“Songs we felt compelled to create”: Sarah and the Sundays Harness Authentic Emotion & the Beauty of Life's Chaos on ‘Like a Damn Dog’ - Atwood Magazine

      Sarah and the Sundays explore the emotional depth of their profoundly personal and triumphantly vulnerable third album, ‘Like a Damn Dog.’ This album serves as a raw and resonant indie rock reflection on growing pains, heartbreak, identity, self-discovery, and the delicate connections that link us to ourselves and others.

      Stream: "The Cue" – Sarah and the Sundays

      For this album, we aimed for the songs to authentically express their fundamental emotions and values, allowing the music to convey the message as powerfully as the lyrics.

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      Life lacks a manual, but ‘Like a Damn Dog’ appears to be the band’s effort to find clarity in the chaos. Sarah and the Sundays’ third studio album is a visceral outpouring of feeling and self-exploration, featuring heartfelt reflections and hard-won realizations that blend grit with grace. Created during a winter retreat in rural Connecticut and recorded at home in Austin, Texas, ‘Like a Damn Dog’ showcases a band in their true element, moving beyond previous expectations and embracing their most vulnerable and unfiltered selves. The end result is a cathartic, emotionally charged indie rock album that addresses confusion, loss, heartbreak, disillusionment, and the quiet victories of persistence.

      I guess I didn’t notice the shift

      I wouldn’t have been so kind

      Last saw you at Barton

      Everything felt okay

      As much as I loathe you

      I think of you constantly

      You burrowed under my skin

      I allowed it

      How foolish

      When will I learn?

      It’s always the same

      This isn't enjoyable anymore

      I dislike this type of pain

      – “The Cue,” Sarah and the Sundays

      ‘Like a Damn Dog’ – Sarah and the Sundays

      Released on February 7th via Westward Recordings/AWAL, ‘Like a Damn Dog’ signifies Sarah and the Sundays coming into their own. From the initial pangs of “The Cue” to the haunting, cinematic finale of “Ignore Me,” the five-member band comprising Liam Yorgensen [lead vocals, guitar], Brendan Whyburn [vocals, guitar], Quinn Lane [drums], Miles Reynolds [keyboard, guitar], and Declan Chill [bass], channel their personal growth and inner struggles into impactful performances. They fully embrace discomfort and uncertainty, creating a space where listeners can feel less isolated in their experiences. There’s no artifice or gloss here—just beautifully chaotic humanity, presented with brutal honesty and heartfelt emotion.

      ‘Like a Damn Dog’ follows the band’s 2021 sophomore album, ‘The Living End,’ which Atwood Magazine previously described as “a radiant and defining musical journey brimming with energy, passion, personal growth, and indie charm.” That album managed a balance between existential angst and vibrant, upbeat indie rock, solidifying their voice and vision while skillfully marrying emotionally charged lyrics with captivating melodies. If ‘The Living End’ served as a snapshot of youth in transition, ‘Like a Damn Dog’ documents what follows—the reckoning, the introspection, and the valuable self-awareness that arise through time, distance, and experience.

      “The Living End”: Inside Sarah and the Sundays’ Radiant & Soaring Sophomore Album:: FEATURE ::

      “‘Like A Damn Dog’ came together over the course of about a year,” frontman Liam Yorgensen tells Atwood Magazine. “With our last LP, ‘The Living End,’ being recorded in a tight fourteen-day window, we chose a slower, more thoughtful process for this record. Throughout, we ensured the project received the time and space it needed to develop naturally. From writing over three months in rural, wintry Connecticut to tracking the album at home in Austin, we aimed to create this album on our own timeline and terms. All this contributed to some of our most genuine, authentic work to date.”

      Spending such an intimate time together during those long, dark, and cold months allowed the band to connect on deeper levels, leading to some of their most vulnerable and emotionally driven songwriting yet. Thematically, ‘Like a Damn Dog’ presents unvarnished human experience and raw emotion.

      “We approached this record without a comprehensive vision of the final outcome,” Yorgensen explains. “If anything, we wanted the songs to speak for themselves. In the past, we’ve sometimes juxtaposed sad songs with upbeat sounds and vice versa. This time, we strove for the songs to remain true to their intrinsic emotions and values, allowing the music to express the message as powerfully as the lyrics. Diving headfirst into various emotions was a cathartic process instead of trying to mislead the listener in any way.”

      I’m no Casanova

      I don’t know what they told you

      But I’m here

      I’m paying rent

      At times, I still play pretend

      In my mind,

      I’m the person I wish to be

      But outside

      I’m a tragedy

      I’m not confused