A collection of multi-instrumentalists from El Paso, Texas, Holy Wave relocated to Austin in 2008 and have become something of a fixture on the city’s always lively music scene, as well as touring across the USA, Europe, Latin America and Africa. After releasing their last album, Interloper, back in 2020, today the band are sharing the first taste of where their music is headed next in the shape of the new single, Cowprint.

Described by vocalist/guitarist Ryan Fuson as, “a kind of letter” to his partner, the track reflects on the first time they met when he was on a trip to Iowa and Ryan’s memories of driving away that evening…”I was thinking about our relationship and the things we use to help us feel better when we are down or the things that can give us strength when we need a little more to stay positive“.

Lyrically, the track feels almost like a short story, a series of scenes created via hazy memories of a final cigarette before saying goodbye, a note in a coat pocket, a text message to say it was nice to meet you. All of these tiny moments add up to something more, adding shades of meaning even to the simple repetition of, “with my headphones on”, a reminder of music’s power to conjure up memories even a number of years down the line. Like a flashback in a movie, if you didn’t know it all works out in the end, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a tale of the one that got away, the element of a near miss only serving to highlight the fizzing intensity of this instant connection.

Musically, the track has a certain hazy majesty to it, existing at the meeting point of psych-folk and Americana, fusing retro pop and luxurious harmonies like the middle-ground of Grizzly Bear and Wilco. Particularly wonderful is the propulsive bass line, the heartbeat-like pulse of the track as it cuts through the relaxed meander of guitars and easy unhurried percussion. Just as you think you know where the track might be headed, the whole thing takes a fabulous about-turn, as an almost ominous procession of overlapping synth lines takes the track to an unexpected but very intriguing ending. With the promise of more music coming on the horizon, there’s enough here to suggest Holy Wave’s latest move, might just be their most exciting one yet.

Cowprint is out now via Suicide Squeeze. For more information on Holy Wave visit https://linktr.ee/holywavetx.