One of the great joys of going to shows in Austin is the chance of getting lost in Terrence Kiser’s eyes.

There’s a sweet, confident charm that Kiser brings to his life and music as Soul Sipper. Taking inspiration from the golden age of R&B, City Pop sugar rushes, and indie rock guitar heroics, Soul Sipper is one of the purest pop pleasures Texas has on offer.

And his newest song “Stage Play” is maddeningly hooky and inescapable. Despite the sweet sounds, the center of “Stage Play” is uncertainty and fear. “The foundation is navigating a tumultuous relationship with one person asking you to apologize, but you feel like you've done nothing wrong. If my pursuit of bliss is hurting you, how can we stay together?” says Kiser.

Kiser took inspiration from video game composers Junya Nakano and Nobuo Uematsu, the feverish energy that underpinned their work on Final Fantasy injected directly into “Stage Play”’s dream pop. “Stage Play” acts as a delectable appetizer for Soul Sipper’s next project and upcoming shows, and cements Kiser as a connoisseur of the catchy.