Sunshine In My Bones was born in a cabin at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and a treehouse studio deep in Quebec's Laurentian forest, with two musicians jamming late into the night, letting the sound lead them. From hours of open-ended improvisation, Shepherd and Occhipinti carved out the kernels of songs: building melodies around samples of found sound into lush arrangements that blur the lines between electronic atmosphere and live-wire performance. “Instead of sitting down to write a song, we'd hit record and create improvised sound to see where it led us”, says Occhipinti. “We discovered we were pretty effective at jamming with sounds as well as grooves or chord progressions”. Shepherd adds, “Writing with another person forced me to relinquish control and open to new possibilities. The freedom to explore is the backbone of our partnership”. Shepherd brings seven solo albums of genre-defying art-pop and jazz to the table; Occhipinti has built a career as one of Canada's most versatile guitarists, known for his atmospheric, cinematic approach to the instrument. Together, they pushed each other beyond familiar territory. The album features four drummers: Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy), Jinu Isac, Marito Marques, and Tony Ferraro, each bringing a distinct personality to the record Across nine original tracks (plus a cover of Jason Isbell's "If We Were Vampires", the album moves between the weight of war and the warmth of connection, songs about love, loss, social inequality, and the stubborn case for hope in a cynical world.

“The world was feeling pretty cynical”, Occhipinti says. “We thought everyone needs a little more sunshine.” Shepherd puts it more bluntly: “Redemption can only happen if you face all the shit head on. That's what makes the light that much sweeter”.

Above all, the duo wants listeners to hear the album as an argument for human connection, reaching out while you can, finding beauty in brokenness, dancing even when you don't quite fit in. “Most of us feel these things together”, Occhipinti says, “which means we can harness the desire to do things differently together too”.