Hovvdy Play Stripped Down Set at El Cid

Hovvdy performing at El Cid, LA by Jonathan Nack

AUSTIN Tx DUO OPENed UNPLUGGED TOUR IN LA

To kick off their 4-day Unplugged Tour, Hovvdy played El Cid here in LA, a relatively small venue with a 600 cap and an outside patio next to the stage. The atmosphere perfectly mirrored the acoustic tour, and created a very personal energy. Hovvdy consists of Texan singer-songwriters Will Taylor and Charlie Martin. The pair have released forward-thinking acoustic indie pop since 2014. Their newest singles “Bubba” and “Jean” we co-produced with longtime collaborator Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Nick Hakim, Show Me the Body).

Superfan started the night, also playing an acoustic set, citing Hovvdy as their “personal heroes.” The 17-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist updated the crowd about their life and played new music, much to the excitement of dedicated fans.

Hovvdy performing at El Cid, LA by Jonathan Nack

As a mini act before Hovvdy came on, they invited up a friend who performed a standup comedy set. The whole crowd had a good laugh, which set a good tone that was carried out through the rest of the evening.

Hovvdy performing at El Cid, LA by Jonathan Nack

Hovvdy opened with one of their 2020 releases, “Runner;” a very sweet slow jam with catchy harmonies. A few songs into the set, the duo said they were grateful that their friend could step in for some impromptu comedy because it bought them some time to post about their new song that had just come out. They used this comment to segue into coyly mentioning that there’s a new album in the works that will be released soon. Many of the songs that followed were off of the new unreleased project. As the set progressed, Taylor and Martin emphasized the intimate nature of their songs by telling stories of how they came to be, while playing songs like “True Love.” The track has such a catchy and relatable quality that even if you didn’t know the song you were singing it, and the room filled with voices.

The duo ended the night with “Jean,” and they thanked everyone for attending, hinting at all the stuff they had coming up in the future.

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!