Karen and Don Peris were just teens when they formed the Innocence Mission with Mike Bitts (and former drummer Steve Brown) back in the '80s, and each of the group's 10 albums has marked a significant point in the couple's lives. Karen explained the significance of Sun on the Square in a Songfacts interview: "It is the time of our son and daughter being older teenagers, which can mean possibility and hope for them but also the sadness of separation and my changing role as a mom, and the intensified awareness of the preciousness of life. So there is a lot about change on the album, and also about communication and the universal feelings of loneliness but also of connectedness to other people through all of these shared feelings and experiences." (Read our full interview with Karen Peris.)

The title song was inspired by '60s pop and bossa nova, especially the work of Astrud Gilberto, who sang "The Girl From Ipanema."

Karen said the lyrics came from her "admiration for someone going out into the world bravely and in kindness, the possibility for one person to be a light in the world - that love will prevail over fear."

This features Karen and Don's son, Drew Peris, on violin and daughter Anna Peris on viola.