Biography
Blending shoegaze, country, R&B, and psych-rock, Estonia's Holy Motors fashion an illusory sound that echoes both the American dream and their nation's post-Soviet legacy. Early efforts such as the 2015 release Heavenly Creatures/Running Water revealed clear echoes of predecessors like Mazzy Star, yet the group's singular identity—anchored by Eliann Tulve's eloquently sleepy vocals—quickly asserted itself. Their sound expanded on the atmospheric 2018 debut album Slow Sundown, while the stark, twang-infused Horse from 2020 confirmed their command of enigmatic yet resonant music.
The band originated in Tallinn, Estonia in 2013 after songwriter/guitarist Lauri Raus recruited vocalist/songwriter Tulve to join guitarist Gert Gutmann and drummer Caspar Salo. Then sixteen, Tulve grew up in a musical household and performed in a children's choir but had never played in a group; nevertheless her timbre and perspective meshed seamlessly with the cinematic dream-pop vision the quartet was shaping. Drawing their moniker from Leos Carax's hallucinatory 2012 film, Holy Motors began performing live, among them a showcase at that year's Tallinn Music Week. Carson Cox of Merchandise caught their set and connected them with the Florida-based Hidden Eye label, which, alongside Wharf Cat Records, issued the 2015 debut single Heavenly Creatures/Running Water mixed by the Men's Ben Greenberg. The follow-up single Sleeprydr b/w Descending appeared in early 2017.
Reconvening with Cox, the group tracked their debut album Slow Sundown, a collection that incorporated prior singles and new material; the February 2018 release drew widespread praise, including a Debut Album of the Year nomination at the Estonian Music Awards. The record also reached Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe, who joined them in the studio in 2019 and shared a stage with them at Switzerland's Nox Orae festival. While touring extensively behind Slow Sundown, Holy Motors developed material for a follow-up. Wharf Cat issued Horse in October 2020, an album that delved further into the band's fascination with the American West and its musical traditions.
The band originated in Tallinn, Estonia in 2013 after songwriter/guitarist Lauri Raus recruited vocalist/songwriter Tulve to join guitarist Gert Gutmann and drummer Caspar Salo. Then sixteen, Tulve grew up in a musical household and performed in a children's choir but had never played in a group; nevertheless her timbre and perspective meshed seamlessly with the cinematic dream-pop vision the quartet was shaping. Drawing their moniker from Leos Carax's hallucinatory 2012 film, Holy Motors began performing live, among them a showcase at that year's Tallinn Music Week. Carson Cox of Merchandise caught their set and connected them with the Florida-based Hidden Eye label, which, alongside Wharf Cat Records, issued the 2015 debut single Heavenly Creatures/Running Water mixed by the Men's Ben Greenberg. The follow-up single Sleeprydr b/w Descending appeared in early 2017.
Reconvening with Cox, the group tracked their debut album Slow Sundown, a collection that incorporated prior singles and new material; the February 2018 release drew widespread praise, including a Debut Album of the Year nomination at the Estonian Music Awards. The record also reached Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe, who joined them in the studio in 2019 and shared a stage with them at Switzerland's Nox Orae festival. While touring extensively behind Slow Sundown, Holy Motors developed material for a follow-up. Wharf Cat issued Horse in October 2020, an album that delved further into the band's fascination with the American West and its musical traditions.
Albums
Singles
