California indie-pop band Bad Suns today unveil their sparkling new single Mystery Girl, the latest taste of their dance-inducing new album Accelerator out on 8th August via Epitaph.
In an upbeat cascade of dreamy riffs and a lively rhythm section, Christo Bowman’s wistfully reflective lyrics signify a crossroads for the lead singer and guitarist. Through a diaristic stream of consciousness, he remembers his coming-of-age years while facing the inertia of fatherhood: “There’s this beautiful new chapter in my life unfolding, and there’s mixed emotions that come with it,” he says. “Mystery Girl is a song about my teenage years, past relationships and experiences, and being a young person who is ultimately just looking for love.”
Since 2012, Bowman (vocals/guitar), Gavin Bennett (bass) and Miles Morris (drums) started making music together as teenagers and went viral almost immediately with their magnetic blend of indie-rock and ‘80s synth sheen. After four hit albums, the trio reached a point where they needed to recalibrate and recentre if they wanted to continue. Recording their exuberant 2023 EP Infinite Joy was a cleansing experience that served as fuel for Bad Suns and set them on a thrilling path forward into making Accelerator, which comprises 12 new tracks brimming with dance-pop hooks and poignant lessons learned.
“We saw the Infinite Joy EP as a new beginning for the band. I felt this yearning once again,” reflects Christo. “Accelerator being our fifth album, our first studio album as a trio, and the first album of my 30s, we knew that this was going to be really important. We didn’t want to take that lightly. We asked ourselves, how do we live up to the occasion? We saw this album as a mountain we wanted to climb.”
Bad Suns ushered in the first preview of Accelerator with the grooving single Communicating. They compared the track to “a late-night cruise down the highway with the windows down, the slinky bass thumping, and overthinking in overdrive.” Anthemic opener Slow Karma revealed a riveting pop turn for the band, showing how Accelerator is still steeped in the original DNA that made Bad Suns a feel-good viral sensation with early hits like Cardiac Arrest. The rushing pop melodies may mirror Accelerator’s title, but its lyrics are filled with stop-and-think moments where Christo surveys his past actions and makes the intentional choice to embrace personal growth and impending fatherhood.
“My 20s were a challenging time with a lot of peaks and a lot of valleys,” he says. “There’s a lot of joy, a lot of mistakes. This album is ultimately about finding the strength within yourself to assess the damage that’s been done and make the changes that you need to in order to take control of your own life.”
As Bad Suns move into their latest era, one filled with exciting personal and professional milestones, they’ve never been more harmoniously aligned. “While making this album, I turned 30, I got married, I found out I was having a kid,” the frontman muses. “Going to the studio every day and being in the room with the guys, I had this sense that I’m going to look back and know that was probably one of the best times of my life.”
Accelerator tracklist:
Slow Karma
Ready To Take Flight
Mystery Girl
Communicating
Why Am I Like This?
Madeline
Just Like Magic
Back To Zero
What’s Best For You
Postcard
Wait In The Car
Do The Twist Of Fate