Brooklyn-based indie quartet Habibi were formed in the spring of 2011 by Detroit expatriates Rahill Jamalifard and Lenaya Lynch, tapping into their Motown roots of simple but infectious pop melodies delivered with punkish attitude. Jamalifard took lead vocal duties and Lynch played guitar and sang, and the quartet was rounded out by drummer Karen Isabel and bassist Erin Campbell. The band played often around the New York City area, eventually releasing several tracks in the form of 7" singles and online streams. They participated in the South by Southwest festival as well as tours with like-minded acts like King Tuff, and by 2014 they released a self-titled debut album of their dreamy-eyed and dancey pop on Burger Records.