Canadian indie pop outfit the Holiday Crowd formed in 2010 in Toronto, boasting a minimalist guitar pop sound and taking cues from heroes like Felt and the Smiths. Old friends Imran Haniff (vocals) and Colin Bowers (guitar) joined forces with British ex-pat Alex Roberts (bass) to form the core of the group whose generally uptempo mix of sun and melancholy soon landed them a deal with the New Romantic label. Their debut LP, Over the Bluffs, arrived in 2012 and was later picked up in the U.S. by indie pop specialists Shelflife Records. The band followed up in 2016 with a self-titled second album, expanding on their warm, introspective pop sound. ~ Timothy Monger