The indie music scene is always brimming with exciting new talent. With the internet making it easier than ever for bands to share their music, there’s no shortage of great new indie acts to discover. Here are 5 up and coming indie bands that you need to know about:
Glass Animals
Coming out of Oxford, England, Glass Animals is an indie rock band with a trippy, psychedelic flair. Led by singer/songwriter Dave Bayley, the band blends elements of pop, hip hop, R&B and electronic to create a lush, hypnotic sound. Their breakout debut album “Zaba” was released in 2014 and earned critical acclaim. Highlights include the singles “Gooey,” “Black Mambo,” and “Hazey.”
Glass Animals went on to find major commercial success with their 2016 album “How To Be A Human Being,” which hit #16 on the Billboard 200 chart. With their intoxicating production and Bayley’s clever, vivid lyrics, the band seems to get more captivating with each release. They’re rapidly growing in popularity, but still have an under-the-radar cool factor that makes discovering them feel like stumbling onto one of music’s best kept secrets.
Crumb
Buzzy New York-based quartet Crumb create dreamy, jazzy indie rock tunes with hazy, lo-fi production. With singer Lila Ramani’s airy, ethereal vocals taking center stage, the band’s sound falls somewhere between psychedelic folk and hypnotic indie pop. Ramani’s wispy melodies glide over layers of mellow guitars, breezy drums and understated synths.
Crumb built a steady cult following through a string of well-received EP and single releases starting in 2016. Their jazz-tinged avant-pop style earned comparisons to The Radio Dept, Stereolab and Broadcast. After teasing new material throughout 2018, they finally shared their long-awaited debut full-length, “Jinx,” in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim. With songs featuring unique song structures and intriguing lyrical content, Crumb’s debut suggests this is just the start for the inventive young band.
Shannon & The Clams
This Bay Area garage punk quartet takes inspiration from 50s doo-wop and classic surf rock to create a raw, raucous brand of vintage-tinged indie rock. Led by Shannon Shaw’s powerhouse vocals and bassist Cody Blanchard’s lo-fi production, Shannon & The Clams’ messy, high-energy sound is uniquely their own.
After years of building a following through tireless touring, the band stepped into the spotlight with their 2013 album “Dreams in the Rat House.” They’ve only grown in popularity since, particularly after releasing their 2018 album “Onion.” Featuring buzzed-about singles like “The Boy” and “Backstreets,” “Onion” earned the band their strongest reviews yet. With their shambolic charm, catchy melodies and Shaw’s magnetic charisma as a frontwoman, Shannon & The Clams are a band you need to see live to fully appreciate.
Soccer Mommy
The project of 20-year-old singer-songwriter Sophie Allison, Soccer Mommy makes the kind of introspective indie pop/rock that sounds like the visual album of an eternally overcast coming-of-age film. She writes lyrics filled with plainspoken confessional details over grungy but lush guitar lines and her own melancholy vocals.
Allison first gained traction with her 2017 bedroom pop debut “Collection,” a deeply intimate and earnest set of songs touching on mental health, sexuality and struggling with change. She expanded her sound into darker, moodier guitar-driven territory on her lauded 2018 debut album “Clean.” Allison deftly balances raw vulnerability with nuanced storytelling, earning widespread critical acclaim. She’s already being hailed as one of the most exciting new voices in indie rock.
The MarÃas
Based out of Los Angeles, The MarÃas create bilingual psych-soul meets doo-wop influenced indie pop led by captivating vocalist MarÃa Zardoya. Her melancholic voice is instantly entrancing, blending seamlessly with a dreamy backdrop of reverb-drenched guitars, airy keys and funky bass lines. Their mesmerizing vintage-inspired aesthetic and cinematic sound has earned them comparisons to acts like Cigarettes After Sex, Mazzy Star and Beach House.
The band released a debut EP titled “Superclean” in 2016, followed by their breakout 2017 EP “Superclean, Vol. II.” Songs like “I Don’t Know You” and “Cariño” demonstrated their talent for crafting effortless yet captivating melodies. 2018 saw the release of singles building anticipation for a full-length album. Their 2020 debut “Cinema” more than delivered on The MarÃas’ potential, filled with coolly hypnotic songs that often blend English and Spanish lyrics. With their intoxicating melodies and distinct creative vision, The MarÃas look poised for a major breakthrough.
These days, it’s easier than ever for rising indie bands to find an audience through streaming, blogs, playlists and social media. By keeping your ear to the ground, you can discover some of the most exciting new voices before they hit the mainstream. Acts like Glass Animals, Crumb, Shannon & The Clams, Soccer Mommy and The MarÃas are just a few examples of the breadth of talent the current indie scene offers.
