It’s March 14, 2025, just past noon in Austin, Texas – a minor miracle that NME is even awake. SXSW’s unwritten rule is that no one surfaces before mid-afternoon. But here we are, just off the main drag, taking refuge from the oppressive Texas heat inside a venue called The 13th Floor. Mostly looking for an air-conditioned place to sit, NME ends up alongside a sound engineer and a smattering of other accidental tourists. We’re all wholly unprepared for what awaits us.
The trio that had been nonchalantly setting up just minutes earlier begins with a simmering incantation, the co-lead vocalists harmonising with eyes closed. Their voices intertwine – fragile and sweet – before the song suddenly erupts: guitars snarling, drums tumbling forward, bass vibrating through the floorboards. It’s loud, physical rock music, yet threaded with something unexpectedly tender. Beneath the hiss and feedback is a warmth that feels almost humanising, like the band is letting you into a secret even as they try to shake the room apart. When it all finally screeches to a halt half an hour later, the handful of slack-jawed strangers in the audience exchange glances that all imply the same question: Did we really just witness that?
What we witnessed was Golomb, a three-piece from the American indie heartland of Ohio – the same soil that gave rise to Guided by Voices and The Breeders. Just to make sure we weren’t hallucinating in our coffee-deprived state, we catch the band again two hours later, this time in a back alley behind the Chess Club. Now there’s a sweaty, tightly packed crowd to confirm it: whatever Golomb is doing, it’s no fluke. Rapturous SXSW debuts from virtual unknowns are rare. Haim and Bully pulled it off once upon a time, but moments like this are, without a doubt, lightning in a bottle.
Turns out Golomb are a rare breed in more ways than one. Not only are Mickey Shuman (vocals, guitar) and Xenia Holm Shuman (vocals, bass) married, but they managed to recruit Xenia’s younger brother, Hawken Holm, to round out the lineup on drums. If that sounds complicated, that’s because it is. “You know that term third wheel?” Hawken laughs, now speaking on Zoom with the rest of the band, several months removed from those electrifying SXSW sets. “With us, that third wheel is always changing. Sometimes Mickey and I gang up on Xenia. Other times Mickey’s the one being weird.”
Somehow, they make it all work – maybe because Xenia and Hawken understand the dynamic better than most. Their parents played together in a ’90s indie band of some regional renown called Bigfoot. They never made it far outside Ohio, but according to family lore, they were apparently cool enough to share a blunt with Kim Deal, the queen of Ohio indie herself. More importantly, per Xenia: “Having my dad and mom in a band made it seem natural to be in a band with my then-boyfriend and my brother.”
Of course, natural doesn’t mean easy. All three admit the inevitable intensity of mixing the personal with the professional. Since Mickey and Xenia’s relationship predated the band, learning how to function as both has been a challenge. “When band practice is stressful, it’s hard to just leave that shit in the basement and go upstairs to bed,” says Xenia. Mickey nods in agreement, recalling a conversation with another couple who’d done it in reverse – band first, relationship later. “They said it was easier because they already had those communication skills. We’re still learning them.”
The biggest lesson so far came while making ‘The Beat Goes On’, their terrific second album released this past summer on the esteemed No Quarter label. Whereas their 2022 self-titled debut had its full running order locked in before they even stepped into the studio, this time they took the “polar opposite” approach. The songs were only loosely sketched ahead of time and finished as they recorded – a deliberate attempt to capture the spontaneity and energy of their live shows. It was also a demonstration of trust, both in the process and in each other. The goal, as Xenia puts it, was simply to “let the record happen.”
Their instincts didn’t lead them astray. ‘The Beat Goes On’ is a dramatic leap forward – confident and swaggering on tracks like the opener and ‘Real Power’, yet warm and intimate on others like ‘Be Here Now’ (Oasis reference purely coincidental). It’s the sound of a band folding The Grateful Dead’s sprawl, Spacemen 3’s drone, Neil Young’s soul, and King Krule’s woozy melancholy into something unmistakably their own.
The timing of their evolution couldn’t be better. Guitar-centric rock is the healthiest it’s been in years. Bands like Fontaines D.C. and Geese may be leading the charge; meanwhile, a rising wave – from Water From Your Eyes to Sharp Pins to Greg Freeman – is reshaping the landscape. ‘The Beat Goes On’ positions them well to join the ranks. Golomb will tour with Freeman in January after returning from their UK/EU dates, and it’s not their first time sharing a stage. He’s even crashed on their couch mid-tour.
“There are so many great records being made right now,” says Xenia. “But what’s even cooler is that, for the first time, these are records being made by our friends.” Mickey flashes an impish grin: “This is all part of a prophecy I’ve had for the past few years.” He doesn’t elaborate, but it’s probably for the best. With Golomb, half the thrill is not knowing what you’ll witness next.
Golomb’s ‘The Beat Goes On’ is out now via No Quarter
