Sundowners

Formed in the spirit of 1960s folk-pop, the group Sundowners crafts its distinctive strain of psychedelia through layers of hazy guitars, intertwined vocal lines, and propulsive motorik rhythms. Niamh Rowe and Fiona Skelly, the two lead singers, first crossed paths in the mid-2010s and discovered a shared passion for the psychedelic sounds of the Byrds, Fairport Convention, and Fleetwood Mac. They soon began collaborating, concentrating on refining their close harmonies and working with acoustic guitars. Years afterward, Fiona’s sibling Alfie Skelly, already playing guitar, sought a singer for a new project; he tried out both Niamh and Fiona, who promptly became permanent members. Bassist and backing vocalist Tim Cunningham together with drummer Jim Sharrock then completed the five-piece Sundowners roster. Early efforts echoed the wall-of-sound approach associated with 1950s-era Phil Spector and leaned toward acoustic textures, yet regular appearances on Liverpool’s club circuit—the city they call home—prompted a shift to electric instruments and the richer 1960s psych-pop style for which the band is recognized. The self-titled debut arrived in 2015, captured at Parr Street Studios under the guidance of James Skelly of the Coral, another brother of Fiona and Alfie, and issued on the family-run Skeleton Key Records. Over the next two years the musicians toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom, among their highlights a slot at the Glastonbury Festival and several local performances intended to spotlight the threat of fracking proposals in the Merseyside region. James Skelly resumed production duties when the group reconvened in 2016 to track the follow-up Cut the Master, an album that incorporated fresher reference points such as Radiohead and Jane Weaver. Skeleton Key released the record in early 2017.