Sunday (1994) may have risen in the age of TikTok, but they’ve already proven they’re more than a fleeting trend. With their hazy dream-pop sound and emotionally rich lyrics, the band has struck a chord with listeners seeking something deeper. The band comprises of Paige Turner, Lee Newall, and Puma. Paige and Puma hail from the US, while Lee is from the UK and between they create a great blend of American dream-pop and British indie grit.
Their debut self-titled EP marked their arrival, later re-released as a deluxe edition with added tracks. The sound is lush, melancholic and Lana Del Rey coded with Paige’s vocals complimenting it beautifully. The transatlantic makeup of the band seeps into their lyrics. One standout example is “Blonde”, with its biting line: “You’ve been sticking it in to some girl / Who lives in Chatsworth / That place is a shithole.” It’s cheeky, raw, and reads like a cutting message you’d send your best friend after finding out your ex has moved on.
Their latest EP, ‘Devotion’, showcases a continued evolution: six tracks of emotionally charged lyricism, dreamy production, and unflinching honesty. Despite the often somber mood, the songs feel expansive and are perfect for both a rainy afternoon indoors or a late summer drive with the windows down.
Lyrically, the band leans into an all-or-nothing kind of love, often set against bleak and cinematic backdrops. On “Doomsday”, the opening line hits like a gut punch: “I hear church bells at a nearby funeral / And now I’m picturing you six feet underground.” It’s followed by the devastatingly beautiful declaration: “Love is a bullet and I’m jumping the gun.” Which lays bare the willingness to risk everything for something doomed from the start.
The comparisons to Lana Del Rey are undeniable, but Sunday (1994) puts their own spin on it. Where Del Rey often romanticises love with older, destructive men, Sunday’s “Rain” centres on a relationship between two young people equally lost. The line “I’ll love you from the slammer to heaven / If we’re drinking in bars or if you’re living behind them” captures the same submissive, fatalistic devotion, but with a more juvenile, reckless energy.
A standout from the EP is “Picking Flowers”, which captures the ache of being picked up, dropped, and expected to carry on. It’s a quiet anthem of self-preservation, with Paige singing “You picked me, then changed your mind again,” turning heartbreak into something quietly defiant by finding solace in moving on and accepting her fate.
Closing out with “Silver Ford”, arguably the most overtly American track on the EP, is rich in it’s Americana imagery: escaping a small town for a better life but with the added conflict of religion and temptation.
With only two releases under their belt and a sold out UK tour already underway, Sunday (1994) are well on their way to becoming something far more enduring than a viral sound. They’re building a world of their own that’s dreamy, doomed, and dangerously easy to get lost in.
