Beginning as an impromptu indie pop supergroup, the Notwist and Tenniscoats, Spirit Fest soon evolved into a charming celebration of music and friendship. On their self-titled 2017 debut, they blended folk, pop, and experimental improvisation in cozy yet spontaneous ways. Later, they deepened their music while keeping its playfulness on 2018's Anohito and 2020's Mirage Mirage.

Spirit Fest came into being in late 2016, when the Notwist's Markus Acher invited Saya and Takashi Ueno of the acclaimed Japanese indie duo Tenniscoats to appear at his Alien Disko Festival in Munich. During the two weeks Tenniscoats were in town, they and Acher, Notwist collaborator Cico Beck, and Jam Money's Mat Fowler recorded songs in an apartment studio with producer Tadklimp. A pair of singles, "Hitori Matsuri" and "Rain Rain," heralded the release of Spirit Fest's self-titled album, which Morr released in November 2017. While touring Europe in support of the album, the group continued to write songs and recorded them on the road and at Acher's Munich home. Spirit Fest released the results as Anohito in September 2018. That November, the group began recording their third album at Tenniscoats' Tokyo home studio, then completed it in Munich in June 2019. Released in May 2020, Mirage Mirage once again balanced more structured songs with lighthearted improvisations. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi