Future indie darlings: 10 Songs from 10 artists you likely haven’t heard of before.
Here is my list of 10 songs from 10 indie artists whose music I adore, so you don’t miss their next show!
One of my favorite things about living in Chicago is how it’ll always be a pitstop for any up-and-coming indie artists on their first tours. Cheap tickets, small venues, intimate settings, what more could you want from a show? Unfortunately, as much as I try to stay on top of my concert grind, I’ve recently found myself wallowing about all the shows I missed because I discovered an artist too late. In response, here is my list of 10 songs from 10 indie artists whose music I adore, so you don’t miss their next show! At the time of writing, all of these artists have, at most, a couple hundred thousand listeners on Spotify, with many having just less than a hundred thousand. Hopefully, this list will serve as an introduction to the incredible music of these future indie darlings!
“Whatever Fits Together” by Skullcrusher
I have a confession to make: I did not listen to Skullcrusher’s music for months, despite it constantly popping up all over my recommended songs, simply because the name resembled a trash metal band–and I wasn’t ready to revisit my fourth-grade metalhead era. When I actually listened to their music, I was instead met with soul-crushing melodies and tasteful production marked by a blend of acoustic instrumentals and light synths. Containing a mix of ethereal double-tracked vocals, rhythmically creative muted kick drums that add complexity, and a blend of warped piano, synths, and banjo, this song is a perfect introduction to the unique vision of Skullcrusher. If you end up liking “Whatever Fits Together,” go ahead and check out “Places/Plans” while you’re at it. Or, if you’re looking for something more folky, try “Song for Nick Drake.”
“Poor Madeline” by Daffo
This is the song for when you’re on a walk, trying to distract yourself from whatever you’re feeling at that moment. Written by 20-year-old indie-rock artist Gabi Gamberg, leading the band Daffo, “Poor Madeline” screams teenage angst. Starting with some clean tone electric guitar, the song evolves into and ends with a grungy sound that really makes you feel the lyrics, “can’t scrub herself better, the pain’s not in her pores.” The rest of the EP is just as great, with “Complete Circle” being another favorite track of mine. They are playing at Thalia Hall in June—don’t miss out!
“Beginner’s guide to birdwatching” by Haley Blais
For some change of style, the next song is “Beginner’s guide to birdwatching” by Haley Blais. This song immediately captures the listener with stacked auto-tuned vocals that are reminiscent of Imogen Heap’s earlier work. However, just after the first verse, bird sounds, and a lightly fingerpicked guitar fills the space, creating a stark contrast with the song’s initial electronic sound. The production is care-free, experimental, and intimate; the songwriting is almost childish–with the line “one minute she wasn’t there, and then the next minute there she was” repeated dozens of times, getting less and less electronic over every iteration, with more people joining in. The song just beams with warmth. People (and a baby!) are laughing in the background, birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and you genuinely feel like you’re peacefully birdwatching, thinking about nothing else.
“family party” by Kevin Atwater
I genuinely don’t know where to begin when it comes to Atwater’s music. His storytelling, his voice, his melodies—he is a once-in-a-generation type of artist. His style of writing is casual and intimate but also incredibly intentional, preserving the weight of his stories. And yes, there is always a story. His songs are never about a single person or concept. They’re about a moment—and he does an unbelievable job at conserving its atmosphere. Each song immortalizes an instant and all the messy emotions associated with it. His debut album is out on March 7th, and he’s performing at the Subterranean in Chicago on April 11th, where you can hear his heart-wrenching lyrics from “family party” and more, along with some masterful guitar playing.
“When You Mean It” by Emma Harner
Speaking about masterful guitar playing—there is no one better at it than Emma Harner. With only three songs out so far, the Nebraska native is already carving herself a space in the indie-folk scene with her unfathomably creative classical guitar melodies. Trust me: you’ll be listening to those flowy guitar melodies with your jaw on the floor just 15 seconds into “When You Mean It.” While I believe her lyricism has room for improvement, she still undoubtedly knows how to deliver a punch—with lines like, “You're only mine on the bad days / When we sit in your silence.” Having just entered the music scene in 2024 and opened for artists like Orla Gartland in the same year, Emma Harner is, without a doubt, on the come-up. I’m so excited to see the artist she becomes!
“Green Bottle” by Margot Liotta
Studying sound and music supervision at Columbia College Chicago before transferring to Berklee College of Music to study songwriting, Margot Liotta is an indie-folk artist in the early stages of her musical career. Similar to many songs on this list, “Green Bottle” is a simple and intimate indie-folk song with a lo-fi sound and small mistakes sprinkled throughout that make it feel even more personal. Regardless of whether she is referring to the Chicago CTA green line or the Boston MBTA line when she sings, “breaking down is so easy when you’re on the green line,” her conversational tone and soft vocals make it really easy to relate to her music.
“handgun” by Jake Minch
“handgun” by Jake Minch is proof that sometimes songs go viral on social media for good reason. This song has incredible lyrics—if you don’t trust me, trust Lizzy McAlpine and the many other incredible artists who commented the same thing. Take “Who gives a kid a handgun, who gives a kid to a mom who doesn’t want one?” for example. How does someone come up with a line like that? The contrast between the lyrics’ casual tone and the weight of the song’s topic makes for a very memorable hit. With only a few songs out so far and a few shows as a supporting artist, Minch has so much potential to cultivate a successful music career with his new releases.
“can’t hate myself into a different shape” by Brimheim
Brimheim is a Faroese alt-pop artist from Denmark, and with very few listeners in the U.S., she remains an undiscovered gem. In fact, I only know of her because she was recommended to me by my English teacher in high school, who was Faroese. The textures of the synths used in the production and the varying panning of the different instruments in the song make it a very satisfying listening experience, and it shouldn’t go without saying that her voice is just as gorgeous.
“Tonight I Feel Like Kafka” by Jealous of the Birds
Another artist from Europe is Naomi Hamilton, going by the stage moniker Jealous of the Birds. The Northern Ireland-based songwriter, similar to many artists on this list, combines electronic tools with acoustic instruments like the guitar to create an atmospheric and intriguing sonic experience. “Tonight I Feel Like Kafka,” specifically, reminds me of a late night that feels dark and blue, with this song to keep you company. With incredibly specific lyrics like “No more cyanide kisses, I’m methylene blue,” and synths reminiscent of video game music, this unique song is for one of those nights when you’re feeling like Kafka.
“For the Daughter I’ll Never Have” by Kate Stephenson
I discovered Kate Stephenson’s music through a TikTok series she did over the pandemic where she would build a song from scratch, recording interesting textures with stuff she had in her room–as well as playing the cello, guitar, piano, and everything in between as an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist. The way she conceives these songs from nothing is simply magical. “For the Daughter I’ll Never Have” starts out simple with some guitar and intimate vocals and grows into this grandiose sound with strings and echoed vocals. Furthermore, her lyrics are as impressive as her technical skill—there isn’t a word wasted in this entire song. It’s rare when an artist can both write these bittersweet lyrics like “I'll clean her wounds while I collect the dust / Wash her clothes, she'll mend my rust / With chemicals and wanderlust” and produce the musical counterpart that’ll make you feel those words in your bones.
edited by Nicole Millan-Ortiz.
album artwork believed to belong to either the publisher of the work or the artist.
