Ear (band)

Jonah Paz and Yaelle Avtan met in 2024 while attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. They bonded over shared musical interests including British post-punk, IDM, and the work of Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse.^[1] Paz was noted as being into twee and had previously performed in the group the Barns,^[2][3] while Avtan was into digital hardcore.^[1][4] Prior to making music, Paz worked as a painter and Avtan worked as a ceramicist.^[5]

The duo recorded their debut single "Nerves" in 2024 on Avtan's iPhone in their university library.^[1] Within a few months the track garnered the group "200k monthly Spotify listeners".^[1] After a series of releases, they performed a small number of shows.^[1] In September 2025, Ear released their debut album The Most Dear and The Future.^[1][6] Followed by performing as supporting acts for Yung Lean in Canada and a backyard concert at UCLA.^[1][6] The duo performed a sold-out European tour, including two sold-out shows in London at Ormside Projects.^[1] Paz formed the solo project Sacred Holes in 2025.^[7] The band's album Rumspringa released on May 29, 2026.^[8]

According to British magazine The Face, Ear are "the no-caps, lower-case sound of the indietronic underground".^[1] Their song "Real Life" was listed among the best songs of 2025 by The Fader.^[9] Writer Hajin Yoo stated, "It begins gently, shy vocals ease over a lilting, sing-song synth [...] But the soft beginning belies the anxiety bubbling underneath the surface, evinced in stuttering electronic chords that never quite explode to full-out dissonance."^[9] Kieran Press-Reynolds of Pitchfork described the band's music as "small, sampledelic pop".^[5]

Paz uses Ableton to produce music.^[5]