Setting Sun.

Ex-Denton Outfit Sundress Calls It Quits.

We've been waiting on the formerly Denton-based psych-pop outfit Sundress to release their official debut full-length for what seems like forever now.

After being teased with a pair of “debut” EPs released in 2010 and 2011, Sundress frontman Ryan McAdams told us back in August that the group's LP was finished and just waiting for the right label to come along and release it.

But after reading a hastily posted message announcing the band's breakup was posted on the band's official Facebook page yesterday afternoon (and then quickly removed), it's not clear whether or not that album will ever see the light of day.

Three years, two name changes and a move to Austin later, it would appear that Sundress is indeed calling it quits for good. Shame, too, as the seven-inch record released by White Iris records last year featuring the great “California Dames” showed a band primed to shed the “promising local act” label and poised to begin earning their fair share of national shine.

After chatting with McAdams following the removal of yesterday's Facebook post it would appear that the decision wasn't as hasty as it initially appeared. According to McAdams, the band, who just finished up a string of shows with a January 20 stop at Dan's Silverleaf in their old hometown, has known for awhile that these would be their last shows.

“Sundress has been around for three years now and we've had a total of eight band members throughout the years,” McAdams says. “We all still plan on playing music. Sundress is just done. We're turning that page over. Me and some other dudes are starting a new thing.”

Going forward, McAdams' “new thing” will consist of a new project with Sundress bandmate Kennon Talley called Shrines, which McAdams describes as retaining some elements of Sundress' dreamy psych-pop sound, albeit with a more “evil” and “aggressive” twist. Already, McAdams says, the band has an album's worth of songs it's been kicking around in demo form which may be released sometime around the fall. After making their live debut this March at SXSW, Shrines also has a gig lined up at The Opolis in Norman, Oklahoma, on April 6th.

Meanwhile, Sundress drummer Brack Cantrell will continue performing with Denton power-poppers Cozy Hawks. Though we haven't confirmed the next moves for Sundress bass player Drew McCary or keyboardist Jim Harrington, McAdams assures us that the split hasn't hampered any of the parties from moving forward with future projects.

“We're in good places now,” McAdams says, “[We] have met some great people that are going to help us along in our new endeavors.”

Cover photo by Dylan Hollingsworth.