Hinds

Spanish group Hinds punctuate their brand of pop, which started off in the garage and took on more influences from the pop world as they evolved, with shouted vocals, joyous camaraderie, and loads of rambunctious energy. They started off their career as a garage rock band whose debut album, 2016′s Leave Me Alone, brought a giddy, sometimes ramshackle, sound to the world. Further records refined that approach with slicker production and more-focused songcraft, and on the quartet’s third long-player, 2010′s The Prettiest Curse, they dipped their toes into the edge of the pop mainstream. By the time of 2024′s VIVA HINDS, they had veered back toward a less glossy sound while still being happily poppy at their bouncy, punky core. The band was originally formed in Madrid in 2011 by Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote, two young women tired of hanging out while their friends made music. After learning the basics of guitar, the duo released a pair of lo-fi demos on their Bandcamp page under the name Deers. Released in the summer of 2014, those two noisy, melodic pop tunes, “Bamboo” and “Trippy Gum,” caught the attention of several U.K. publications like NME and The Guardian. Within months, Deers had expanded to a quartet with the addition of bassist Ade Martín and drummer Amber Grimbergen. A second single release, “Barn,” followed in November of that year, after which Deers were forced to change their name due to a legal threat by another band already using it. Under their new moniker, Hinds, they continued to expand their touring range across Europe and the U.K., releasing a split single with fellow Spaniards the Parrots in April 2015 and appearing on a compilation from garage-centric U.S. label Burger Records. Hinds’ debut album, Leave Me Alone, arrived in January 2016 on Lucky Number in the U.K. and Mom + Pop in the U.S. The band toured the world to promote the record throughout the rest of the year, released a deluxe version of the album, and were named a winner of a 2017 European Border Breakers Award. The group continued to tour in 2017, though they also took time to record a song, “A Rodar,” for the Spanish release of the film Cars 3. The quartet also began working on their second album, this time co-producing it themselves with the help of Gordon Raphael (the Strokes, Regina Spektor). 2018′s I Don't Run was again released by the team of Lucky Number and Mom + Pop, and featured a slightly cleaned-up and punchier garage pop sound. Recorded in New York City and produced by Jenn Decilveo (Bat for Lashes, the Wombats), The Prettiest Curse followed in 2020. On the album, Hinds moved another step away from their lo-fi garage roots while still retaining their joyous spirit and rambunctious vocals. During sessions for the album they recorded a cover of the Clash’s song based on the Spanish Civil war. “Spanish Bombs,” and released it as a single in July. They also teamed with CHAI to record a song and “United Girls Rock/n/Roll Club,” releasing it as a single in August. The pandemic hit the band hard, they spit with their management team, left their U.S. label and, in late 2023, Grimbergen and Martin left the group. The remaining duo of Cosials and Perrote regrouped and added bassist Paula Ruiz and drummer Maria Lázaro to the band’s live set up. They also began work on their fourth album with a renewed spirit. Working with producer Pete Robertson, the group pulled back from the poppier road of the previous record, taking a slightly loss glossy path paved with equal amounts of melancholy and empowerment. VIVA HINDS was issued in August of 2024 on Lucky Number and featured guest appearances by Beck and Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten. ~ Timothy Monger