The duo released their debut album, Black Pumas, on June 21, 2019. Working out their material both in the studio and on-stage during a weekly residency at Austin's C-Boys Heart & Soul Bar, they signed a deal with ATO Records and released a pair of singles, 'Black Moon Rising' and 'Fire'. Quesada was a member of Latin funk band Grupo Fantasma when it won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for the 2010 album El Existential, and when it was previously nominated for the same award in 2008 for Sonidos Gold.

Quesada felt that Burton's vocals were a match for the retro-funk- and R&B-flavored tracks Quesada had been working on, and the two joined forces in 2018 as Black Pumas. Through a mutual friend, Quesada connected with Burton. In the meantime, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada was looking to collaborate with someone new. Burton traveled through the Western states, studying music at New Mexico State University before deciding to settle down and busk in Austin, Texas. He started busking at the Santa Monica Pier, where he brought in a few hundred dollars a day and developed his performance skills. Born in the San Fernando Valley, he grew up singing in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. In 2017, singer and songwriter Eric Burton made his way from California to Texas. The group received its first Grammy Award nomination in 2020 for Best New Artist. Black Pumas is an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas, led by singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/ producer Adrian Quesada.

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