Music is a pretty important thing in the modern world and of course, there are tons of different varieties and genres with so many sounds and styles. A popular one amongst many teens now a days is indie music. Indie music is short for “Independent music” and is music produced independently from a major commercial record label and is a process which may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. There are also many different styles of Indie. A few to name would be folk indie, indie pop and indie rock, all wonderful and unique types of music. So if you’re in the mood for a little something new or already listen to the music genre but need some new artists to get into, we’ve got a whole list of indie artists and bands for you.
- Sleeping At Last is an alternative rock indie musical project led by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan O’Neal. The project originally began as a three piece in Wheaton, Illinois and independently recorded their debut album, Capture in 2000, which attracted the attention of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who then helped them get signed to the major record label Interscope Records. Some songs to look out for by the group are “Sun”, “Ruby Blue”, and “Turning Page” which was featured in Twilight: Breaking Dawn.
- Amber Run is a British indie pop band from Nottingham, UK composed of Joe Keogh, Tom Sperring, Felix Archer, and Henry Wyeth. The band has released one album and three EPs while being signed to RCA Records. The band was originally called Amber but were forced to change the name due to avoid future problems with the German dance-pop singer with the same name. Songs to give a listen to are “Heaven”, “I Found” and “5AM”.
- City and Colour is alternative rock/folk indie and is the recording alias for Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green. He plays melodic acoustic and folk music and is often accompanied by a rotating number of Canadian indie rock musicians. The creative name “City and Colour” originates from his own name : Dallas being a city and Green, a colour. Check out his songs “The Girl” and “Sleeping Sickness” if you’re feeling up for it.
- Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s is a band from Indianapolis, Indiana with a music style best described as “cinematic chamber pop” that “both the casual music fan and perfectionist will enjoy” by MacKenzie Wilson in a review of their album, The Dust of Retreat. Their sound has changed significantly from an orchestral sound to a much softer sound today. Be sure to check them out because we love them!
- Halsey of course is our indie pop princess and had to be added to our list for new indie listeners. Ashley Frangipane (Her stage name is Halsey in case you didn’t know) is an American singer/songwriter and recording artist. She began writing her own songs at 17. In late 2014 she released her debut EP, Room 93 and in August 2015 released her debut album, Badlands which we absolutely love. Be sure to give her some love and visit the Badlands.
- Jaymes Young is an American singer and songwriter and was signed in 2013 to a recording contract with Atlantic Records. He has toured with the indie rock group London Grammar and opened for Vance Joy on his “Dream Your Life Away” tour. We highly recommended listening to his songs “Moondust” and “Habits of My Heart” because they’re hits!
- Gregory Alan Isakov is a singer/songwriter from South Africa. He began touring with a band at age 16 and later moved to Colorado. His music is a mixture of indie and folk, featuring instruments such as the guitar and mandolin. Some of his most popular songs include “Big Black Car”, “That Moon Song”, and “Raising Cain”.
- Keaton Henson is an English folk rock singer, visual artist and poet from London. His music often features him playing his guitar. He suffers from severe stage fright and as a result, rarely plays concerts. Henson has released a wordless graphic novel called “Gloaming” published by Pocko, which is “essentially a field guide to a spirit world beyond our reality”. His music is beautiful and definitely worth checking out.
So there you have it! If you’re new to the world of indie music, hopefully this is a good enough start for you. And if this isn’t your first time here, well now you’ve got a few more artists to check out and fall in love with. We hope you love these insanely talented artists as much as we do.