During the last quarter of 2025, desert rock duo ‘SoftSun’ released their second album ‘Eternal Sunrise’. Since their debut LP was a near flawless slice of deep psych infused desert/stoner, there was a great deal riding on ‘Eternal Sunrise’ in terms of overall quality, but it’s fair to say that it was everything fans of the debut could’ve hoped for.
Tag Archives: gary arce
YAWNING MAN – Pavement Ends
In the year leading up to this album’s release, guitarist Gary Arce kept himself more than busy. With the other members of Yawning Man, he released a third album of improvised material with Yawning Balch, two albums of fantastic material under the name SoftSun with Superlynx’s Pia Isaaksen, and also worked with Big Scenic Nowhere, a doomy stoner band which also featured Yawning Man’s Bill Stinson and Fu Manchu/Yawning Balch guitarist Bob Balch.
Regardless of his many activities, for most, it’ll be his associations with desert rock band Yawning Man that spring to mind first, despite their output being rather sporadic. The band’s eighth studio record ‘Pavement Ends’ finds Arce in great musical form, and following 2023’s ‘Long Walk of The Navajo’ takes a welcome step back towards shorter and more accessible arrangements.
SOFTSUN – Eternal Sunrise
The debut album from desert rock duo SoftSun was one of the greatest releases of 2024. Guitarist Gary Arce had already put his name to some really enjoyable work with improvisational collective Yawning Balch over the course of the year leading up to SoftSun’s unveiling but, as part of that duo, there was something truly special about the way he was able to weave deep psych and desert rock sounds against Pia Isaaksen’s vocals. It was a release that set a high bar, but also one that suggested a “lightning in a bottle” moment; that a follow up might not follow especially quickly…or even at all.
THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #120
This visit to the Real Gone Singles Bar sees the return of three familiar names, but their current tunes find the musicians sounding as good as ever. There’s always a pleasure in watching artists you admire grow, but in the case of singer songwriter Roisin McCarney, the Scottish singer shares one of her most mature sounding tracks to date. In terms of newer names, you’ll find a genre-bending act from Margate sharing an absolute banger, a couple of underground singer-songwriters, and even a perfectly pitched piece of early 60s inspired, guitar laden pop from Australia. As always, it’s been an absolute pleasure to pick the best singles for sharing, and we hope you find something new to enjoy.
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SOFTSUN – Daylight In The Dark
A new name for 2024, SoftSun are a doom-laden shoegaze/desert rock trio featuring a few familiar faces. Guitarist Gary Arce will be known to some as a member of both Yawning Man and Yawning Balch; vocalist Pia Isaksen is a member of Superlynx, and Dan Joeright is the drummer with Earth Moon Earth. Between them, they’ve created something that sounds different enough from their parent acts to make SoftSun an immediately effective side hustle.