hug or handshake is an indie rock/pop band consisting of Petar Trifonov, Anton Georgiev, Viktor Ivanov and Nick Nikolaev. The band was formed on a cold December night in 2019 when Petar and Anton discovered a shared love for the same music and realized their minds spoke the same language.

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Soon after their first meeting, they recorded a demo, and within a month, their debut single, Molten Dreams, was released on March 12—just a day before the first COVID-19 lockdown in Bulgaria. Following its release, hug or handshake quickly gained recognition as a bold, highly professional, and modern project, praised for its refined sound and artistic vision.

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was unable to perform live for over a year. However, this time allowed them to collaborate with music producer Simeon Lozanov – Monyx, finalize their second successful single, Blaze of Sorry, and complete their debut album Once Upon A Pink Sedan. The album, featuring eight tracks, was released on May 17, 2021.

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Upon its release, Once Upon A Pink Sedan received critical acclaim in Bulgaria, with reviewers describing it as "a beautiful, emotional, and uncompromising journey from both a musical and technical standpoint." The praise continued: "The sound is rich, warm, and detailed, with a mix that impresses through its depth and space. For me, this album is a reference point and should serve as a benchmark for any artist making modern pop music, especially in Bulgaria. Once Upon A Pink Sedan is an outstanding debut that excites me deeply as both a listener and an artist. Each song radiates a love for music and a painfully charming lack of pretension and ego." – Pod Mosta​.

That same month, hug or handshake received three nominations at the annual Golden Ducks music awards. In June, they made their live debut on the main stage of Sofia Live Festival. Over the next year, they played a series of local shows and festivals, further solidifying their presence in the Bulgarian indie music scene.

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In 2023 and 2024, the band released Slowboy and Waiting Till September (Doesn't Make It Right), respectively.

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hug or handshake is set to return to Sofia Live Festival in June 2025 while also working on their highly anticipated second album, scheduled for release in 2026.