{{About|the Tame Impala song|the neurological phenomenon|Sundowning|other uses}} {{Infobox song | name = Sundown Syndrome | cover = Tame Impala Sundown Syndrome single art.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Tame Impala | album = | B-side = Remember Me | released = 30 June 2009 | recorded = March 2009 | studio = Toe Rag Studios (London) | venue = | genre = Psychedelic rock | length = 5:50 | label = Modular Recordings | writer = Kevin Parker | producer = Kevin Parker, Liam Watson | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Solitude Is Bliss | next_year = 2010 }}
"'''Sundown Syndrome'''" is the debut single by Tame Impala, released as a single in 2009. Its B-side was a cover of the Blue Boy song "Remember Me". The title "Sundown Syndrome" refers to a neurological phenomenon called sundowning.
==Composition== "Sundown Syndrome" was written by Kevin Parker in the key of E major in a mostly {{music|time|6|8}} time signature. It is based around the repeating chords of F{{music|sharp}}m7 and G{{music|sharp}}m7.<ref name="Sundown Syndrome Tab">{{cite web|title=Sundown Syndrome Tab|url=http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/t/tame_impala/sundown_syndrome_ver2_tab.htm|publisher=Ultimate Guitar|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref>
The song begins in {{music|time|4|4}} with the two above mentioned chords, while the drums are loose and jazzy and have flange added to them. It then changes to {{music|time|6|8}} time with a looser strumming pattern.<ref name="Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)">{{cite web|title=Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHdnN--Yvs|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref>
The verse comes soon after, with basic strums of the chords and occasional fills played on electric guitar. A kazoo then comes in, which some people mistook for a fuzz guitar, to play a solo in the E major scale over the same F{{music|sharp}}m7, G{{music|sharp}}m7 chord progression.<ref name="Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)" />
Another verse featuring the same previous structure, and another kazoo solo in the same E major scale return again. This gives way to a chorus using the barre chord progression of D{{flat}} major, G{{flat}} major, E major, B major, G{{flat}} major and D{{flat}} major. The chorus is in {{music|time|6|8}} time, but switches to one bar of {{music|time|4|4}} at the end of every chord progression, and four bars of {{music|time|4|4}} at the end of every chorus. Parker's vocals are heavily reverbed and delayed to give it a spacy atmosphere.<ref name="Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)" />
A bridge in {{music|time|6|8}} time comes next, with simple strums of the chords F{{music|sharp}}m7, G{{music|sharp}}m7, F{{music|sharp}}m7, A major and E major. A heavily phased, jazzy guitar solo using the E major scale comes in over the F{{music|sharp}}m7, G{{music|sharp}}m7 chord progression.<ref name="Sundown Syndrome Tab" />
The chorus comes back, and then a variation of the chorus barre chord progression on a phased guitar is played by itself, this time with just D{{flat}} major, G{{flat}} major and E major with occasional glissando slides between the chords. After a few bars of the guitar on its own, the chorus vocals come back over the top with occasional quiet bass fills. The chorus then comes back to its original form with the full band, and is extended longer than before.<ref name="Sundown Syndrome Tab" />
The song ends the way it started, in {{music|time|4|4}} with the strumming of the F{{music|sharp}}m7 and G{{music|sharp}}m7 chords. A barred C{{music|sharp}} major chord with guitar feedback completely ends the song.<ref name="Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)" />
==Recording== Both "Sundown Syndrome" and "Remember Me" were recorded at Toe Rag Studios in London, UK with Liam Watson in March 2009.<ref name="TameImpala.com – Recording Sundown Syndrome">{{cite web|title=TameImpala.com – Recording Sundown Syndrome|url=http://tameimpala.com/news/recording-sundown-syndrome/354.html|publisher=tameimpala.com|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref> Parker later recalled "There was no-one really doing any producing, we just played [Sundown Syndrome] how it was destined to be played and then Liam recorded it and just did his thing. We just wanted to do the Toerag thing basically and it was a really awesome experience, the sound he gets at Toerag are amazing its like no other studio in the world both visually and sonically."<ref name="Tame Impala interview extras">{{cite web|title=Tame Impala interview extras|date=8 July 2010 |url=http://stinkinc.blogspot.com.au/2010/07/tame-impala-innerspeaker-kevin-parker.html|publisher=StinkInc|accessdate=20 July 2012}}</ref>
==Release== "Sundown Syndrome" was later featured on the soundtrack for 2010 film ''The Kids Are All Right''<ref name="The Kids Are All Right soundtrack – Amazon">{{cite web|title=The Kids Are All Right soundtrack – Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/The-Kids-Are-All-Right/dp/B003T1KLAQ|publisher=Amazon|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref> and was also included on the Ministry of Sound compilation album Chillout Sessions XII.<ref name="Chillout Sessions XII – Amazon">{{cite web|title=Chillout Sessions XII – Amazon|url=https://www.amazon.com/Chillout-Sessions-XII/dp/B002KWLUYG|publisher=Amazon|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref> "Sundown Syndrome" and "Remember Me" were later re-released on the deluxe edition of ''Innerspeaker''.<ref name="Innerspeaker Deluxe Edition">{{cite web|title=Innerspeaker Deluxe Edition|url=http://www.modularpeople.com/releases/tame-impala-innerspeaker-deluxe-2cd/2449.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111031173140/http://modularpeople.com/releases/tame-impala-innerspeaker-deluxe-2cd/2449.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 31, 2011|publisher=Modular|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref> "Remember Me" came in at number 78 in the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2009.<ref name="Hottest 100 2009">{{cite web|title=Hottest 100 2008|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=January 2010 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100/09/countdown/cd_list.htm|accessdate=20 July 2012}}</ref>
==Live performances== "Sundown Syndrome" was added to Tame Impala's set for the Sundown Syndrome Tour in 2009, and was played through 2010. In 2011, it was not performed as regularly. It was performed for the first time in several years at the Panorama festival in 2017.<ref name="Tame Impala Setlists">{{cite web|title=Tame Impala Setlists|url=http://www.setlist.fm/stats/tame-impala-53d727d9.html|publisher=setlist.fm|accessdate=19 July 2012}}</ref> A performance of "Sundown Syndrome" was filmed for the 2009 Summer Sonic Festival,<ref name="Tame Impala – Sundown Syndrome (Live at Summer Sonic 2009)" /> and a live version was later released on their live album ''Live at the Corner''.<ref name="'InnerSpeaker' Is Out Now In Australia">{{cite web|title='InnerSpeaker' Is Out Now In Australia|url=http://www.tameimpala.com/news/innerspeaker-is-out-now-in-australia/782.html|publisher=tameimpala.com|accessdate=3 May 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117024725/http://tameimpala.com/news/innerspeaker-is-out-now-in-australia/782.html|archivedate=17 January 2013}}</ref>
"Remember Me" has been performed as far back as 2008, and is still occasionally played {{as of|2011|lc=y}}. It was added to their set with the addition of Jay Watson on drums because the song fit his drumming style.<ref name="Tame Impala Sopitas interview">{{cite web|title=Tame Impala en entrevista para Sopitas.com|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uZjIsSVngY|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=14 July 2012}}</ref> In 2010, Tame Impala incorporated a quiet outro where Parker loops his vocals and experiments with effects while Dominic Simper plays synth chords. Parker was an instant fan of the song when he saw a music video for it on Australian music television program ''Rage'' at the age of 11.<ref name="Tame Impala KCRW interview">{{cite web|title=Tame Impala KCRW interview|date=16 December 2010 |url=http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2010/12/tame-impala-live-on-kcrw/|publisher=KCRW|accessdate=14 July 2012}}</ref>
On October 31, 2025, "Sundown Syndrome" was played for the first time since 2018 for Tame Impala's Deadbeat Tour, which began on October 27, 2025, in support of the album "''Deadbeat" .''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tame Impala Setlist at Barclays Center, Brooklyn |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/tame-impala/2025/barclays-center-brooklyn-ny-23403043.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=setlist.fm |language=en}}</ref> The band again performed the track at shows in Amsterdam and Frankfurt as part of the European leg of the tour in 2026. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Sundown Syndrome by Tame Impala Song Statistics {{!}} setlist.fm |url=https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/tame-impala-53d727d9.html?songid=53d55bb1 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=www.setlist.fm}}</ref>
==Track listing== # "Sundown Syndrome" – 5:50 # "Remember Me" – 4:22 # "Sundown Syndrome (Canyons Remix)" – 7:47 (Digital release only track)
==Personnel== *Kevin Parker – all vocals and instrumentation
==References== {{reflist|25em}}
==External links== *{{YouTube|9tHdnN—Yvs|"Sundown Syndrome" live at Summer Sonic Festival 2009}}
{{Tame Impala}}
Category:2009 songs Category:2009 debut singles Category:Tame Impala songs Category:Song recordings produced by Kevin Parker Category:Songs written by Kevin Parker (musician)