The Suede Hello is the collaborative works of auteur experimentalist Jonathan Rosado and classical pianist-turned percussionist Nicolette Wilkey. Based in New York City, the pair have cultivated an esoteric following surrounding the group through a discography spanning various singles, EPs, and two studio albums over the course of just two years. Formed in the summer of 2019, with little more than a tape recorder and a desire to bring the high concepts often associated with the fine art world into the realm of rock & roll, the duo found a quick modicum of success after their debut single “All of the People” resonated with underground subcultures worldwide. 

With the release of their debut studio album, 2021’s “A Symbol For Eternity,” they presented themselves as one of the most interesting and forward-thinking newcomers in avant-garde music today. The record is an expansive concept album centering around the story of a penny-farthing bound humanite named ‘Feather Watts’ who embarks on a journey to save mankind from itself. It seamlessly melds together concepts and visual elements that would feel more at home in an Alejandro Jodorowsky film than a typical rock release. Drawing heavily from Surrealism, Progressive Rock, Eastern Mysticism, Psychedelia, and early German electronic music, the result is something equally unique and immersive. 

The follow-up, 2022’s “Ultramarine Unlimited,” reveals the band exploring new sensibilities including Abstraction, Free improvisation, and lengthy instrumental segues. Another concept record, this time following the story of four saints who are brought together by a mechanical fortune-telling machine to travel to the once holy mythical city of “Ultramarine” and answer the question “Is there a god?” Aesthetically, it’s a collage of Christian imagery, new age spirituality, Latin guitar, modular synthesizers, and Prog-Rock excess a la Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson. A Baptization of sound, rich in texture at times and brilliantly minimalistic at others, “Ultramarine Unlimited” is as much a piece of conceptual art as it is a stand-alone rock & roll record.