New Music: Spunsugar – White Sneakers

White Sneakers has an introspective and slightly melancholic quality that belies its rock origin. Malmö’s Spunsugar has revealed the song came about after they covered Europe’s power ballad Carrie! The track is from the band’s new album A Hole Forever.

Shoegaze and post-punk are the prime reference points for the song, as it looks to what is fast becoming their trademark fusion of smooth melodies with a harder, sharper arrangement. That blending of the bleak and the beautiful just makes your heart ache.

There’s a real sense of sadness on display here, the lead vocals sound full of yearning and loss. In common with previous single San Jose, the infrequent but emotionally effective female vocals bring a hint of the sun to the song’s ‘forever dawn but never daylight’ ambience.

Says the band about the track, “This might be the sexiest song we’ve done? It’s still sad though, don’t worry. At its core, a love song. Even sappier, it’s about unrequited love.”

“White Sneakers is about longing for someone close to you that you shouldn’t long for and the shame that comes with it. That’s where the dichotomy comes in, both lyrically and musically.”

A Hole Forever is out now via Adrian Recordings and is available in vinyl and digital editions on Bandcamp and the label’s own store.

You can listen to White Sneakers and A Hole Forever on Spotify and Apple Music. To learn more about the band and for other listening options for the long player, check out Spunsugar on their TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram socials.

Header photo by David Möller