sweet trip interview

• Album Reviews , Artist Interviews , Reviews

At Last a Truth That Is Real: Sweet Trip’s Roby Burgos on the Band’s Journey and Their New Album

• By: Joe Hoeffner
• June 2, 2021

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My parents, bless them, didn’t know why I was so excited. I told them that I would be interviewing someone from a band called Sweet Trip, a band whose music I’ve loved and admired for some time, and they were happy for me. But they didn’t quite get why I was grinning from ear to ear like I had gotten a shiny new bicycle on Christmas morning.

My friends online, on the other hand, knew exactly why I was so excited. When I told them I was interviewing Roby Burgos from Sweet Trip, we hit the caps lock key and communicated through gibberish keysmashes like “SGHFHFGHSDGHGGHKGH,” occasionally punctuated with a joyous “I KNOW! ” or a long, exultant “AAAAAAAAAA!” I consider myself a professional at this point, but no one should be so jaded that they can’t allow themselves the occasional giddy fanboying session. I was thrilled.

Those two different reactions illustrate what makes a band like Sweet Trip so special. Founded in the early 90s by San Francisco musicians Roberto Burgos, Valerie Cooper and Viet Le, Sweet Trip has released only four albums in almost thirty years of existence, but each one is beloved by their passionate online cult following. “We get a lot of DMs telling us this music saved them,” said Cooper in an interview with Sonemic , and it’s easy to hear why people have such intimate emotional connections with this music. From the futuristic utopian sounds of Halica and Velocity : Design : Comfort to the more straightforward dream pop sound of You Will Never Know Why , there’s a tenderness to Sweet Trip’s music, a sense that someone is sharing a secret with you. Sometimes it’s joyfully noisy, other times it’s stark and melancholy, but it’s always tremendously comforting. (I made my personal list of the best Sweet Trip songs, which you can find here .)

When Sweet Trip returned this year with their new album, A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals , it felt like reuniting with an old friend. It’s been twelve years since You Will Never Know Why , and after the tumult and catastrophe of the past decade 2009 feels like a half-remembered dream. But A Tiny House makes it feel like it’s been no time at all: it’s an album that could have come out in 2012, and in this case that’s very much a good thing. After the release of “Things to Ponder While Falling,” a single that felt like a swan song, I thought I might never hear new music from Sweet Trip again. Listening to A Tiny House and hearing those familiar lush, evocative chord sequences, with Cooper’s silvery coo singing through the air…well, I’m not too proud to say that I came close to tears.

This is not to say, of course, that Sweet Trip has stagnated. Instead, A Tiny House feels like a culmination, containing elements of the three previous albums while carving out an identity of its own. You’ll find buzzing electronics (“A Tiny House”), swooning dream pop (“Snow Purple Treasures”), and sprawling, shapeshifting song structures (“Polar Equals”). More than anything, though, you’ll find warmth, tenderness, and optimism, in the most colorful and eclectic album of Sweet Trip’s existence. It’s impossible to pick a favorite album of theirs, but it might be this one.

I interviewed Roberto “Roby” Burgos about Sweet Trip’s beginnings, its journey through the years, and how it ended up here.

When you first formed Sweet Trip, what were your ambitions? Was there an end goal you had in mind, or did you just want to make music and see what happened?

When we started we had no ambitions whatsoever other than to make and play music, and like you said, to see what would happen. In fact Viet, who was an original member, had to push us to be more ambitious about the music we were making, and to embrace the potential we had. If it wasn’t for him, I personally would have been just happy as a bedroom musician, because at the time, I wasn’t thinking big at all. To me there were two goals that I cared to achieve: to make the music that I wanted to make; and secondly to make music that both Viet and Valerie, especially Valerie, would like. Valerie has always been a huge inspiration for me, and her approval always meant the world to me. She is the only person I care about the most to impress. Beyond that, to me, it was all a matter of chance and circumstance – if it is well received then, great! Otherwise, carry on.

Sweet Trip came about in the Bay Area music scene, which doesn’t necessarily get the same degree of attention as New York or Los Angeles. Is there anything unique about the Bay Area that shaped the band as we know it today?

I cannot compare the San Francisco or Bay Area scene to others. That said, I feel that the San Francisco scene in a way is pretty open minded and welcoming to new ideas. I don’t think the Bay Area has shed the culture of inclusion completely, even if it sort of feels like it is heading in that direction at times. As cliché as it sounds, the Bay Area is quite a melting pot of cultures and ideologies, and even when there are scenes that are kind of exclusive, like in any other place on earth (which is pretty unavoidable), there is still room to embrace other ideas without much judgement. I think that growing up in that environment helped us embrace and nurture all the different musical influences that shaped our lives, and helped us not to feel confined to what the flavor of the day was or is.

Your early albums, Halica: Bliss Out v. 11 and Velocity : Design : Comfort , are fusions of two genres, shoegaze and IDM, that are seen as, if not dated, then of a certain time and place. But upon re-listening to them while prepping for this interview, I was struck by how they still sound so futuristic and out-of-time. How did you approach the fusion of those elements? Did you see commonalities in their sounds or approaches to music?

Halica is definitely coming from the heels of shoegaze because that style of music was fresh and extremely important to us when we were writing the songs that ended up in that record. At the same time we were really deep into the rave, electronic music underground, particularly drum and bass, and artists like Autechre, Seefeel. and Aphex Twin, just to name an obvious few. I feel that for a part, the sound of Halica came out of necessity. We had bigger ideas that we couldn’t conceive because we didn’t have the equipment to make them a reality – but we had some drum machines, and we could kind of, sort of, make some of the sounds we had in mind with guitars and lots of effects. In a way it became a compromise, like, if we can’t have huge drums and lots of strings, then we know we can sort of mimic that with shoegaze-like guitars, and IDM inspired drum patterns.

By the time we started working on Velocity : Design : Comfort , we had already grown used to this mismatch of genres and way of working that it sort of became second nature for us to abuse that combination when appropriate. I also think that the approach also made us more confident to include many other types of influences into our music.

As far as commonalities between shoegaze and IDM, yes we do see that, and we also see commonalities in many other styles and genres of music.

Although You Will Never Know Why has a more straightforward dream pop sound, there’s a real sense of wistfulness to the whole affair, right down to the title. Was it a conscious stylistic choice, or was it something that just happened?

You Will Never Know Why just happened. It wasn’t planned to sound this way or that. During the time that most of the songs were written, a lot of things were happening in life that influenced the tone of the record thematically. It is a very dark record, not in a goth, doom sort of way, but still not very positive. The despair, the immense amounts of regret, anger, loss, that were felt during that time does show in most of the songs. The title definitely speaks of that despair. It’s like crying to the heavens, “why is this happening to me?”, and the heavens rudely answer back, “you will never know why…”

There was a twelve-year hiatus in between the release of YWNKW and your latest, and in those years, to put it mildly, a lot of stuff happened. Did the tumult of the past decade have any influence on your latest album, directly or indirectly?

We honestly only became aware of the excitement around our little band one or two years before we reconnected in 2019. While the love, support, and well wishes from people have been extremely lovely and encouraging, the main influence for the new album was Valerie and I reconnecting after so many years – we missed each other dearly. The tumult of recent years did help us get back together, so we are beyond grateful for that.

I understand that overanalyzing the cover art can be a shallow move, but the cover for A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals is an interesting departure from the futuristic design of VDC and the hand-drawn minimalism of YWNKW . What were you trying to get across with the art as a representation of this particular album?

Haha. First of all, when it comes to Sweet Trip, always lower your expectations.

A few things came about the decision of the Secret Speeches cover. First of all, aside from Halica , we never felt like we had a lot of say when we had to work on the VDC and YWNKW covers. For VDC , we had a really vague idea of angularity and architecture, and the designers just went with that. A few hiccups happened in the process but we let them be and thus we settled on the original artwork we have now. For YWNKW , Valerie and I were again pretty vague and pretty indecisive about what to do, and after not being able to make up our minds, Aaron Porter, who played bass with the band for several years, just decided that enough was enough, and went ahead and made the hand drawn blade. We went along with it.

For Secret Speeches , Valerie and I agreed that this time around we couldn’t be lazy about things. It also helped that we didn’t have the support of other people in the group – we were the only ones making decisions this time around. We decided that we were not going to compromise anymore, and that this time around we would have to put more effort on other things aside from just the music. Secret Speeches is a record about love, romance, passion, and nothing else. We also realized that this record was sounding quite lush and saturated to us. We felt that we wanted to capture that on the cover, and one of the things that kept floating in our minds were album covers from the 70s because those covers are really rich, like a lot of classic romantic soft rock albums that came from that era (like Chicago, Paul Davis, etc.) We also realized that the peacock chair was used in a lot of those album covers and we thought it would be neat to do the same – to do something rich and romantic, and at the same time, cheesy and kitsch.

A Tiny House feels more varied stylistically than your previous records, and yet there’s a great sense of consistency to it all. Was there a thread that connected these different approaches together when you were creating them?

There was no thread, to be honest. We normally don’t plan anything out and just go with gut feelings and emotions. Maybe the consistency that people may hear is more attributed to maturity and having a better sense of what we want out of music.

My favorite song on this album is “Polar Equals,” which calls back to other shapeshifting songs in your discography, like “Velocity” or “Fruitcake and Cookies.” What was the creation of this song like? Was it always intended to be one whole song, or was it put together from different ideas?

“Polar Equals” was written sometime around 2015 and 2017 during a sleepless night. I was remembering a time when Valerie and I were practicing songs for YWNKW , and during a break she surprised me with two CDs she burned for me, one of her favorite Cocteau Twin songs, and the other of her favorite Durutti Column songs. I always cherished that moment, and on this particular evening I was longing for times when we would get together, make music, and hang out. I picked up the guitar, played a simple chord progression, recorded it, added more guitar parts, and that’s how that came to be. When we reconnected, I shared the song with Valerie and reminded her of that memory. She received it positively and voted hard for the track to be included on the record. It is an important track for us, hence why it is also referenced in the album title. The track is made up of three separate ideas that follow the same feeling, that of longing. It made sense to stitch them together like that.

What is the one key song on each of your albums, the ones that capture the essence of each record most succinctly?

“Fish” [from  Halica ] is definitely one that captures the excitement of realizing that we had something we felt was special, and it is the song that started it all for us. “International” is another one because we feel it covers all aspects of VDC – chaotic, lush, yet simple, and it embodies that emotional investment we made towards the whole record. We feel that “Conservation of Two” sets the tone for YWNKW well, that the rest of the songs on that record are going to portray us as vulnerable people. For Secret Speeches , I think that “At Last a Truth That is Real” embodies all the elements of love, devotion, romance, and passion that this record is about.

Do you have any plans for the future?

We hope to make more music and possibly play shows again. While things are a bit uncertain, those are things that we would love to do, for sure.

Joe Hoeffner

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Record hospital, an interview with sweet trip: origins and the return.

// Image courtesy of R__ob Uytingco.

Sweet Trip, currently consisting of Roberto Burgos and Valerie Cooper, is a dream-pop/shoegaze/electronica group formed in 1997, San Francisco. They are most notably known for their glitchy electronica album, Velocity:Design:Comfort , and their dream-pop album You Will Never Know Why . With these projects and few earlier works under their belt, Sweet Trip gained an early cult following that has been growing exponentially, even with their latest full release dating back to 2009 ( You Will Never Know Why ).

In 2021, Sweet Trip is making a long-awaited return after a 12-year hiatus with new singles and an album, A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals . The new music, along with reissues of previous albums, are available for purchase over at Darla Records !

Along with the great pleasure of allowing WHRB to chat with them, Sweet Trip provided a bountiful amount of information regarding the evolution that the group has undergone since its creation in 1995. More specifically, this interview also focuses on the recent end of Sweet Trip's 12-year hiatus and how it has affected the duo. Watch the interview in its entirety with time-stamped questions below, and read on to learn more about Sweet Trip’s story.

Like many musical artists, Sweet Trip was eagerly looking forward to live performances in 2020, especially after their return performance in January of that year. Luckily, the shift in lifestyle presented by the COVID-19 pandemic has not been a negative one for Sweet Trip in regards to writing, recording, and production. In fact, as Roby explains, “It feels more comfortable, it’s also more intimate and it caters very well to our personalities. We’re both introverts, we’re very self-conscious of what we do and what we don't do, it’s nice to be able to just record music and make music together by just ourselves because there are no prying eyes, there’s no judgment.” With so many barriers cut down, allowing for increased personal collaborative work, the new record appears to be very reflective of this insight and the duo as a whole. After all, it’s Roby’s favorite work of theirs yet!

In Sweet Trip’s earlier days, the lineup consisted of Roby, Valerie, and Viet Le. It was Valerie who played a leading role in music discovery. Roby said, “Valerie was always very instrumental in showing me and Viet newer bands that we were not exposed to. Valerie’s record collection, music, and knowledge of all this cool underground stuff was a huge influence on us.” As for Viet, Roby describes his role in the band as a “spiritual leader” who guided the group’s path and was vocal in expressing what worked and what did not work for them. Naturally, Viet was the businessman in the trio, “He’d whip us into shape as far as being more professional when we play, he was our main contact with bookings and networking,” Valy explained. So it seems that while Roby and Valerie were being self-proclaimed introverts, Viet was the “confident and articulate” extrovert that upscaled the band’s presence, eventually landing them a record deal.

For Valerie, it was her parents who introduced her to various genres of music, including bossa nova. When she started playing classical guitar, she seemed to have taken influence from her parents. However, the shoegaze genre later became a larger influence of her own that eventually brought her to buy an electric guitar. And of course, what’s shoegaze without guitar pedals? This marked the beginning of Valerie’s pedal collection as well as her love for shoegaze. Interestingly enough, it was not My Bloody Valentine, one of the most popular shoegaze bands, that influenced her to explore the sound. Instead, it was a much more underground act titled MOOSE and elements of post-punk music that rubbed off on her. For Roby, shoegaze influences were introduced to him in high school. He explained, “, There was this other classmate that had a class right before me in the same room and also at the same desk. She sat in it during the period before mine. She was also someone that I was curious about because she looked really goth and cool. I found out that she was carving the name of all these bands on the desk, so she had like Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and a bunch of other stuff. From those bands, I knew who My Bloody Valentine was, so I immediately thought - ‘okay all of these other bands must be like My Bloody Valentine’.” Through this interesting encounter driven by curiosity, Roby discovered Slowdive and eventually bought a CD at Tower Records after school.

Beyond shoegaze, Sweet Trip’s sound is also based around the duos’ catholic background. Roby elaborates, “We were both raised catholic so we have a really strong catholic background so we know like mass hymns and things like that. The construct of a mass hymn sort of bleeds into some of the music that we do. I was actually remembering a conversation that we were having a couple of days ago because I was watching a documentary on youtube about Alice in Chains. While I was watching it I was always remembering an article about Alice in Chains and how the way that the two singers worked their melodies was really based on hymns and pentatonic scales and sort of like a modulation of harmonies. I remember being a kid and reading that interview and being like ‘Oh wow, that’s really cool!’ I do know catholic hymns, I kind of feel like I know how they work. So that has been an influence in the music in one way or another.”

In some respects, A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals , appears to be a culmination of all previous works, but, “it also has its own voice,” as Roby notes. With the new record out now, fans of Sweet Trip can find further comfort in knowing that both Roby and Valerie hope to continue making music together. Moreover, they hope to remain a duo act in most recording aspects due to their intimateness and bond. As for live shows, the pair is very welcoming of the possible company of other musicians. In the meantime, you can visit Sweet Trip’s Linktree for more listening and/or purchasing content.

// Gilberto Sepulveda Rabago ‘24 is a staff writer for Record Hospital.

How the internet resurrected Sweet Trip

A s long as there has been art, there has been characterisations and stereotypes placed on artists, the most recurrent and best known being the idea of the starving artist, who works and works despite their brilliance in life, penniless and destitute, only to die with their work to be appreciated after death. J.S.Bach died in obscurity, yet is often held as one of the most important composers in the western canon , rehabilitated after hundreds of years. The advent of the digital age , however, has transformed this process from hundreds of years to a mere decade, to the point where even modern artists forgotten almost entirely by the world can have their careers resuscitated.

Sweet Trip is the musical collaboration of synth virtuoso Roberto Burgos and singer and pianist Valerie Cooper, a union formed in 1993 at a high school talent meet born of a love of similar music. A series of impromptu jam sessions later and Sweet Trip was formed, a small timey electronic/shoegaze trio that had no real intention of scoring big or playing into convention in the American indie scene. Sweet Trip simply existed to do their own thing, which over time would more esoteric and monolithic in scale. Outsider artists in a sense, and never invited to festivals, Sweet Trip would plod on and produce their most important record in 2003 – to zero fanfare and little reception.

An hour and 13 minutes of pure unrestrained creativity- V:D:C is wildly experimental and as of the present day, championed as one of the most ahead of its time records of the 2000s

Said record, Velocity Design Comfort,  is, given this context, absurd. An hour and 13 minutes of pure unrestrained creativity- V:D:C is wildly experimental and as of the present day, championed as one of the most ahead of its time records of the 2000s. A blend of the IDM of Aphex Twin and the shoegaze sensibilities of My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, V:D:C is a gleaming jewel amongst a sea of American indie that never so much as broaches the style and charm it possesses that went, perhaps to Sweet Trips’ expectation, unrewarded and misunderstood. Burgos notes in an interview of being told to play the rest of the band’s discography live- as “people will like that better”. Sweet Trip looked doomed; to live out life as starving artists whose brilliance would be disregarded while they were together and would only be discovered in later years.

Sweet Trip put out their excellent yet wildly more conventional You Will Never Know Why in 2009. While well received and praised, the stylistic leap was almost regressive, the lofty aspirations of V:D:C left by the wayside. In 2013, Roberto Burgos would pull the metaphorical plug on Sweet Trip, posting on his SoundCloud one last song: ‘things to ponder while falling’. The description read “probably *not* the last Sweet Trip song ever”- but the intention was clear. Beyond a small release on their label’s compilations and a compilation of album scraps (the surest sign a project is dead), Sweet Trip was over.

Sweet Trip was doomed to a tragic fate, yet the information age has interrupted that tale

So how come in 2021, I am sitting with a new Sweet Trip record before me? 12 long years down the line and Sweet Trip is as alive as any current musical project; an hour and 9 minutes of brand-new music, immaculately polished and presented. Sweet Trip were doomed to a tragic fate, yet the information age has interrupted that tale. What began in small forum discussion of V:D:C by the most dedicated music fans has grown over years, the recommendation passing by like a virus; a testament perhaps to Sweet Trip’s musical skill. As a small fanbase arose around the record, calls for a vinyl reissue of V:D:C were begged for and with this pressure, in 2019, Darla Records reissued it. This clear desire for more Sweet Trip reaching the ears of Burgos and Cooper, 2020 seeing our first taste of new material from the band, followed by a single in 2021. And now a brand-new album sits before us, as if no time has ever passed.

The ability for an algorithm to recommend such an overwhelming amount of music has made streaming music in 2021 feel almost outside of time. These events have occurred so recently, that the fact there has been a 12-year gap matters not to new fans. I discovered Sweet Trip in 2019 and with the pandemic changing perception of time anyway, the wait has felt almost non-existent. Sweet Trip’s story is fascinating on a multitude of levels; it’s a clear story of how the internet has changed how we consume and approach media, a musing on the end of time constrained genres due to mass music accessibility and plainly, incredibly inspiring. If Sweet Trip were able to come back, which other forgotten artists can the internet restore to rightful appreciation? Only time will tell, but I’d rather have more stories like Sweet Trip’s and less like Bach’s. 

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Essaying the pop culture that matters since 1999

Sweet Trip: You Will Never Know Why

If a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s there to hear it, did it really fall? Recently, PopMatters writer Alan Ranta made a compelling case for why Pepe Deluxé’s Spare Time Machine should be considered some of the best music of the modern era, even though nobody was there to hear it. For my money, Sweet Trip’s sophomore effort Velocity : Design : Comfort was an undiscovered classic, one of the most natural fusions of dream-pop sensuality and sugar-rush electronics ever put to tape. Yet I became a little disconcerted after handing the record to everyone I thought would listen and finding their reactions to be decidedly mixed. For every two people who gave me a big hug and wondered how they ever lived without it, one said “no thanks” and tossed it, repelled by the electronic overload, the seven-plus-minute runtimes, and/or the intentional displays of recording damage meant to convey a certain kind of emotional profundity.

At surface level, You Will Never Know Why presents itself as the Sweet Trip album that’s finally marketable to the masses. Over the six years the San Francisco-based group took to unveil it, front man Roby Burgos steadily dropped hints about what we were in for, releasing straightforward guitar-pop numbers “Darkness” and “Your World Is Eternally Complete” on Darla compilations and a couple more tracks as demos on its Web site. The finished product confirms early speculation: Sweet Trip is now a rock band, with drummer Rob Uytingco added permanently to the lineup to cement the band’s new aesthetic. Synths and electronic programming take a backseat to airy guitars, slippery bass, and reliable drumming, mirroring somewhat the intersection of indie pop and space-age bachelor pad music of the mid-1990s. Hardly a revelation, You Will Never Know Why stands tall as Sweet Trip’s second-best record. The traditional rock arrangements draw attention to the band’s easy way with beautiful, resonant pop hooks, to say nothing of their modesty, which seeps into their most agreeable songs and turns them almost gracious.

Where the record gets tricky is its bruising lyrical content, and although the clash between light music and dark lyricism has become largely passé, Sweet Trip’s take on it is still surprising. The title, You Will Never Know Why , tells all: vocalists Burgos and Valerie R. Cooper aren’t concerned with our dearth of understanding, but yours . Words of vague condemnation mingle with blunt-force lines normally screamed by grindcore bands: “Pretty soon you’re dead,” Cooper and Burgos chirp in a way that leads to believe they should be saying, “Pretty soon, we’ll be the best of friends.” This dynamic is edgy enough and it works, but other aspects of the album don’t. There are times when the sound could be richer, and the four-minute pop model grows samey as the track numbers reach double digits, although it’s the pair of interludes in the midsection that probably should have been cut. Sweet Trip is better than this — You Will Never Know Why makes pop sound like itself, while V : D : C made pop sound greater than itself — but the band has written a fine, accessible record that could snag them the proper audience at long last.

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Roberto Burgos and Valerie Cooper make up Sweet Trip, the legendary underground IDM, shoegaze, and dream pop duo with Darla Records. Their album You Will Never Know Why is now reissued with bonus tracks, and the Walkers/Stab EP is now available and released. Their upcoming album A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals is set to be released in 2021.

Manon: Given the poppier groove behind Walkers Beware (single), will that carry over to the rest of the album, and if so are there any pop influences you’d like to cite or any dream pop outfits that we should be on the lookout for?

R: I think that pop is a big part of the music we make. I personally feel that it’s all pop regardless of how it’s presented, but there’s always going to be some kind of element of, I don’t want to say the word sophistication, but just kind of level of production in our music so it’s bound to happen at some point. I think [Walkers beware] has a lot of classic 70s sort of influences and vibes, kind of has that romantic, old school soft rock kind of feel to it, and we both listen to that a lot. We love it, it’s like guilty pleasure for us. So I think that that was the driving factor for that song.

M: Are there any favorite soft rock seventies bands that you have?

V: I like America and Christopher Cross. It’s embarrassing to say it! 10cc. To name a few. Fireplace, romance type.

R: Paul Davis, Chicago.

V: That is the feel we wanted to have in Walkers Beware.

M: For Stab-Slow, any house influences that you have?

V: We like Kerrier District which is Luke Vibert, and that is the more housey side. Also Legowelt and Julio Bashmore.

R: Valerie’s sister, Veronica, is also a DJ, and she does electronic music. She adds acid house to a lot of the stuff that she plays acid house from like the mid to late 80s. It’s really awesome and brilliant.

V: They’re called Dyatron industries. And they DJ on Mixcloud and stream often too. But yeah, the stuff that my sister would play influenced a lot.

R: Yeah. I also love Swayzak.

M: Can you tell us about what’s behind the name “A Tiny House, in Secret Speeches, Polar equals?

V: I have a little obsession with tiny houses. And I’m watching all those YouTube videos of the tiny house movement and I was thinking that could actually be an ideal, most people won’t think so but just being more minimal in your lifestyle. Giving up all these materials and living in a tiny house, it sorta just was the obsession I was having.

M: Roberto, you said there’s a theme of love on “A Tiny House…” What other themes can we look forward to?

R: I think that’s really it. Every single song, there’s a lot of like…

V: There’s a lot of medieval fantasy in a way, themes of courtship and fantasies. Like ideals and dreaming and fantasies, and a perfect world would have love and all this also.

M: You Will Never Know Why (YWNKW) is now reissued with bonus tracks, new album art and a comic book coming. Can you tell us about the new cover art and inspiration behind the comic book style and the book itself?

V: Yeah, we have a friend who we met through the DJ circles. His name is Paul Bouchers but he is also a producer, DJ musician under the name Yobkiss, and also is a very talented cartoonist and illustrator. And so we asked him, and we came up with a story, which bounces off the original artwork of YWNKW, which is just a simple blade. I thought it’d be nice to release the new issue with different art. And, honestly, we didn’t come up with the blade to have a negative or a sad theme behind it, because we’ve been approached many times by people asking if it meant cutting your wrists or suicide. That’s not really what we were trying to convey with that art. So, when we created the reissue with new artwork and the cartoon, if you look at it closely and read it, it sort of encourages people to live and be happy. The Dracula in our cartoon, he actually saves people and if you have the comic[book], you can understand the story and see that it still ties in with the blade, but it’s got a more positive ending, more hopeful.

R: There’s a song on YWNKW that kind of has a weird backstory of a vampire in love with someone who doesn’t want him at all. So I mentioned that as a joke, and [Paul and Valerie] started bouncing ideas around.

V: So basically, the story ties in with the songs from YWNKW. The new art ties in with the original art.

R: It is a dark record, no doubt about it. But at the end, there’s like a ray of hope, sort of. And that sequence of songs ties in with what we want it to convey with any artwork: that yeah, things are dark and…

V: …you will never know why bad things happen to you. But there’s hope. So the second reissue continues that.

M: Has producing a record in quarantine affected the album creation process and the music that came out of it?

V: It just seemed more convenient and fun, actually, with quarantine. I’ll just come to Robbie’s house, and then it’s easy. It’s down the street from my house. Being in an apartment instead of a rented space, you don’t feel a pressure of like, “Oh, it’s been three hours, how much are we paying for this place?” kind of thing. It’s more laid back. And you can take your time. Therefore, there’s not that much pressure on yourself to think about budgets and things like that.

Author:  Manon Snyder

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Sweet Trip | A Tiny House, In Secret Speeches, Polar Equals

Sweet trip’s first album in over a decade builds upon the band’s typical aesthetic while blending that sound to produce the group’s most coherent release to date..

In certain corners of the music-listening internet, the release of the first new Sweet Trip album in over a decade is an event on the scale of a hypothetical Portishead reunion, or any of the actual returns in the last decade from message board favorites like The Avalanches, Duster, or Hum. At different points existing as a trio and quartet, and now a duo, the group released three albums over a 12-year span that received niche acclaim for their audacious collages of various sub-genres within electronic and indie rock, with Sweet Trip’s warmest moments resembling the tasteful repose of Stereolab, and their chilliest in line with the techno-futurisms of late ‘90s IDM. The group has been mostly quiet since their last LP, 2009’s  You Will Never Know Why , and the following decade was certainly kind to these aforementioned contemporaries, all of whom toured and released long-awaited new material that appeared in step with an updated indie music climate.  A Tiny House, in Secret Speeches, Polar Equals , the new Sweet Trip album, arrives nominally on-trend with these other returns, though — in keeping with the singularity of the band’s artistic project — still existing outside modes and scenes, its main points of comparison the stylistically expansive (if quantitatively limited) Sweet Trip discography itself.

Fortunately, the group’s oeuvre encompasses at least half a dozen different genres and sub-genres, so this is by no means a scant sonic palette. Where previous Sweet Trip albums occupied a more distinct aesthetic perch — like the glacial terrains of  Halica: Bliss Out v.11  or the dark-night-of-the-soul dream pop of  You Will Never Know Why  —  Tiny House  instead provides a more holistic blend of blends, synthesizing the sounds of the group’s earlier releases into their most direct, linear batch of songs to date. Album opener and title track “Tiny House” begins with an ecstatic, characteristic glitch breakdown that leads into a restrained synth-driven groove, escalating and de-escalating in intensity over enough movements to fairly qualify the song as prog. Many of the tracks in the album’s first half follow similar paths, beginning as ballads and eventually building to power ballad status, with warm synths leading the way and the more eccentric tonalities tucked into the background right until they can no longer be contained. “Eave Foolery Mill Five” and “Snow Purple Treasures” are quality examples of this form, as is “Chapters,” on which clean, insistent guitars are upended by cascading digital percussion that overwhelms the song and carries it into a desolate, affecting strummed outro.

Tiny House ’s back half is more varied in shape, offering a mix of song-length exercises (the bright, buzzing instrumentals “Randlift” and “Zafire Melts the Heart in Modulation”) and some of the album’s more direct cuts, like its lone single “Walkers Beware! We Drive into the Sun.” If there’s perhaps a sense that the group’s creative summit is less consistently reached in these shorter excursions, and more broadly in the context of this more streamlined revival, it remains a unique pleasure to hear new music from Sweet Trip at all. Certainly, it’s hard to begrudge the band a more approachable release in this moment when their return seemed so improbable, with the album itself serving as something of a monument to two friends resuming communication after losing touch for some years. The back-to-back pyrotechnics that arrive on  Tiny House ’s last two songs, “Polar Equals” and “At Last a Truth That is Real,” return the group to the broader canvas on which their talents are most awe-inspiring, delivering fuzzed-out guitars and emotional bombast worthy of M83. Though moments like these appear less frequently on  Tiny House  than albums past, their scale and scope remain uniquely Sweet Trip, in presence as in absence an island unto themselves.

Published as part of Album Roundup — June 2021 | Part 2.

• by Michael Doub
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Answering Fun Questions

Exploring the Reasons: Why is Sweet Trip Breaking Up?

Sweet Trip , a band founded by San Francisco musicians Roby Burgos and Valerie Cooper in the 90s, gained recognition with their album Velocity: Design: Comfort . The band combines glitchy shoegaze and lush electronica to create a unique sound. There are various reasons why Sweet Trip is breaking up, which we will explore in this article.

• Sweet Trip is a band known for their glitchy shoegaze and electronica sound.
• The band gained recognition with their album Velocity: Design: Comfort .
• There are multiple reasons why Sweet Trip is breaking up.

The Music Scene in San Francisco in the 90s

In the vibrant music scene of San Francisco in the 90s, Sweet Trip emerged as a standout band, showcasing their unique blend of grunge , shoegaze , and Britpop influences. Inspired by renowned bands like My Bloody Valentine, Blur, Lush, and Slowdive, Sweet Trip became part of a movement that aimed to recreate the mesmerizing sounds of these iconic acts.

During this time, grunge music was making waves with bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam gaining popularity. Shoegaze, characterized by its dreamy and ethereal sound, was also thriving, with bands like Ride and My Bloody Valentine leading the way. Meanwhile, Britpop was taking the world by storm, as bands like Blur and Oasis dominated the airwaves. Sweet Trip found themselves in the midst of this thriving music scene, absorbing the energy and inspiration it had to offer.

“The San Francisco music scene in the 90s was incredibly dynamic,” recalls Roby Burgos, one of Sweet Trip’s founding members. “There was this pressure to imitate the sounds of the bands we admired, but also a desire to carve out our own unique identity within the scene.”

“We were drawn to the raw energy of grunge, the mesmerizing atmospheres of shoegaze, and the catchy melodies of Britpop,” adds Valerie Cooper, the other half of Sweet Trip. “It was a melting pot of different influences, and we wanted to create music that reflected that.”

The Music Scene: A Catalyst for Sweet Trip’s Sound

The music scene of San Francisco in the 90s played a crucial role in shaping Sweet Trip’s sound. By drawing inspiration from genres like grunge , shoegaze, and Britpop , the band was able to create a distinctive sonic landscape that captivated listeners. Their ability to blend these influences together seamlessly set them apart from their contemporaries and garnered them a dedicated fan following.

Reconnecting and Making Music Again

After a hiatus, Sweet Trip found themselves reconnecting and reigniting their passion for making music. It all started with an interview by Jon Lapeyre, which brought attention to their cult following and sparked their desire to create music together once more. Jon’s curiosity about their musical journey and the impact they had on fans prompted Roby Burgos and Valerie Cooper to reflect on their past and the possibility of a future collaboration.

“The interview with Jon Lapeyre really struck a chord with us,” Roby Burgos admits. “It reminded us of the incredible connection we had with our fans and the joy we felt when making music. We realized that we still had stories to tell and melodies to share.”

The encounter with Jon Lapeyre not only reminded them of their musical roots but also served as a catalyst for their reunion. They were inspired to explore new musical landscapes while staying true to their signature sound. The interview breathed new life into their creative partnership, making them eager to create music again and share it with their loyal fanbase.

Inspired by their Cult Following

A key factor that reignited Sweet Trip’s desire to make music again was the realization of the impact they had on their cult following . Known for their immersive and diverse sound, the band has amassed a dedicated fanbase over the years. The interview with Jon Lapeyre shed light on the passion and connection their music fostered, reminding them of the importance of their art.

“When we saw the love and support pouring in from our fans, we were deeply humbled,” Valerie Cooper shares. “The interview made us realize that our music resonates with people on a profound level. It motivated us to continue the journey and create something meaningful once more.”

Their cult following became a driving force behind their decision to embark on a new musical endeavor. The outpouring of support and the genuine connection they felt with their fans fueled their determination to create music that would resonate with their devoted listeners.

Working Together and Musical Influences

Working together again after our hiatus was a joy for Sweet Trip. We maintained our creative process of making music in bedrooms, utilizing different spaces in our homes to record. This allowed us to create in a comfortable and familiar environment, fostering a sense of intimacy and personal connection with the music.

Our musical influences remained ingrained in our sound, but we also ventured into new territories, exploring different genres and styles. One significant discovery was the influence of Catholic hymns from our upbringing. We found inspiration in the melodic beauty and heartfelt lyrics of these hymns, which we felt compelled to incorporate into our new record.

The Incorporation of Acoustic Guitars

One of the ways we embraced this newfound inspiration was through the addition of acoustic guitars to our songs. The warm and organic sound of the acoustic guitar added a romantic and heartfelt touch to the tracks, enhancing the emotional depth and bringing a sense of intimacy to the music.

“The acoustic guitars allowed us to create a more intimate and heartfelt atmosphere in our music. They added a depth and richness that perfectly complemented the lush electronica and glitchy shoegaze elements.”

By blending our signature glitchy shoegaze and lush electronica with the acoustic guitars , we aimed to create a sonic tapestry that resonated with our listeners on a profound level. We wanted our music to evoke emotions and transport our audience to a place of introspection and vulnerability.

The Success and Impact of Velocity: Design: Comfort

Velocity: Design: Comfort , Sweet Trip’s groundbreaking album, has garnered a dedicated cult following since its release. This masterpiece showcases the band’s ability to seamlessly blend various genres, including shoegaze, IDM, glitch, and indie pop, creating a truly immersive and diverse sound.

“Velocity: Design: Comfort is a sonic journey unlike anything I’ve ever heard,” says fan and music critic Sarah Thompson. “It’s a beautiful fusion of dreamy melodies, intricate beats, and ethereal vocals that transports you to another world.”

With Velocity: Design: Comfort, Sweet Trip achieved something truly extraordinary. The album’s intricate production and innovative songwriting captivated listeners, leaving a lasting impression on the music scene,” remarks Mark Anderson, a music producer.

The impact of Velocity: Design: Comfort extends far beyond its initial release. Its influence can be heard in the work of many contemporary artists who draw inspiration from Sweet Trip’s groundbreaking sound. The album’s unique blend of genres continues to resonate with fans and stands as a testament to the band’s artistry.

Continuing the Journey

While the band may be parting ways, Sweet Trip’s legacy lives on through their discography. Velocity: Design: Comfort serves as a timeless reminder of the band’s creative prowess and enduring impact on the music industry.

Common Reasons for Breakups and What to Do

Breakups can be difficult, no matter the circumstances. While the breakup of Sweet Trip is unique to their situation, there are common reasons for breakups in relationships that many people can relate to. One of the most common reasons is a change in feelings. Sometimes, feelings can fade over time or evolve in different directions, leading to a difficult decision to part ways.

Another common reason for breakups is a mismatch in values. When two individuals have different core beliefs and principles, it can create ongoing conflicts and challenges in the relationship. It’s important to be honest with yourself and your partner about your values and assess whether they align for a healthy and fulfilling partnership.

Furthermore, the need for a new chapter in life can also lead to breakups. People grow and change, and sometimes, their goals and aspirations shift in different directions. It’s crucial to have open and compassionate communication with your partner to understand each other’s desires and determine if they can be accommodated in the relationship.

When facing the end of a relationship, it’s essential to address these issues and have honest conversations with your partner. While some relationships can be repaired through compromise and effort, it’s important to recognize when it may be necessary to move on for personal growth and happiness. Remember to take care of yourself, surround yourself with support, and embrace the opportunity to learn and grow from the experience.

Why is Sweet Trip breaking up?

The reasons for Sweet Trip’s breakup are varied and unique to their circumstances. Breakups in relationships can happen due to changes in feelings , mismatched values, or the need for a new chapter in one’s life. It’s important to address these issues and communicate with your partner to find a resolution.

What was the music scene like in San Francisco in the 90s?

In the 90s, the San Francisco music scene was heavily influenced by grunge, shoegaze, and Britpop. Bands like Sweet Trip were inspired by influential acts such as My Bloody Valentine, Blur, Lush, and Slowdive. There was a pressure to mimic these bands and consume their style of music.

How did Sweet Trip reconnect and start making music again?

Sweet Trip took a break between their albums “You Will Never Know Why” and “A Tiny House, in Secret Speeches, Polar Equals.” They reconnected when they were interviewed by Jon Lapeyre, which sparked their desire to make music again. The interview also brought attention to their cult following and reignited their passion for creating music together.

What was Sweet Trip’s creative process like when working together again?

Sweet Trip maintained their creative process of making music in bedrooms, utilizing different spaces in their homes to record. They explored new styles of music while still staying true to their influences. They discovered the influence of Catholic hymns from their upbringing and incorporated that into their new record, adding acoustic guitars for a romantic and heartfelt touch.

What impact did the album “Velocity: Design: Comfort” have on Sweet Trip’s career?

“Velocity: Design: Comfort” is considered the centrepiece of Sweet Trip’s discography and gained a cult following. The album showcases their mastery of different styles such as shoegaze, IDM, glitch, and indie pop. It has been well-received by fans and critics alike, standing the test of time with its immersive and diverse sound.

What are some common reasons for breakups and what should one do?

Common reasons for breakups in relationships include changes in feelings, mismatched values, and the need for personal growth. It’s important to address these issues and communicate openly with your partner. In some cases, it may be necessary to move on and focus on personal happiness and growth.

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‘It’s OK Not to Be the Saddest Girl in the Room’: How Ian Sweet Embraced Pop

By Angie Martoccio

Angie Martoccio

Last February, after Coldplay performed an emotional, choir-backed “Fix You” on SNL , Chris Martin ran into his biggest fan. “I kind of forced him to meet me,” Jilian Medford recalls with a laugh. “He had just come off the stage and I was like, ‘Hi! I love you so much. I’m so sorry, can we take a photo?’ And he was like, ‘I have to go pray.’ But I was just begging him.”

Martin, who did reluctantly take a photo , had no idea he was talking to Ian Sweet , one of the most thrilling and experimental voices in indie rock. Under this name, the 30-year-old Medford has released three albums, and her fourth, the incredible Sucker , is out Nov. 3 via Polyvinyl. If her recent cover of “ Yellow ” wasn’t telling enough, Medford continues to draw inspiration from Coldplay on Sucker , an album whose version of indie pop is often unabashedly anthemic. “That’s my MO,” she says, smiling. “I think it’s ’cause I love Coldplay.”

Medford is sitting at an outdoor table at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, wearing denim overalls, a white blouse, and a 2000s-era stainless-steel ball-chain necklace. She moved from the Lower East Side to near Prospect Park a couple weeks ago, a much-needed change for her and her Jack Russell-Chihuahua, Blueberry. 

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This feeling of contentment extends to the making of Sucker , which Medford wrote and recorded at the Outlier Inn, a studio located on a farm in upstate New York. She made two trips there, the first being in October 2022, when she and her mom drove cross-country from her hometown of Los Angeles. They stopped at multiple national parks along the way, listening to hours and hours of Howard Stern. 

“My mom is an angel,” she says. “Then [she] and my sister went to Hawaii together, and I said, ‘Why wasn’t I invited?’ My mom was like, ‘We did the road trip.’ And I was like, ‘That’s not the same! At all!’”

Medford got her wish, spending two weeks on 12 acres of land, all by herself except for the owner’s yellow lab, who would often doze on the porch. “Suddenly, I had an infinite amount of ideas,” she says. “Smoking Again,” one of the record’s highlights, is a power-pop gem with stormy synths that carry Medford’s dainty vocals. Medford wrote it quickly after she noticed she was smoking and drinking a lot of wine, which helped her lean into her creativity.

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It’s a far cry from Show Me How You Disappear , Medford’s 2021 album that she wrote while she was in an outpatient therapy program for anxiety. Tracks like “ Drink the Lake ” and “Get Better” offered an intense look into Medford’s mind at the time, but their swirling sounds also provided comfort — not only to Medford, but to many listeners in the pandemic. 

By the end of the album’s press cycle, Medford found herself exhausted from discussing her mental health struggles. “So many people grasped onto the story behind Disappear , like, ‘Oh my God, you were an intensive outpatient, and how was that?!’” she says. “People want to hear what you’re going through, but it was clickbait-y. And then I get pigeonholed into being the mental health advocate girlie. I believe that everyone should be checking in with themselves, but I’m not out here screaming from the rooftops.” 

As Medford notes, Sucker isn’t all “sunshine and rainbows.” “Emergency Contact,” her personal favorite on the record, documents her pandemic breakup. Medford says that although she initiated the split, she regretted it afterwards, experiencing a delayed sense of sadness. “The light is out in my kitchen/But I’m still washing the dishes,” she sings over twinkling instrumentation. 

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“I was just thinking about this genre of indie rock, whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean, [and how] people really want you to have had something traumatic to share,” she says. “I started feeling that it was OK to have fun with it.”

Sitting in the peaceful Botanic Garden, with the crisp fall afternoon sunlight hitting her brown hair, she begins to smile. “It’s OK to not be the darkest, saddest girl in the room.”

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Kevin Hart Couldn't Stop Doing What All of Us Would've Done on the 'Borderlands' Set

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The Big Picture

• Borderlands features an all-star cast including Oscar winners and comedy legends like Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.
• The film revolves around a group of ragtag misfits on an adventure to protect a young girl and collect keys on the planet Pandora.
• The cast discusses the best and worst road trip companions, favorite sets and props, and the differences in gun sound effects across cultures.

Video game adaptations are all the rage these days, ranging from The Last of Us and Fallout to The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s . The newest addition is Borderlands , which is directed by Eli Roth and follows a ragtag group of misfits going on an adventure to protect a young girl ( Ariana Greenblatt ), who’s not nearly as sweet as she seems at first glance, and collect some keys to open a priceless vault along the way. The film primarily takes place on the planet Pandora, which has a whacky steampunk aesthetic and features enemies ranging from masked madmen to wild aliens.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more stacked cast. Starring Oscar winners like Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis and comedy legends like Kevin Hart and Jack Black , the film’s central group of misfits is packed with talent . Collider got a chance to speak to a few of the film’s stars, including Curtis and Hart, who play mad scientist Tannis and solider Roland, respectively. Rounding out the group is Roth, Florian Munteanu , who plays psycho meathead Krieg, and Édgar Ramírez , who takes on the role of business tycoon Atlas.

The cast spoke about which of the characters they’ve played would make the best and worst road trip companions, their favorite sets and props from the film, and the difference between gun sound effects across cultures.

Borderlands

The ‘borderlands’ cast discusses which of their famous characters would make the best — and worst — road trip companions.

COLLIDER: This movie has such a fun, chaotic road trip element to it. I want to know, of all the iconic characters you've either played or written, who do you think would make the best and the worst Pandora road trip companion?

KEVIN HART: Eli’s the worst.

ELI ROTH: [ Laughs ] I’m not a character in the game — I'm a man. I'm a person.

HART: [ Laughs ] Sorry, man. Did I understand the question?

FLORIAN MUNTEANU: I think the Bear Jew would be the best.

MUNTEANU: Brutality.

JAMIE LEE CURTIS: Yeah, I would take Laurie Strode .

CURTIS: Obvi. Because she would, like, do it.

So competent, yes.

CURTIS: I'm not sure who would annoy me.

MUNTEANU: I would choose Razorfist because he has that blade he can cut through stuff.

CURTIS: Yeah, smart.

MUNTEANU: I think he would do well.

HART: Well, I don't really know.

Fair enough.

ROTH: [ Imitating Hart ] “Nashawn Wade is great. That’s a great role. Not sure if you saw Soul Plane . A lot of people didn't pay to see it, but they didn't see it, nonetheless.”

HART: [ Laughs ] If we were on Soul Plane, I would definitely take Nashawn Wade .

Kevin Hart Kept Making Sound Effects on the ‘Borderlands’ Set

Okay, let’s go back to Borderlands and the world because it's such a fun and bold and immersive world. Was there either an environment you were most excited to sort of play in or a prop you were most excited to interact with from the game itself?

CURTIS: [ Holds up ECHOnet ]

Well, there you have it.

CURTIS: Mommy brought ECHOnet. For me, the entire relationship of the movie was ECHOnet because she's in love with ECHOnet. And so Tannis has ECHOnet, and ECHOnet has Tannis. So for me, interacting with an inanimate object for four months was really interesting. [ Laughs ]

An interesting challenge.

HART: You know what’s funny? I’ll tell you, I went to see our weapons. Of course, we're mirroring the weapons of the video game, so we had like the real versions of the video game weapons, and then you had the stuffies, which is — when we’re doing the stunts — [a version made of] foam. But in the beginning, I had a bad habit of, when we were picking up the weapons and it was time to shoot, going like, “Ch, ch, ch.” Because there was no kickback.

CURTIS: So you were making the noise.

HART: You're doing a stunt, you get them, and you like, “Ch, ch, ch.” Eventually, I had to tell myself, like, “Stop making a noise. I need a reaction.” But playing with the weapons in the beginning was a lot of fun because it's like, “Okay, here it is. I've been waiting to do the soldiers, and I got all the stuff on me.” So I can say dealing with the props, picking the props.

ROTH: Andy was our prop person, and he was amazing.

HART: Amazing. And in such a great spirit. Shoutout to Andy.

ROTH: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful props.

ÉDGAR RAMÍREZ: So your shots go like, “Pew, pew, pew?” In every culture, it's different. In Germany, how do you say?

MUNTEANU: “Ss, ss, ss.”

RAMÍREZ: We go like, “Pow, pow, pow!”

ROTH: That’s Venezuelan? We go, “Pew, pew, pew.”

[ Group makes various gunshot sounds ]

RAMÍREZ: I would think, like, “Bang.” But no bang.

HART: No bang. “Bang” is one.

Eli Roth Loved Filming in ‘Borderlands’ Sanctuary City

ROTH: Sanctuary City was fun . The tunnels were in an incredible location cinematically, but it was freezing and dank and gross and amazing. But by the end, when we got to be in Sanctuary City with all the extras and all the stand-ins when they go to Tannis’ lab and Moxxie's bar, we built a city, so walking through it with all the people, with all the extras, was really, really satisfying.

Borderlands is now in theaters.

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Christen Harper’s Sweet Seersucker SI Swimsuit Two-Piece Is a Classic Pick for Your Next Trip

Martha zaytoun | aug 8, 2024.

It has been the summer of prints—loud animal , vibrant abstract, etc. Whether in the form of an elegant night out dress , a casual vacation look or a simple bikini, busy prints seem primed to go down as a staple of 2024.

And while we love a loud, colorful design, there are moments where you’ll find us wishing for the classics. Sometimes that takes the form of solids. But other times, we just want a less busy, more minimal print—something like a seersucker.

When we think of seersucker, we think fondly of our childhood closets—and of SI Swimsuit’s Christen Harper , of course. During her 2024 photo shoot in Portugal, the model sported a two-piece from ONIA, which reimagined the formerly popular print in a new and unique way. What was once a print used for pencil skirts and men’s blazers became that much more chic and glamorous in the form of an underwire bikini top and mid-rise bikini bottom.

ONIA Marilyn Bikini Top , $95 and Chiara Bikini Bottom , $95 ( onia.com )

Complete with an underwire silhouette and ruffle trim, this bikini top and bottom set from ONIA couldn’t do a better job of blending classic elements with trendy, chic details. The top is feminine in form and the bottoms offer minimal coverage. The pale blue seersucker print is just the cherry on top. But if that doesn’t quite match your aesthetic, the set comes in a variety of other solids and prints, too.

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's secret girls' trip they kept off Instagram

The york sisters shared previously unseen photographs from their trip overseas.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice aren't just sisters, they're "best friends" too. The royal siblings, who are the only two daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson , have made no secret of their closeness, experiencing motherhood together, sharing outfits, and travelling the world in tandem. 

In Eugenie's birthday post shared to Instagram in honour of her older sister's birthday, it was revealed that the York sisters embarked on a secret trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this year. 

"Happy birthday dearest Beabea!! What an inspiration you are. You've paved the way for your little sissy. Love you," Eugenie penned on social media, sharing a series of photos of the pair at Manal AlDowayan's trampoline installation. 

The unique installation titled "Now you see me, now you don't" was created by the Saudi Arabian artist to address water scarcity in AlUla, the home of Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The sisters showed off their playful side in the fun snaps, jumping for joy on the trampolines situated in the desert. 

The royal girls' trip was in aid of a World Economic Forum event in which Princess Beatrice was a speaker. The royal mother-of-one, who shares daughter Sienna with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, spoke on entrepreneurship in the 21st century and how businesses are responding to a climate where social agendas are at the forefront.

At the time, it was only reported that Princess Beatrice had a speaking role at the event, suggesting her youngest sister had booked the trip to support her beloved "sissy". 

Eugenie previously shed light on her tight-knit relationship with her older sister during an episode of the White Wine Question Time podcast in 2023. 

"Beatrice and I, our whole lives, we've always had each other," Eugenie began.  

"We're the only ones going through exactly what the other is going through at exactly that time as a girl – in our family, our place of work, whatever it is. I think that's extraordinary to think about. We're not twins, yet you go through life knowing exactly what the other one is going through. She's my big sissy, she's a legend."

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Texas family missing on Alaska vacation after boat capsizes off coast

The u.s. coast guard suspended their search sunday after 24 hours.

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The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a blind man and his dog in southern Oregon, after they were stranded on a hiking trail for days in the heat. (Credit: X/@USCGPacificNorthwest)

A Texas family is feared dead after their boat capsized off the coast of Homer, Alaska, over the weekend while they were on a family vacation.

David and Mary Maynard, of Troy, along with their two young sons, remain missing after the 28-foot aluminum boat with a total of eight people aboard capsized Saturday evening approximately 16 miles west of Homer, according to the U.S. Coast Guard District 17 Alaksa.

The USCG suspended its search Sunday after 24 hours passed without any signs of the Maynard family pending the development of further information, a USCG spokesperson said in a press release shared with Fox News Digital.

"The decision to suspend a search is never easy and involves the careful consideration of many factors including environmental conditions and search operations," the spokesperson said in the press release.

MISSING HIKERS IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK FOUND ALIVE AFTER 2-DAY SEARCH

A family from Troy, Texas, is feared dead after the boat they were on in Alaska capsized on Saturday. (Facebook)

The spokesperson adde that Alaska State Troopers and "multiple good Samaritan vessel crews also assisted with search efforts."

Homer Harbormaster Matt Clarke told the Homer News that a Good Samaritan boat called the Salty Sea rescued four others on a life raft that had been on board the capsized boat.

The USCG conducted a grid search of the area where the boat sank, Clarke added.

MISSING WOMAN DISCOVERED ALIVE AFTER HAVING 'EMERGED’ FROM DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE RIVER BANK

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for the Maynard family on Sunday after 24 hours. (Facebook)

A GoFundMe for the Maynards says their "sweet family of four was lost at sea on their vacation to Alaska," a family friend wrote in a description of the fundraising page. "Mary’s parents are still there hoping to bring them home. This family is going through a lot right now. We are asking for prayers and donations if you can, to help with unexpected expenses that the family would have to cover so suddenly," the description states.

The Maynards "left a huge imprint on many people," the GoFundMe says, from the laughter they brought to others to the "love and family-oriented connection they provided."

FAMED CALIFORNIA KIDNAPPING HOAXER BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO SCHOOLMATE'S 1998 DISAPPEARANCE

The Maynards "left a huge imprint on many people," a GoFundMe page for the family states. (Facebook)

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"It is indescribable the void that will be left behind but I know if we come together as a family and a community they would know how much they meant to everyone," the GoFundMe states.

The Coast Guard 17th District of Alaska could not immediately be reached at the time of publication.

Audrey Conklin is a digital reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business. Email tips to [email protected] or on Twitter at @audpants.

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