Heart Bones - “Open Relations”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 3

Pairs Well With…A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit, Har Mar Superstar

Last year, Heart Bones came across as a quirky, one-off duo project among electric performers Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog, Sweet Spirit), but 2020 full-length Hot Dish has grown Heart Bones into a band that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Upbeat indie pop, new wave synths, and a whole lot of charm underlie Hot Dish, a hooky, melodically spotlighted record sweetly produced and riding a unique line between tongue-in-cheek and heartfelt nostalgia. Softly sexy and born in washed-out R&B, Heart Bones’ music would be comprised of 80s bangers under a different lens, so it’s impressive how they are able to modernize without losing touch of the band’s distinct pop roots.

2019 Review: A collaboration between eclectic pop artist Har Mar Superstar and A Giant Dog & Sweet Spirit’s Sabrina Ellis, Heart Bones kind of sound exactly what you’d expect merging these two universes. Washed out soundscapes linger around new wave rock grooves, living in a space similar to 80s soft pop, but twisted with quirky melodic and harmonic weirdness. To go even further down their committed rabbit hole, Heart Bones are performing interpretations of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on tour in addition to their charmingly cool originals.