Biography
Ekko Astral surfaced in Washington, D.C., during 2021 when longtime companions Jael Holzman and Liam Hughes assembled the project. The duo, along with Pretty Bitter bassist Miri Tyler and drummer Stephen Yeager, forged a punk sound they labeled “mascara moshpit,” a glitter-infused echo of successive generations of the city’s storied hardcore acts. Holzman, an energy and climate journalist who emerged as a trans woman while isolated during the COVID-19 lockdown, and Hughes, then completing a master’s degree in audio technology at American University, gained access to campus studios and recorded the 2022 EP QUARTZ as Hughes’s graduate thesis. That release drew from Arctic Monkeys, IDLES, MC5, and Death Grips.
After QUARTZ appeared, the lineup shifted: Tyler moved to drums while bassist Guinivere Tully and guitarist Sam Elmore joined, forming the quintet that issued its debut album Pink Balloons in 2024. The record confronted mortality, deterioration, gender, class divides, and digitally mediated existences, threading references to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Carly Rae Jepsen through its lyrics. Rather than rote slogans or hollow optimism, the songs advanced resilience and delight amid climate crisis, legislative assaults on transgender rights, and the broader malaise of contemporary American experience. The result earned widespread critical acclaim as one of the year’s strongest first statements, generating extensive coverage across music outlets.
After QUARTZ appeared, the lineup shifted: Tyler moved to drums while bassist Guinivere Tully and guitarist Sam Elmore joined, forming the quintet that issued its debut album Pink Balloons in 2024. The record confronted mortality, deterioration, gender, class divides, and digitally mediated existences, threading references to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Carly Rae Jepsen through its lyrics. Rather than rote slogans or hollow optimism, the songs advanced resilience and delight amid climate crisis, legislative assaults on transgender rights, and the broader malaise of contemporary American experience. The result earned widespread critical acclaim as one of the year’s strongest first statements, generating extensive coverage across music outlets.
Albums
