Sun Room is sure to make waves with their newest EP, Outta Their Minds, and Luke Asgian of the Southern California rock band sat down with MUD to tell us all about it.
How would you say the writing process for Outta Their Minds differed from your previous two EPs, Sol De Sur and Somewhere Tropical?
LA: Last year was the first year we got any hint of attention outside of our local towns in Southern California. I started feeling this weird pressure that I had to start writing songs that were more commercial or pop or the next TikTok hit or something. I remember sitting in my room this past summer and working on a new song with all that in mind and just thinking that it was the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. I scrapped it and that’s when the songs started coming together for this EP. It’s a return to our roots in garage/surf rock and a farewell to TikTok hit-making.
Outta Their Minds is very reminiscent of the 60s surf rock music scene, while listening to the EP I felt like I was laying on the beach under the sweltering sun instead of freezing on the east coast. Did you guys set out to make this EP with that sound in mind or did it just come naturally?
LA: It’s funny that you say that because for a lot of these songs, our main inspirations were 60s garage rock bands from England, not surf rock bands from California. It actually happens a lot that someone will say that one of our songs reminds them of Southern California or surf rock or something and we’re surprised by it because it’s not something we’re intentionally doing on every single song. I think the “surfy” sound that people point out is just something that’s just a part of us at this point even though we sometimes don’t realize it and I don’t mind it at all.
Who were some of your musical inspirations while recording this EP? Would you say you all draw from the same bands or artists or do you each have your own inspirations you draw from?
LA: I think the biggest musical inspirations for us will always be the local punk/surf/garage rock bands we grew up playing in and around. We all grew up in beach towns around Southern California (me in Long Beach, Ashton in San Clemente, & Max and Gibby in Carlsbad. There were so many sick bands and little house shows going down all the time in each one of our towns and I think that sound is deeply ingrained in us at this point. For this EP, we were really influenced by a lot of 60s British Invasion and garage rock like The Kinks, early Rolling Stones, The Kingsmen, The Sonics, etc.
The flow of Outta Their Minds is so consistent, there is never a dull moment. Do you find it easier to figure out which song you wanna start the record with or to end it with?
LA: We definitely didn’t record this EP with an order in mind so I’m glad you think so hahaha. When it comes to songwriting, I think one of the main goals with the music we put out is to cut down each song until we love every second. I never want there to be a bridge that we’re just ok with or an interlude that we just settled on because the song needed an interlude. We really do our best to have each part of the song as sick as possible and I’d like to think that’s why it feels like it flows!
What can you guys tell us about any upcoming projects or shows you have planned?
LA: We’re going on tour with our good friends from Ireland, Inhaler, in March and April! Also we already have the next music project in the works and I’m already so keen to get it out.
Make sure to check out Sun Room's EP Outta Their Minds available now and don't forget to follow MUD on Instagram for more Q&A's with your favorite artists!