The Handsome Family are husband and wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks, who formed the band in 1993. Their third album, Through The Trees, which was recorded in 1998 with Jeff Tweedy of fellow alt-country stalwarts Wilco, featured dark themes and generated rave reviews. It also elevated their profile and allowed them to focus on music full time, exploring their potent mix of Brett's bluegrass and traditional country music and Rennie's Gothic, often grisly storytelling over 11 albums. More exposure came when their music was used on HBO's True Detective in 2014.