London-based musician levels up with dreamy & dance-y new album
Sunnbrella, the brainchild of Prague-born and London-based musician David Zbirka, returns with his latest 12-track album Heartworn. This new release is a sonic departure from his previous work, incorporating dance rhythms into his signature dream-pop, indie and shoegaze-leaning sound. The album, co-produced by Zbirka and Patrick James Fitzroy, features dreamy summer sounds of acoustic guitars, harmonizing vocals, and wind instruments alongside striking guitar chords and fast drum beats.
Zbirka began working on the album in late 2019 and recorded most of it during the pandemic. He had to put the project on hold several times for personal reasons before finally finishing it in the summer of 2022. Originally titled Dancefloor Daydreams, the album was renamed Heartworn and explores feelings of loneliness and yearning, with moments of hope and optimism. Sunnbrella’s ability to combine contrasting elements and sounds is evident throughout the album, creating a unique and uplifting listening experience.
Speaking in detail about the album, Sunnbrella states that:
“I started working on this album at the end of 2019/start of 2020 and recorded most of it during the pandemic. It was co-produced by myself and Patrick James Fitzroy (PVA, Sorry), who’s been working with me on Sunnbrella since the ‘Wanted Time’ EP in 2019, which he mixed. For personal reasons, I had to put the project on hold a few times over the last couple of years and finally finished it at the end of summer 2022. It’s now called ‘Heartworn’ but it was originally titled ‘Dancefloor Daydreams’. I wanted to get more dance rhythms into the dream-pop/indie/shoegaze sound that I was working with up until that point, and put more of an emphasis on the beats, even with the more traditional songs.
I usually don’t write words with a story in mind and things tend to fall into place gradually and subconsciously from scraps of poetry and hazy memories, so I didn’t quite know what the story of the album was until it was finished. Lyrically, I think the album explores feelings of loneliness and yearning but at the same time, there are moments of hope and optimism.”
You can give Sunnbrella’s Heartworn a spin below:
