Animal Sun Hold Onto Hope Amidst Tragedy With New Song, “Still Believe”

Updated:

June 19, 2020 8:08 am

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Coming to terms with loss is an agonizing process. If you’re like pop-rock band Animal Sun, though, finding even a sliver of hope can be enough to bide your time. With their new song “Still Believe,” premiering today, the four-piece confront their pain while also pulling life’s affirmations of solace and relief closer to the chest.

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“Is there shame in saying goodbye / When I cannot face the look in your eye / We’ll say it’s all for the best,” frontman Steven Blake surmises on the first stanza. An elegant, yet brittle, tone guides his hand through the impending storm, and he learns to grasp onto anything he can get. He continues his heartfelt pleas, “With your head softly laid at my chest / Before you leave / Would you hold me like you still believe.”

“Still Believe” is the band’s second single of the year, following on the heels of “Without You” from earlier this spring. The former unpacks its emotional baggage through acoustic guitar and a crescendoing cosmic backdrop, somehow alleviating the misery of it all. Blake musters up a soft-spoken but still commanding presence, and in exposing his own story, the ballad hits on an undeniably universal level.

“”Still Believe’ is about accepting the feeling of loss and holding onto a brief moment of hope when the world around seems swallowed by despair. It could be the loss of a loved one, the crumbling of a relationship, or simply saying goodbye to a dear friend,” Blake tells American Songwriter. “No matter the pain, there is a split second of hope one clings to that everything will be okay, and this too shall pass. We feel this couldn’t be more appropriate with the current times we’re living in. One glimpse of a brighter future for each and every human being at a time.”

Animal Sun, whose moniker references late friend and musician James Sun, also currently includes players Tyler DeCastro (keyboard, percussion), Adam Gardner (bass), and Will Alton (drums). In a very short time, the west coast band has become a staple on the local radio circuit, as well as more than made their presence known at such iconic LA venues as the Troubadour, The Viper Room, and the Peppermint Club.

The band last issued a body of work with their debut EP, 2019’s Beginnings.

Listen to “Still Believe” below.