There’s always something new: One week some New York hot shots will be dubbed the saviors of rock ‘n’ roll; the next, some California kids will don synthesizers and invent a genre you didn’t know you needed. Let’s face it—buzz bands are a dime a dozen.
So when one of this summer’s most buzzed about bands happened to be well-versed in folk rock, past their early 20s, and not from a coast…let’s just say we found ourselves with a lot of dimes.
Sylvan Esso began as a remix project between Mountain Man vocalist Amelia Meath and Megafaun bassist Nick Sanborn. From there, it quickly turned into a side gig. And from there again, it quickly turned into a full-time touring gig. Even while on the road the band has found a way to ascend rapidly, adding second nights or moving to bigger venues at nearly every city they’ve stopped in.
Hype always seems too good to be true, but this duo’s got a phenomenal record and live show to back up the babble. Even the first time I caught Sylvan Esso, they whipped the crowd into a frenzy—before any of us knew a single word to any of their songs. I can’t wait to see what happens tonight in a room full of fans.