See the video for “Guru Honk” here
Like Brian Wilson snuck into the studio, fired up the machines and did some work on some of the tracks not locked up. Really. The harmonies, basic tracks, songwriting and lots of other odds and ends are that momentous.
– Bill Bentley, Americana Highways
Los Angeles-based power-folk duo, Thee Holy Brothers, has persevered through a series of life challenges and are readying the release of its eagerly-anticipated second album, High In My Balloon, via Regional Records May, 9 2025 on vinyl, CD and all streaming platforms.
The critically-acclaimed duo features two stalwarts of the L.A. musical community, Marvin Etzioni and Willie Aron. Marvin is a singer, Grammy-winning record producer, Grammy-nominated songwriter, and founding member of country-punk innovators Lone Justice. As a producer, he has worked with acts such as Counting Crows, Toad The Wet Sprocket, Stephen Stills with Judy Collins, and many more. Etzioni recently produced Viva Lone Justice, released on Fire Records.
Willie Aron is a respected singer, award-winning film/tv composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He serves as the keyboard player with psychedelic supergroup The Third Mind and has appeared with such artists as The Dream Syndicate, LOVE featuring Johnny Echols and many others. Aron is also a founding member of indie-folk combo The Balancing Act. He recently served as producer of singer-songwriter Milo Binder’s latest album, The Unspeakable Milo Binder, which has received rave reviews.
Thee Holy Brothers -all of whose songs are written by Marvin -released their debut album, My Name Is Sparkle, as the inaugural release on Etzioni’s Regional Records label. The record is a song cycle revolving around a genderless character named Sparkle, who endures a series of hardships on an existential search for the divine. Upon release, My Name Is Sparkle garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews, including a five-star review from the UK’s RnR Magazine who dubbed the album “magnificent,” while MOJO Magazine likened it to “Tommy as if directed by Leonard Cohen.”
During the recording sessions for the follow-up album -intended to be the second part of a Sparkle trilogy -Etzioni was diagnosed with cancer, while Aron’s spouse passed away from the disease. The resilient pair turned to music and towards each other during this difficult time, which strengthened their collaborative partnership and friendship. When Etzioni’s oncologist declared him cancer-free, he said “I was so elated at the news, I felt like I was levitating, like I was high in my balloon. I did what I always do: I wrote a song about it.”
Paralleling Marvin’s journey through cancer treatment, “High in My Balloon” chronicles the Sparkle character’s travails while dealing with the very same disease. Fans can also see the video of key album track, “Guru Honk” now. The song features mellotron by Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jaffee. Another standout track, “Sunshine in My Veins,” is an upbeat account of the chemotherapy that coursed through Sparkle’s body. An accompanying animated video of the track by acclaimed cartoonist Bill Plympton will also be released. Prior to the album’s release, Thee Holy Brothers released a special holiday mix -including sleigh bells and drums -of another standout song on the album, “The Holy in Everything,” which continues to enjoy worldwide airplay on numerous radio outlets which began over Holy-days season.
Thee Holy Brothers Online
For more information, contact:
Chart Room Media
Brendan Gilmartin (347) 450-3048