Co-produced by Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth, Sun Machine documents the pain of ending their romantic relationship, yet emerges as an unbridled and often-euphoric celebration of their lasting connection. While the breakup inspired much of the record, Sun Machine is deeply informed by several other life-changing occurrences in recent years: Kalmia's diagnosis with ovarian cancer in 2013, Alex's decision to get sober after a long struggle with alcoholism, and the couple's three-year-long attempt at maintaining an open relationship.