Holy Fawn

{{Infobox musical artist

| background = group_or_band

| name = Holy Fawn

| origin = Phoenix, Arizona

| genre = {{hlist|Blackgaze|shoegaze|post-black metal|post-rock}}

| years_active = {{Start date|2015}}–present

| label = {{hlist|Triple Crown|Wax Bodega}}

| current_members =

Ryan Osterman
Evan Phelps
Alexander Rieth

| past_members =

Austin Reinholz

| website = {{URL|https://holyfawn.com/}}

}}

Holy Fawn is an American rock band from Phoenix, Arizona. The band currently consists of guitarist and vocalist Ryan Osterman and guitarist Evan Phelps, with bassist Alexander Rieth also being part of their lineup until 2023 and drummer Austin Reinholz until 2025. They have released two full-length studio albums and two extended plays.

History

Holy Fawn guitarist and vocalist Ryan Osterman began as a musician with the self-described "ghost folk" band Owl & Penny. He left the band as part of a larger movement away from folk music and formed Holy Fawn in Phoenix, Arizona, with bassist Alexander Rieth, guitarist Evan Phelps, and drummer Austin Reinholz.{{cite news |last=Naftule |first=Ashley |title=Phoenix's Holy Fawn Turns Woodland Folk Music Into Post-Metal Symphonies |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/phoenixs-holy-fawn-went-from-ghost-folk-to-black-metal-11085278 |work=Phoenix New Times |date=January 2, 2019 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} Rieth and Reinholz lived together and invited Osterman and Phelps to their home for a jam session. Osterman recorded their practices, which became the demos for the band's debut extended play (EP), Realms.{{cite news |title=Meet Ryan Osterman of Holy Fawn |url=http://voyagephoenix.com/interview/meet-ryan-osterman-holy-fawn-phoenix/ |work=VoyagePhoenix |date=November 29, 2018 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} Realms was released on December 18, 2015.{{cite web |title=Realms (EP) |url=https://holyfawn.bandcamp.com/album/realms-ep |publisher=Bandcamp |access-date=August 12, 2022}} Before forming Holy Fawn, Osterman played guitar with alternative rock band The Maine,{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Peggy |title=Holy Fawn announces new album 'Dimensional Bleed', releases massive title track |url=https://thenewfury.com/holy-fawn-announces-new-album-dimensional-bleed-title-track/ |work=New Fury Media |date=July 13, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} while Rieth played in A Distant Calm.{{cite news |last=Pallais |first=JP |title=WFA: Holy Fawn |url=https://everythingisnoise.net/weekly-featured-artist/wfa-holy-fawn/ |work=Everything is Noise |date=June 14, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}

Holy Fawn self-released their debut studio album, Death Spells, on September 14, 2018.{{cite web |title=Death Spells |url=https://holyfawn.bandcamp.com/album/death-spells |publisher=Bandcamp |access-date=August 12, 2018}} In March 2019, Holy Fawn signed with Triple Crown Records,{{cite news |last=Tate |first=Jason |title=Holy Fawn Sign With Triple Crown Records |url=https://chorus.fm/news/holy-fawn-sign-with-triple-crown-records/ |work=AbsolutePunk |date=March 29, 2019 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} with whom they re-released Death Spells. As part of the re-recording announcement, Holy Fawn also released an official music video for "Dark Stone", one of the tracks on Death Spells.{{cite news |last=Nelson |first=Michael |title=Holy Fawn{{snd}}'Dark Stone' Video |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2037592/holy-fawn-dark-stone-video/news/ |work=Stereogum |date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}{{cite news |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |title=30 New Songs Out Today |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/30-new-songs-out-today-4/ |work=BrooklynVegan |date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}

On January 17, 2020, Holy Fawn released a surprise three-song EP titled The Black Moon.{{cite news |last=Breihan |first=Tom |title=Stream Holy Fawn's New The Black Moon EP |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2070389/stream-holy-fawns-new-the-black-moon-ep/music/ |work=Stereogum |date=January 17, 2020 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} Shortly after the EP's release, Holy Fawn began a North American tour with Drug Church and mewithoutYou as support for Thrice, who were promoting the 15th anniversary of their album Vheissu.{{cite news |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |title=Holy Fawn release new EP; tour w/ Thrice, mewithoutYou & Drug Church starts soon |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/holy-fawn-release-new-ep-on-triple-crown-touring-w-thrice/ |work=BrooklynVegan |date=January 17, 2020 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}

In February and March 2022, Holy Fawn embarked on a North American tour with Midwife as support for Deafheaven.{{cite news |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |title=Holy Fawn and Midwife opening Deafheaven's 2022 tour |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/holy-fawn-and-midwife-opening-deafheavens-2022-tour/ |work=BrooklynVegan |date=November 11, 2021 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} On March 18, 2022, in the middle of that tour, Holy Fawn released the single "Death Is A Relief" via Wax Bodega. The song announcement was accompanied by a music video directed by P. J. Koelbel.{{cite news |last=Breihan |first=Tom |title=Holy Fawn{{snd}}'Death Is A Relief' |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2180145/holy-fawn-death-is-a-relief/music/ |work=Stereogum |date=March 18, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} "Death Is A Relief" was later revealed to be the lead single off of the band's second LP, Dimensional Bleed, to be released September 9, 2022, via Wax Bodega. The second single from the album, also titled "Dimensional Bleed", was released on July 12.{{cite news |last=Breihan |first=Tom |title=Holy Fawn{{snd}}'Dimensional Bleed' |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2192832/holy-fawn-dimensional-bleed/music/ |work=Stereogum |date=July 12, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} While still rooted in black metal and sludge metal, Dimensional Bleed also incorporated elements of electronic music.{{cite news |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |title=Holy Fawn announce new LP 'Dimensional Bleed' & tour (new song & exclusive splatter vinyl) |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/holy-fawn-announce-new-lp-dimensional-bleed-tour-new-song-exclusive-splatter-vinyl/ |work=BrooklynVegan |date=July 12, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}

Musical style

Holy Fawn has been described as blackgaze, doomgaze, shoegaze, post-black metal, and post-rock.{{cite news |last=Enis |first=Eli |title=5 Artists You Need to Know: April 2022 |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/5-artists-you-need-know-april-2022 |work=Revolver |date=April 19, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022}}{{cite news |title=We need to talk about the ambient, dreamlike brilliance of Holy Fawn |url=https://thenewfury.com/we-need-to-talk-about-the-ambient-dreamlike-brilliance-of-holy-fawn/ |work=New Fury Media |date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} Osterman acts as the primary songwriter, whose lyrics frequently reference nature imagery. The name of the band is meant to evoke "the sacredness of nature and the presence of psychic connections/extradimensional realms outside of us and within us".{{cite news |last=Fleskes |first=Tim |title=Holy Fawn Talk About Their Writing Process, New Album, And Its Conception |url=https://everythingisnoise.net/interviews/holy-fawn-talk-about-their-writing-process-new-album-and-its-conception/ |work=Everything is Noise |date=October 20, 2018 |access-date=August 12, 2022}} They have been compared to Deafheaven and Envy, while taking influences from acts like Slowdive, Band of Horses, Manchester Orchestra, and Deftones.