City of the Sun’s new album, Under the Moon marks a return and feels like stepping out of the shadows and into new sunlight. Produced with the legendary Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, Built to Spill), the record bends through moods and geogra-phies: the rolling surf of “Angeles,” the spaghetti-western hush of “Bajo la Luna,” the desert rock pulse of "Ciudad del Sol,” the Mediterranean sway of “Hotel Alma.” Formed by guitarist John Pita, joined by drummer Zach Para, the band later introduced bassists Matt Fasano and guitarist Marco Bolfelli. City of the Sun creates music that feels at once intimate and cinematic–like a film you can step inside. Since their debut in 2016 with To The Sun and All the Cities in Between, to their 2020 self-titled, and 2022’s Segunda Alma, the band has built a cult-following around the globe.

Portair encodes ponderous thoughts inside of cinematic soundscapes stitched together from analog synthesizers and live instrumentation. Generating millions of streams and earning widespread acclaim from Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, Atwood Magazine, Paste, and Variance, the Australia-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist provokes big questions by way of intimate songcraft on his 2023 EP, Learning How To Die. “On the EP, there are philosophical themes of existentialism,” he observes. “Many of the songs are about the acceptance of death, what life is, and why we’re here.” The record was recorded in Joshua Tree and features collaborations with VÉRITÉ, Wynn, and Emily James. Portair began to incite conversation with a series of independent releases in 2018. Emerging as a sought-after songwriter and producer, he composed original score and contributed music to programming across NETFLIX, NBC, MTV, CBS, and beyond. His 2020 solo single “Lying To Myself” amassed millions of streams and paved the way for The Light That Gives EP [2021] and The Ice That Breaks EP [2022]. Meanwhile, “Gloaming Hour” unassumingly achieved viral impact on TikTok with millions of plays. In the end, Portair connects through examining what it means to be human.