Creating spacious guitar-led music with soft vocals and an expansive feel, heavily inspired by moments in films, is Subsolar – A band coming from an indie background, the music having evolved toward a more cinematic sound, with layered textures and subtle dynamics that swell into big guitar moments and richer soundscapes.
‘Here And Now’, Subsolar’s second single, continues the emotional journey started on their ‘Komorebi‘, but explores an earlier stage – before acceptance has fully settled in. The song is about being present while still creating distance, in essence acknowledging something difficult without fully confronting it. Lyrically, it seeks to capture the tension between wanting to stay grounded and not getting swept away emotionally. It inhabits that in-between space, reflecting the uncertainty of how to respond to change or loss, the need for distance, and the quiet comfort found in solitude.
Vocally, the spacious verses and swelling, layered choruses carry a soft, shimmering delivery, giving the track an intimate, reflective feel. The repeated refrain ‘Here And Now’ acts as a subtle anchor, grounding the listener amid conflicted emotions. Musically, a lightly hopeful backdrop contrasts the uncertainty in the lyrics, hinting at the possibility of moving forward despite the unease.
Joe Grange states: “I was caught between wanting to be present in my relationship and needing to pull away entirely. I wasn’t ready to accept that my dad wasn’t going to be around anymore, and that grief made it hard to fully be there for someone I cared about. Some days I wanted to hold on, to stay close and engaged, but other days I felt this almost instinctive need to retreat, to create distance so I could make sense of everything. I didn’t really know how to be there, or how to step back, and I was just trying to find some balance in the middle of all that uncertainty.”
Recorded at Magic Garden Studios and produced by Gavin Monaghan & Liam Radburn you can listen to it here, here, and here.
Regarding Subsolar‘s debut single ‘Komorebi’ Joe Grange commented: “I was fortunate to collaborate with a few key people who helped bring ‘Komorebi’ to life. Gavin Monaghan, a friend and producer I’ve known for years now, guided the recording process and helped shape the sonic textures of the track along with Liam Radburn who ensured the sound remained intimate and detailed. Paul Nicola Miller, my old bandmate and amazing drummer, contributed his nuanced percussion, on the fly I might add. Their contributions really brought this track from an acoustic voice memo to a fully fledged… thing.”
‘Komorebi’ is a synthesiser & guitar-led single. Inspired by the film, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, the song explores the inseparable and inevitable ups and downs of relationships, as well as coming to terms with loss and acceptance. The title, ‘Komorebi’, is a Japanese word reflecting a similar sense of opposites existing naturally alongside one another – the sunlight and shadows flickering and filtering through the trees.
“This song is the direct result of Eternal Sunshine reshaping my outlook on situations in my own life – coming to terms with my dad’s passing and accepting the end of a long-term relationship during that same time period.,” Grange continued.
“This newfound perspective gave me a deeper understanding of how the good and bad have to naturally coexist in life. How it’s important to embrace and accept, rather than run from the pain that follows when you lose something, or someone, you really cared for. I’ve tried to capture that acceptance in the music and overall feeling of komorebi, holding space for both joy and heartbreak, and letting that tension shape the emotional and cinematic arc of the song.”
You can stream the singles here on Spotify and here on Apple and check out the videos here at RAMzine.
