“It was my final summer of college, and I remember always having that stress in the back of my mind about what I was gonna do after school, and how I was gonna make it in music,” he adds. “It was during the Mt. Joy show at The Greek Theatre that I realized that I have so many beautiful things in my life; an awesome band, a great relationship, great friends, and a fire in my chest. ‘Sundance’ is about embracing all of the beauty of the moments in front of you and not letting the questions of the future impact the present. This song is kind of a love letter to being young and loving really hard.”
“To do the song with Jon Gilbert (who produced the original Mt. Joy record) was one of the most inspiring experiences I’ve ever had, and definitely the spark I needed as an artist.”
Just like the wheel carries the season
I’ll be home with the turning leaves and
I’ll always remember, through all of the embers
The way that you poured your love on me
I gave it my all now, I’m starting to fall down
But I wouldn’t go and change no thing
And I hope you remember,
through all of the embers
I hope you remember loving me
And I hope you remember, through all of the embers, I hope you remember loving me…
“Sundance” is as charming as it is absolutely intoxicating, and the perfect addition to any (and every) hot summer day.
There’s nothing quite like the recognition that today is all we’ve got to really shake your body and soul into action; to make you appreciate just how special each and every moment truly is. To their credit, Dipsea Flower light a fire in ours heart and put a pep in our step all at once, winning us over through their tender, intimately vulnerable lyrics and their endearing, emotionally charged music. “I’ll always remember, through all of the embers, the way that you poured your love on me,” Rosenberg sings passionately, pouring his full self into a moment he hopes to cherish forever and always. “I gave it my all now, I’m starting to fall down, but I wouldn’t go and change no thing.”
Stream Dipsea Flower’s second song exclusively on Atwood Magazine ahead of its May 24 release, and bask in the glow of the band’s triumphant and everlasting “Sundance.”
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