Sweetback

Sweetback was a New York-based music collective active in the early 2000s, led by vocalist and songwriter Devendra Banhart. Their sound mixed folk, psychedelic, and experimental elements, with Banhart's ethereal vocals and acoustic guitar work at the center. They often used unconventional instruments like banjo, sitar, and accordion.

Their 2003 self-titled debut album introduced songs like "Love Is the Word" and "Softly Softly," which became signatures of their raw, improvisational style. The band released several albums including White River in 2004 and A Grand Return in 2005, maintaining a deliberately unpolished approach that divided critics but found a dedicated audience.

Alongside Banhart, the core lineup included Noah Georgeson on electric guitar and keyboards, Kevin Barker on bass, and Gil Landry on drums. Their music avoided commercial polish in favor of oblique, poetic lyrics about love and loss, creating a sound that felt both intimate and deliberately rough around the edges.