In January 2014, one-time neighbors Devin Hollister and Antony D’Avirro departed from the Berkeley marina aboard a 40 ft sailboat endearingly named The Beloved Stranger. Two thousand miles later, they played their first gig at an Italian restaurant on the shores of the Gulf of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico, debuting roughly-harmonized tales of maritime adventure. Now bound by the sea, the two had sealed a musical partnership that would soon become Pistachio.

Fast forward to the fall of 2014, when a meeting of old friends at a party brought together bassist Devin Hollister and drummer Zach Briefer. They quickly hit it off and, after bringing in Antony on guitar, set to work building on material from The Beloved Stranger.

Their early rehearsals solidified a sound built from rich harmonies, funky rhythms, and improvisation. By the end of 2014, the band set to work capturing this period on what would become their first release, Tehuantepec. Described as, “a soundtrack for those breezy days and warm afternoons,“ Tehuantepec laid the foundation for the band to begin a full-time touring schedule and dig deeper into the sound they had discovered.

In the summer of 2015 the band hit the road and began their first major tour of the West. Spanning nearly 9,000 miles, 40 shows, and 9 states, Pistachio found their home playing for audiences both young and old, spending their nights camped out in National Forests, and delighting in the absurd experiences along the way.

Months of traveling and hundreds of shows later, the band had a new slate of material and in the winter of 2015, set to work recording what would become their first full-length album, Explorer. Spending over a month in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona, this period offered the band ample time for reflection and collaboration as they laid down the songs tested on the road.

Pistachio continues to tour the country sharing their music with audiences far and wide, and garnering inspiration from their nomadic lifestyle along the way.