Devendra Banhart, Gyan Riley, and Noah Georgeson Launch New Band Hug
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- Devendra Banhart, Gyan Riley, and Noah Georgeson formed a new trio called Hug, with a self-titled debut album set for September 11 release on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label.
- Hug released lead single "Cow With Half Moon Parasol" ahead of the 11-track album, which includes songs titled "Arunachala," "Bathypelagic," "Homunculus in the Foliage," and "Near Death Ibiza."
- Banhart and Georgeson previously collaborated on the 2021 ambient album Refuge, while Riley and Georgeson were childhood friends who bonded over classical guitar at age 13.
- Gyan Riley, son of minimalist composer Terry Riley, said in a press release that at 13 "there were few people I could bond with" over classical guitar — "Basically just my teacher and Noah."
- Georgeson introduced Riley to Banhart years later in Brooklyn, with Banhart recalling: "Everything was sparkling and I felt like a little kid… And so I knew—we must play."
- Hug announced a fall tour running October 8 through November 20, hitting New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Illinois, California, and other cities.
Why it matters: The project unites three musicians with deep, long-standing personal and creative ties, landing on a high-profile indie label founded by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. With the self-titled debut arriving September 11 and a multi-city fall tour already mapped, Hug gives the trio a distinct collaborative vehicle separate from their individual work.
