Ships Have Sailed is the brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Will Carpenter. The band materialized in the waning days of his previous project –a band he had been an integral part of ever since moving to Los Angeles. His decision to individually focus on new music again was initially daunting, but the risk proved to be invigorating and refreshing. The music is uplifting and buoyant. The lyrics are thoughtful and conscientious. The sound is sincere indie rock with an unabashed pop structure. And after initially sharing it with fellow musicians, Carpenter recruited a lineup that now permanently includes drummer Art Andranikyan. Ships Have Sailed’s debut EP, Someday (2013), is a diverse six-song collection which includes arena-ready singles (“Midnight”), acoustic serenades (“Clouds”), and explosive alt-rock bangers (“Better Off”). Their debut full-length album, Moodswings (2015), is a more cohesive release with epic ambitions. Crescendoing ballads (“Drive”) and indie rock alacrity (“Boomerang”) give the album a strong sense of sanguine sensibility. Certain tracks were remixed with an electronic edge by DJs (such as Dimond Saints and Mike Vincent) and collected onto the EP Re: MIX (2015). The following year, the band recorded acoustic versions of select songs and released them on an EP, Whispers (2016), along with two new originals. Praise of their next single, “Up” (2017), encouraged the band to tour overseas tour in the U.K. and Ireland. Their follow-up single, “Let’s Just Dance” (2018), was a superb collaborative effort with songwriter Robert Gillies (X Ambassadors, Bebe Rexha) and producer Wally Gagel (Best Coast, Family of the Year) of recording studio WAX LTD. And the band’s next series of singles, which began with “Escape” in February, and continues with their latest release “Stay” promise to express a deeper level of sentiment than ever before.