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Recorded deep in the Redwood forests of Mendocino, California, Seven Seasons shows off the transcendent results that can come from true, egoless collaboration. For a band with five songwriters, each with a multitude of influences, cooperative creation could be a challenge. But, Hidden in the Sun isn't just any band. They've got this. As McAllister states, "Yes, it can be tricky to maneuver, but it's awesome to be able to bounce ideas off of so many talented folks." Clapper agrees saying, "There is such a tremendous amount of open-mindedness and respect for one another." A perfect example of this is the seven-minute epic "Salt and the Spring," the first single from Seven Seasons. Although Hidden in the Sun has several processes by which it's songs take shape, this one is unique in that it is the only track on Seven Seasons to develop out of an impromptu rehearsal jam on a single keyboard riff. From there, the song continued on it's own path all the way up to the day it was recorded, with the chorus melody being written at the session. The finished track doesn't represent any kind of last-minute chaos, however. To the contrary, it's all pure mood, dropping the listener into the middle of some beautiful and history-rich "other" world. The bond heard between the musicians on this song, and on all of Seven Seasons, goes back some fifteen years. Rouse and McAllister met in Tulsa, Oklahoma in their early 20s. At the time, Rouse was taking a break from a burgeoning drumming career that started in his teens to focus on being a DJ, spinning Drum & Bass and Electronic music at large clubs and festivals. His life-long passion for the drums was still calling, though. "Ciara invited me to play drums in her band," he remembers. "We developed a musical bond, and over time, we developed the roots that led us to form Hidden in the Sun." McAllister agrees, specifically alluding to the many years that she and Rouse have been playing together. "I've been playing with Hidden in the Sun for as long as I can remember," she jokes. Speaking about band's deeper connections," McAllister explains, "It feels like I've known this group forever, musically speaking. It amazes me how each of us brings a different musical style, yet we speak the same musical language. We are a heavy group of folks, musicians to the core." Clapper's personal story confirms this. Music turned from causal to serious for her when, at 16-years-old, she received a handed down custom Martin guitar from her Aunt. "I started listening to Bob Dylan and was mesmerized. "I was drawn to his poise," she remembers. "He made me realize that vocalists should be unique and powerful and, above all, honest." Armed with this approach, it was simply a matter of time after meeting Rouse and McAllister that the bond each member of Hidden in the Sun speaks of would form. "We started playing together very casually," Clapper says of the initial rehearsals with Rouse and McAllister that took place after the students went to sleep at the performing arts camp where they were all instructors. "The more we played, the more we realized the bond that we shared as musicians was extremely powerful." Enter Alexander who learned the Blues after being mentored by various ace guitar players that he idolized in Southern California. "I really enjoyed playing blues," he says, beginning to explain of the change of heart that led to his role in Hidden in the Sun, "but my passion was always in creating original rock music." After moving to San Francisco, the guitarist spent a long time looking for the perfect group setting to write songs in, and finally found it with Rouse, McAllister, and Clapper at that same fateful performing arts camp where he was a guitar teacher. "It took us several years to all get to a place where we could write and rehearse together regularly," Clapper explains, "but we eventually found ourselves living in San Francisco. They also found themselves in need of a bass player. While Hidden in the Sun had already played out with a variety of bass players, the band members were still looking for "the bond." When Vivrette and Alexander found each other again after meeting a decade earlier through a mutual friend, the current Hidden in the Sun finally became a reality. "When Jason showed up to band practice one evening, it didn't take long for us to all realize that he was exactly what we had been hoping for," says Clapper. A good thing, as when it came time to make Seven Seasons, the band decided on a setting that would certainly test the camaraderie of less tolerant people. "We recorded our album in a cabin in the middle of the Redwoods," Clapper explains. "We isolated ourselves for two weeks and only spent time with each other, our producer, and the occasional grocery store clerk!" On the final product, Hidden in the Sun brings back vintage sounds, and blends them with a diverse collection of new and provocative forms of instrumentation, songwriting, and production. The bond they shared during the sessions, and continue to share with one another as people and musicians, can be heard in every moment of Seven Seasons.