Sun Child Stick to the Shadows on First Full-Band Single “Ghost”

Jacksonville Beach-via-Charleston’s Sun Child, the folk-pop outfit formed earlier this year as the solo project of singer-songwriter Brooke Garwood, have shared their first single as a full band.

Released last week, “Ghost” is a downcast, atmospheric breakup ballad in which Garwood sifts through the fallout of a fractured relationship, equally unsure of what it truly meant and of what comes next. Somber piano, oceanic synth tones and keening violin underpin Garwood’s Billie Eilish-esque murmurs, her enunciations slurry as if she’s in a punch-drunk daze: “Were you always just a ghost?” she wonders, as if in the face of a dead silence that threatens to undermine every word of affection that came before.

The percussion-less instrumental sprawls, helping to evoke a heartbreak that makes each day and night alone feel eternal. But as its clipped violin bow strokes and melodic bass line gain momentum, “Ghost” shows signs of vitality even as it lingers on Garwood’s unanswered questions and palpable feelings of betrayal — “You were there, stood by my side / Held my hand all through the night / Now you don’t even say hi / Were you always just a ghost?” — like a reminder that all endings are also new beginnings.

Sun Child recorded “Ghost” with Jacob Hudson at Pine Studios in Murray Hill. It’s their first release since April’s Everything, their debut EP, recorded with Trash Panda’s Patrick Taylor in his home studio.

You can listen to “Ghost” above or via the streamer of your choice here.