Hear Sunflower Tape Machine’s New Indie Pop Banger ‘Sophomore Sweetheart’

Ask Chennai artist Aryaman Singh how he caught the music bug, and he immediately recalls the time when his school band needed a bassist. Singh quickly picked up his first four-string in 2018. He says, “The feeling of being on stage and having complete freedom to express myself through music, made me realize that music was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” The 19-year-old – who counts Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala as a big influence – began releasing music earlier this year under his shoegaze/psychedelic/indie rock moniker Sunflower Tape Machine. With two singles already out, the artist has now dropped a third; the dreamy offering “Sophomore Sweetheart.”

The upbeat new song instantly catches your attention with its very groovy bassline and syncopated drum pattern. Add to it the underlying guitar, tasty electronic elements, Singh’s intriguing vocal melodies and production and you have quite the earworm. “The vibe I was going for with this track is a nostalgic, summer hit sort of vibe,” says the artist. Lyrically, the track is about a couple that had plans to go to their homecoming dance. Singh says, “Which then got canceled due to the current state of the world.” While the Tame Impala influence is evident throughout Singh’s music, he also includes Chennai alt-rockers The F16s as an inspiration for this track.

A music video for “Sophomore Sweetheart” is also out. Singh collected clips from his listeners of their favorite occasions and created a montage of happy moments. Next on the musician/producer’s agenda is to release an album comprising these singles as well as four more tracks. However, Singh says, “I am still contemplating whether to drop these tracks as singles first and then compile them after or to just drop the remaining tracks at once.” Additionally, he’s also working on an acoustic album of the same songs with bonus material. Live shows as Sunflower Tape Machine are also on the cards once the situation with the pandemic improves.

Watch the music video for “Sophomore Sweetheart” below and click here to stream the song.