Fern Murphy

Sungaze is an American Dreamgaze band from Cincinnati, Ohio. Their signature sound lends itself quite equally to the realms of shoegaze, neo-psychedelia and dream pop, with an unmistakable western flair reminiscent of some of the popular singer-songwriters of the 60’s. The band centers around the relationship and dynamic of husband and wife duo Ian Hilvert and Ivory Snow, though it was not the original vision. In its early days, before it had a name, Sungaze was the bedroom recording project of Hilvert, who, having recently left his long-time metal band, was looking to try his hand at writing more dreamy and introspective material. Snow joined the band as a temporary keyboardist, but as the group played more shows, her influence on the band grew and helped to propel them forward into stronger and more confident songwriting. This ultimately gave way to Snow and Hilvert writing collaboratively and sharing lead vocal duties—resulting in a fluid mixture of each member’s artistic influences and a distinct sound entirely their own. Their songs tend to be written from personal experience and often focus on themes of human nature, occasionally dipping into the metaphysical and spiritual. Much of their inspiration comes from a sense of “place” and a desire to capture the landscapes and spaces they find enchanting.

Sungaze