Anyone who has followed Andrew McLeod’s work under their nom de plume, Sunnsetter, knows that vulnerability has been as much a hallmark of their work as the lush, dreamy, and ethereal soundscapes of albums such as last year’s All watched over by machines of loving grace, 2020’s The love you withhold is the pain you carry, and 2018’s worrybody. Always open and forthright, McLeod’s music moves with energy and a conviction that even in the darkest moments, there are enough cracks for light and hope to break through.
It’s fitting that “Float in Circles” ushers in a new leg of McLoed’s story as Sunnsetter. The song is their first for their new label, Paper Bag Records (the home of Zoon, a project McLoed has been an integral member for several years). With “Float in Circles,” McLeod finds the light again, prying open crevices and exposing some of the personal journey they’ve embarked on over the last few years.
Looking to honour the grief and guilt that came with the death of a close friend and collaborator, McLeod uses the swirling, psychedelic atmosphere of “Float in Circles” as a way to heal from their loss but also celebrate their friend’s memory by living as authentically and honestly as possible. “I needed to recognize for myself that I can find a way to live beyond that grief and self-inflicted guilt,” McLoed explains, “Find ways to hold myself accountable, change what I could for the better of myself and the people I love. [“Float in Circles”] is what they would have encouraged me to do.”
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