Track-by-Track: SUNTWIST Sound Off on Their New EP ‘Matchbox’

The more real the music feels, the better it typically sounds, a fact that is noticeable on SUNTWIST’s debut EP, Matchbox. The young indie rockers have only been together for a couple of years. But in that time, they have sharpened their songwriting and musical skills, and also grown a lot as individuals. SUNTWIST is an indie quintet composed of friends navigating young adulthood together. Each member found their way to Arizona from a different part of the country, and that is where the band took shape. Lately, they have been finding their way through the end of college, living life away from home, and evolving as a musical unit. It’s a long way away from the dorm room where the band formed back in 2024.

Featuring five tracks, Matchbox is a set of songs about growing up, finding your place, and embracing the moments that shape you. They wrote these songs during a period of real change, when music helped provide them with some connective security. Writing the EP gave them a safe space to live in the moment and not be overwhelmed by life’s uncertainties. It reflects many worries that are apparent for young people today. That is part of what makes it feel so relatable. You don’t have to be 20 years old to enjoy Matchbox. These are relatable experiences that everyone has found their way through at one time or another.

With Matchbox released two weeks ago, SUNTWIST joins us for an exclusive Track-by-Track rundown, sharing the story behind each song.

1. “Stay High (Chasing Ghosts)”

“‘Stay High (Chasing Ghosts)’ became the obvious favourite child the moment we started playing it. It connected with us right away, but seeing the way crowds responded when we first brought it to the stage made that even clearer. Its music video was filmed during a house party, and its tracking had the studio packed. No matter where it played, it always breathed new life into the room. Starting the project with this song just felt right.”

2. “Winded in the Moonlight”

“This song is about longing for what was left behind and realizing that something better can often be just a day away. It lives in that space of constantly searching for something that is no longer there, while missing what may already be right in front of you. When we wrote and recorded it, the process was riddled with mistakes and faulty equipment. Instead of taking away from the song, all those imperfect moments became part of its character. They gave it a worn, more true-to-life feeling.”

SUNTWIST ‘Matchbox’ EP album artwork

3. “Why Mind It?”

“‘Why Mind It’ came from a very similar vein as ‘Winded in the Moonlight.’ We wrote it as a transition from an older style of music to a newer one. It encapsulates leaving yesterday’s mess in the past and working with what you currently have in front of you.

“We had a beautiful one-take recording of this song that was unfortunately lost to file corruption. We’re honestly just glad it made it onto the EP in the end, and the whole situation made us think: why should we dwell on what has already passed?”

4. “I Just Wanna Dance”

“‘I Just Wanna Dance’ was the outlier that we still wanted to include in the family photo. It was recorded during a very different era for the band, but it still held a soft spot in our hearts. It captures the feeling of constantly longing for a place you aren’t in.

“That feeling came from all of us being from different parts of the United States, meeting in a foreign place, and coming together to create art. Fun fact: ‘I Just Wanna Dance’ is the only song you can hear the entire band’s vocals on.”

5. “Man I Wanna Be”

“‘Man I Wanna Be’ became an important shift in the way we understood ourselves as a band. It began while we were all back in our separate hometowns, carrying the distance and uncertainty that came with being apart. At its core, the song is about the disconnect between how people see you and how you see yourself. It’s about when reassurance feels undeserved, and you struggle to recognize the good that others can clearly see.

“We wanted to put that insecurity into the open rather than let it stay private. Everyone has moments of questioning their worth or feeling out of place in their own life, and this song is our way of meeting that feeling head-on.”