In 2000, ex-
Mazzy Star vocalist
Hope Sandoval joined with drummer Colm O'Ciosoig of
My Bloody Valentine to form Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions. The project retained the laid-back slowcore sound of
Mazzy Star, and featured
Sandoval's sensuous, hypnotic voice. However, it replaced the psychedelic leanings that
Mazzy Star were known for with spare, subtle arrangements that reinforced
Sandoval's gentle vocal style. In 2000,
Sandoval issued her first EP with the Warm Inventions, At the Doorway Again, and followed it up with a debut full-length, Bavarian Fruit Bread, a year later. Eight years after their debut, the pair returned with their sophomore effort, Through the Devil Softly. It would be another seven years -- during which time both
Mazzy Star and
My Bloody Valentine made comebacks -- before they would release their third album. Produced by the duo and recorded in a fort in Ireland, the record included contributions from
Kurt Vile and Berkeley street musician
Michael Masley. Until the Hunter was released on their own
Tendril Tales label in late 2016. A three-song companion EP, Son of a Lady, followed in 2017. Its release came just before the group set out on a North American tour. ~ Stacia Proefrock & Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi