Electronic Press Kit

hug or handshake is a four-piece indie-rock band from Bulgaria, featuring Anton Georgiev (vocals, guitar, piano), Petar Trifonov (guitar), Viktor Ivanov (bass), and Nick Nikolaev (drums). Known for their emotionally rich songwriting and dynamic live performances, the band has quickly become a cornerstone of Bulgaria’s indie music scene.

​After the release of their first two singles, Molten Dreams and Blaze of Sorry, hug or handshake quickly gained recognition as a bold, highly professional, and modern project, praised for its refined sound and artistic vision.

​Their debut album, ONCE UPON A PINK SEDAN (May 2021), was met with widespread critical acclaim. Bulgarian music press praised the record as “a beautiful, emotional, and uncompromising journey from a musical and technical standpoint,” with the independent publication Pod Mosta calling it “an impressive debut that radiates a love of music and a painfully charming lack of pretension and ego.”

​Following the release of the album, hug or handshake have played many of Bulgaria’s most prominent festivals and venues, including Sofia Live Festival and Kapana Fest. Their engaging live shows and growing fanbase have earned them a reputation as one of the country’s most beloved and recognizable indie-rock acts.

​Their track Jacuzzi Heart remained in the Top 10 of radio Z-Rock’s chart for over four months and helped propel the band into national media, with appearances across major TV and radio stations.

​In 2024, they released two highly praised singles, Slowboy and Waiting Till September, marking a bold step toward their second studio album. GoGuide Magazine described Slowboy as “a magnetic field of sound that protects you from the outside world.”

In June 2025, they took the stage at Sofia Live Festival for a second time, performing alongside international acts including James Bay and The Horrors.

Shortly before the festival, the band released Burden of Proof, the lead single from their upcoming second album, marking a confident new chapter in their songwriting and sound.

The releases of It Was Me (October 2025) and My Favorite Restaurant (February 2026) further highlighted the band's ever-evolving sound and willingness to push beyond the boundaries of indie rock.

In July 2026, hug or handshake performed at the inaugural edition of Phillgood Festival, continuing their run of appearances at Bulgaria's leading music festivals.

hug or handshake is also the only Bulgarian artist to be officially featured by Grammy-winning mastering studio Sterling Sound as a recording artist on their website.

Currently the band is in the studio working on the eagerly awaited sophomore album, due for release in 2026/2027.