The Holydrug Couple

With a sound that evokes the dreamlike natural wonders of their homeland, duo the Holydrug Couple rose out of the burgeoning psychedelic rock scene rising out of Chile in the early 2010s. Based in Santiago, members Ives Sepúlveda and Manuel Parra cultivated a drifting, sometimes bluesy sound that weaved a gentle, repetitive tapestry of guitar, drums, and vocals that earned them a deal with American label Sacred Bones where they issued a set of acclaimed albums including 2017's ambitious Soundtrack for Pantanal. Formed in 2008, the pair eventually made their debut in 2011 with the self-released Awe, before quickly getting the attention of the eclectic, Brooklyn-based label Sacred Bones, where they released their Ancient Land EP the following year. In early 2013, the pair emerged from their home studio with Noctuary, their first full-length for Sacred Bones, followed by a cassette of album demos from their BYM label. After extensive touring, the band returned with the limited lathe-cut 7" single "Everyone Knows All" b/w "Quetzal" in 2014. Moonlust, their sophomore full-length for Sacred Bones, was prefaced by the singles "Dreamy" and "Baby, I'm Going Away." The album was released in May. Consisting of what the band calls an "unreal group of songs for one of the best non-existing movies of all time", the ambitious Soundtrack for Pantanal dropped in 2017. Inspired by classic pop records of the '60s and '70s, the Holydrug Couple applied their cerebral psych tone to a particularly melodic set of songs on 2018's Hyper Super Mega. ~ Gregory Heaney