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A title befitting of a beautiful collaboration

You take my hand, flickers of purple and red
The night seems to demand it

It has been previously said, by yours truly several times in fact as well as many music lovers, that a Squeeze Mason/Liv. collaboration is a beautiful fusion of talent — one that never misses.

So it should come as no surprise that a song produced and composed by the Yukon-hailing twins, Gary and Ted Schulze under their pseudonym “Sunshade,” with lyrics written by the “Mistake” singer, would be nothing short of a hit.

“They’re my favourites for a reason,” says Liv.

Gary and Ted Schulze are known for being two thirds of the Montreal-based multi-instrumental band Squeeze Mason, with Dexter Dippong. In early 2024, the twins announced they were working on a separate project together, which they dubbed “Sunshade.”

“When it came to naming our band, it just made sense to name it “Sunshade.” We were looking for a band name that would roll off the tongue easily, and it was a no-brainer,” says Gary.

Sunshade thrives to fall back in love with the joy of making music, by collaborating with as many artists as possible, with no set genre in mind. In keeping with the brothers’ own eclectic tastes and love for music, their new project aims to share with listeners “a unique yet diverse sound.”

Fun fact, however, when they originally wanted to pursue music, there was one genre they really wanted to play.

“We were really into metal,” Ted shares. “We originally wanted to be a metal band, cause that’s what we liked. But as fate would have it, we ventured into everything else, from space funk, to country to acoustic.”

The creation of “This, Forever” and the inevitable call to Liv.

“I had my keyboard in the centre of the room,” says Ted, “messing around with one interval and I moved my thumb, and it went down a note, and the baseline just came to me, I couldn’t keep it away. And then Gary started tinkering with the electric guitar, and boom, the song was born.”

“And once the melody was ready, we started thinking ‘we know exactly the perfect vocalist who could elevate our song the way we want it to be.’

While the process to choosing Liv. for a vocalist was familiar, the experience to recording the track was not.

For instance, the song title was already chosen before the lyrics were written.

“[The twins] had named the file “This, Forever” and the vibe from the instrumental was equivalent to a lasting, hopeful love,” says Liv. “Normally when I get voice memos from Squeeze Mason, it’s a different name but this time, it made sense to incorporate it in the lyrics. I wanted to write about the kind of people that can make you breathe for the first time in forever. I wanted to write about safety and relief.”

A playlist was created by Sunshade, with the help of Gary’s girlfriend Océanie Renaud, to aid in the writing process and conveying the feeling Liv. wanted to share.

“We had a lot of artists on there, from Taylor Swift, to Kacey Musgraves, to Ben Platt. And we had some Ed Sheeran on there too. We just wanted songs that evoke fun things that help you to think about what it’s like to be in love.”

Another different element in the song’s creation was that Liv. got to host the boys over, to record in her room closet, in a small town in New York.

“There was certainly a sort of buzz similar to that of being on vacation,” says Gary. “I’ve also never recorded in a closet before so that was fun!”

“It was a cozier feeling than the stuff we did in the past,” Liv. says. “There definitely was a lot of cozy vibes going on, as we had some lights hanging. They had a full New York experience. My apartment is above a deli, and they even went to a frat party with my sister’s sorority!”

And probably the main element that was a new, fresh discovery amongst the three artists was the ease between them. After four songs together, they’ve come to a comfortable flow both as friends, and as collaborators.

“The coolest part about working both with Squeeze Mason and with Sunshade is that the song moves with us,” says Liv. “There’s never a set box, it’s always an experimentation. And that’s really cool. I’m always categorized as a country music singer, but with them I’m never categorized, and my voice always sounds different.”

“It’s all in the maturation of the song, and the artistry,” says Gary. “When we first met Liv., it was right after her first EP was out.”

Liv. debut EP Life Vest, was released in 2020.

“We were kids when we met,” Liv. says. “We didn’t know what we were doing, and we were just getting to know each other. Now we know each other pretty well, and there’s a sort of intimacy and comfort in our relationship. I haven’t written a lot of love songs before, and [This, Forever] is very delicate, very raw. But they made me feel like I can do it.”

You know that feeling you get when you drive under an overpass
In the rain
Sweet sense of relief, for a second everything stops 
And you can finally breathe 
That’s what I feel
When you look at me 

“This, Forever” is a heartfelt ballad, dedicated to the feeling of relief one has when they’ve finally found the people who make life a little bit brighter.

Liv.’s raspy vocals are accompanied by a delicate note succession on the piano, barely straying from the Treble Clef, even when the gentle guitar strumming enters the line. The song is light and makes you feel warm on the inside — like a summer breeze or the first sun rays of spring after a long harsh winter.

But I’m floating, I’m a feather
Stay or run, we are wild and young
Can’t think of anything better

A love song with many meanings, one can listen to Liv.’s words and dedicate the earnest love letter to whoever feels like sunshine to them — from lover, to friend, to family.

Out officially on Friday 17 May, below is a link for an exclusive listen to the first of hopefully many Sunshade and Liv. collaborations.