Black Pumas

Black Pumas

Black Pumas are an Austin, Texas duo built around guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada and songwriter Eric Burton. Quesada, born in 1977, is a Grammy Award-winning musician who has played in groups including Grupo Fantasma and Brownout, and has also produced projects such as Look At My Soul: The Latin Shade Of Texas Soul. Burton, born in 1989, comes from Los Angeles and moves to Austin in 2015 after travelling across the United States while busking.

Formation and style

The pair meet through friends in the Austin music scene and begin working together on a sound that blends soul with a more contemporary approach. Their music is described as drawing on soul, R&B, psychedelic soul, rock and blues, with comparisons made to both Motown and Ghostface Killah.

Early activity and debut album

Before releasing their first album, Black Pumas build a local following through a weekly residency at C-Boys, which becomes known as a popular night in Austin. Their self-titled debut album arrives in 2019 and leads to a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.