Sundays - Wiaca (2019)

Toward the end of a memorable year, neo-folk pop group SUNDAYS release their first album; an album that revolves around inner life and expectations from one’s surroundings, ten songs of memories and longings are evoked. ‘W i a c a’ is the sound of a band finding itself.

The journey // From its very first single to the final release – ‘W i a c a’ has been created through the course of an entire year. The songs have been captured and produced between tours, from the most important to the most obscure stages in the country, including an international baptism of fire in both Norway and Canada.

The process has matured both band and album, respectively, says front figure and songwriter, Magnus Jacobsen:

“We were still a quite ’young’ band on the verge of grasping and capturing a new sound, when we released our first EP in 2017. We simply decided to release the songs as we discovered various stages, along our way towards the album.”

Meanwhile, the five singles have been in rotation on the Danish Broadcasting Network’s channel 4 (P4) and achieved airplay in the UK, Australia, USA, and Canada. The journey will be completed on January 25th 2019, when ‘W i a c a’ is released by Celebration Records.

The Songs // The songs on the album are intensely driven by the sensibilities of pop. Yet, the songs also draw on a personal desire for storytelling known from folk and singer/songwriter traditions, and the nerve in Magnus Jacobsen’s voice that is clearly rooted in rock.

’W i a c a’ is an acronym for ’Where It All Comes Alive’. All the songs have a drive toward awakening and visibility– whether it be a desire to accept your life and personal history, or to examine the darker sides of your personality.

“Magnus has an almost uncanny sense of dynamics in the things he writes”, says guitarist Victor Ovesen, and adds: ‘I think he might possibly be one of the best songwriters Denmark has to offer at the moment.”

The Sound // On ‘W i a c a’, the voice and guitars are placed in a landscape of synth, strings, and vocal harmonies. By encapsuling the intimacy and presence of folk in seamless arrangements, ‘W i a c a’ gathers the warmth of different genre expressions. In many respects with thanks to album producer, Mads Björn.

Mads Björn has worked with artists such as TV2, Teitur, and Lis Sørensen along with label colleagues In Memoirs. The collaboration with Mads Björn has been vital for the band’s articulation and expansion of a sound, that is uniquely its own. Bass player and backing vocalist, Marie Linander Henriksen says: “Mads has a special ability to unfold Magnus’ songs and make them larger and deeper than we could have imagined, and that is truly a gift for a band.”

Magnus adds: “From once being a solo project that emerged from my bedroom, ‘W i a c a’ is now an exploration of what Victor, Marie, Morten, and I can achieve as a unity and we are immensely proud of the result.”

The Artwork // Like every single, the album’s artwork is built on abstract graphical works by drummer, Morten Falk Overgaard.

“I wanted to create an expression that was noticeable yet still open to interpretation. All my works, digital and analogue alike, are rooted in physical textures and an immediate approach to the use of materials. The band’s spherical yet down-to-Earth sound has clearly defined the artwork,” he explains.