Listen up, you beautiful folks. Cincinnati’s own six-piece wrecking crew Sungaze just dropped a single that’s gonna live rent-free in your skull for weeks. “I’m No Longer Afraid of Heights” hits on April 10, and this is the sound of staring at your childhood bedroom ceiling at 2 AM, wondering where the hell the time went.
Right out the gate, Ian Hilvert’s slide guitar floats in like a warm breeze off the Little Miami River. Tyler Collier’s drums lock in with that steady acoustic thump, and for a second, you’re ten years old again—without bills and regrets, but just summer days that stretched forever. But then the first chorus hits. And oh boy. That’s the moment the rug gets yanked. Ivory Snow sings the second verse with the same delivery as the first, but the band underneath her shifts into something heavier—resigned, hopeless, like adulthood finally caught up and sat on your chest.
Snow’s got pipes that’ll cut through your noise-cancelling headphones like a hot knife. And she’s not alone. Ian Hilvert (lead guitar/vocals) weeps all over the fretboard while rhythm section Charlie Hausfeld and Zach Starkie hold down the chug. Angela Colvin’s bass lurks in the shadows like a good bassist should. Then there’s that bridge—a moment of clarity so sharp it’ll draw blood. Time don’t care about your feelings, folks. That’s the lesson. And the protagonist finally stops moping and starts moving.
The music video was filmed in the actual Ohio town where Snow grew up. They played the song at 2x speed for slow-mo effects. That’s dedication, not gimmicks. Crowd reportedly got misty-eyed at the screener. Yeah, me too.
Album drops May 22 on Candlepin Records / Softseed Music. Until then, play this single. Let it sting. You’re no longer afraid of heights? Good. Neither am I.