Las Robertas

Hailing from San José, Costa Rica, Las Robertas layer dream pop production, indie rock melodies, and psychedelic textures onto a surfy garage rock base. Their approach grew increasingly polished over time, shifting away from the unpolished garage punk of their 2010 debut Cry Out Loud toward the richer sonic detail and carefully shaped arrangements of 2023’s Love Is the Answer, all while retaining forceful impact.

The group came together in 2009 when guitarist/vocalist Mercedes Oller joined drummer/vocalist Fabrizio Duran and bassist/vocalist Sonya Carmona. In that initial trio configuration they captured Cry Out Loud, an album steeped in the rowdy 2010s indie rock spirit shared by Dum Dum Girls, King Tuff, the Coathangers, and similar acts. International touring followed, and the next two full-lengths—2014’s Days Unmade and 2017’s Waves of the New—were both helmed by producer Jon Greene. A revised lineup surfaced on the 2019 EP Together Outrageously, issued to mark Las Robertas as the first Costa Rican band invited to the Coachella festival. With founding member Oller continuing to steer the project on guitar and vocals, the ensemble had grown into a quintet that included lead guitarist Russell Davis, bassist Felipe Oller, drummer Santiago Roberts, and keyboardist Daniela Garcia. This expanded unit began weaving additional retro-surf and garage elements into their dream pop excursions, devoting an extended period to refining fourth album Love Is the Answer before its February 2023 release.