Holiday Mountain, an ebullient psych-synth-pop trio based out of Austin, was recently in town for two stops along their two-month North American tour. I caught up with them on Monday night at Pianos, where the band held a month-long residency back in November. Despite the stress of the tour, long hours on the road, and the upward battle of securing a following, the band was in high spirits and voiced a consistent ethos: “following your purpose in whatever weird way that means to you,” says lead writer and vocalist Laura Patiño, “and not letting the negativity affect you.” Their You Be You EP, on which Holiday Mountain collaborated with Grammy-nominated producer CJ Eriksson, is a testament to that ideal. “Don’t need no haters. If you ain’t down, I’ll see you later,” slings Patiño on the funky track “My Body.”
With a uniquely crafted sound that blends styles and high-energy samples, Holiday Mountain pushes the boundaries lyrically, sonically, and visually. “We’re a live band in the extreme,” says Zander Kagle, who rocks the drums and electronic percussion. “We try to create the most intense dance party that anyone’s ever seen.” And they do so by embracing their own intrinsically weird behavior. Bradley Will, on electric bass and synthesizers, arches his body back in stilted movements, capturing a strobe-like effect, while across the stage Patiño, a rosy and ink-covered nymph, grinds her own beat. Fun and fabulously freaky, Holiday Mountain is quick to like and easy to groove to.
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Article: Heather McAdams
