Indie rock/post-punk quartet Holy Esque formed in 2011, born from a desire to escape their small town in the county of Lanarkshire, Scotland. They moved to Glasgow and got involved with the rich music scene of the city. Frontman Pat Hynes employed a raspy vocal style over the gauzy and brooding melodies created by his bandmates Shug (guitar), Keir Reed (keyboard), and Ralph McClure (drums). Both Reed and McClure attended Glasgow School of Art; inevitably, their studies influenced the aesthetic style of the band, an element that went hand-in-hand with the music. In 2012, they released their self-titled debut EP, produced by Kevin Burleigh (Glasvegas, Simple Minds). The release gained a lot of media attention, including support from BBC Radio DJs such as Huw Stephens and Annie Mac, which eventually led to them performing at Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing stage. In addition, they supported the Raveonettes and WU LYF on separate tours, and made an appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. They followed their initial effort with the Submission EP in 2015, which was quickly followed by the debut album At Hope's Ravine in 2016, with the aid of Grammy Award-winning producer Jon Schumann (Mew, Kashmir). ~ Liam Martin