Singled Out: SUNTWIST's Man I Wanna Be

08-03-2026

Phoenix indie rockers SUNTWIST just released their new single "Man I Wanna Be" and to celebrate we asked them to tell us about the song. Here is the story:

"Man I Wanna Be" was poised to be a major turning point in the band's identity. It was the first time the band truly sat down together outside of a studio to collaborate and write. Our singer first wrote the song on a beat-up old acoustic while on a trip to Cincinnati and brought back the skeleton that would later become what you hear today. It explores a bittersweet wrestling with self-perception and really came alive as we gathered and shared in that feeling.

We had the pleasure of bringing this track into a phenomenal studio, recording it on the same console Metallica used in their day. We were able to run it through a Studer tape machine and capture the raw essence of what makes the song so perfectly imperfect. The tracking and mixing were filled with mistakes, including background clicks, hisses, and breaths, but it all shines through in an intimate way that we have only come to appreciate over time. All we could do was look back with smiles on our faces as we watched one of our most personal and purposeful songs come to life in the hands of so many talented engineers.

Even after the work in the studio was finished, the obstacles kept coming. We drove an hour or two north into the mountains to take the cover photo for the single, only to walk out into 20 mph winds. It was a wreck, and all we had was an hour-old mirror from Goodwill and a dream, but we came away with something we could not love more. The wind threw off any plans for a proper setup, so we had to go with the flow, and as we embraced the imperfection, we found the perfect photo.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here