In this day and age, we hear the same music over and over again on the radio. It’s rare that we broaden our selection of music. There’s so much music out there to discover; it’s just a matter of finding it. For those of you interested in alternative music, here are 5 underrated Indie and Folk artists to check out.
1. Oh Wonder
Oh Wonder is a London based band made up of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West. The Indie Pop duo released their first album in 2015 after they recorded one song a month for a year. They played sold out shows in London, New York, LA, Paris, and other major cities to start their touring career quickly after the release of their first album. Oh Wonder performed at music festivals summer of 2016 such as Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Lollapalooza. Oh Wonder will be a Coachella this summer and have already released tour dates in the US for May of 2017. They have announced that they have been recording in the studio and will release new music very soon.
Top hit: “Lose It” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgwcPiCjQ-0
2. Jeremy Loops
Jeremy Loops, born Jeremy Hewitt, is a South African folk singer and songwriter. Jeremy is supported by rapper Motheo Moleko and instrumentalist James Faull. They call themselves the “loop” squad because of how Jeremy uses a loop pedal to echo his beatboxing, guitar, harmonica, and ukelele into a loop of sounds. Loops is an environmentalist who co-founded an urban greening social enterprise, Greenpop. At a celebration for the enterprise planting 1000 trees, Loops performed and that was the first gig of his career. Loops has one album out and has been touring it for the past year. Loops is in the process of creating a second album.
Top hit: “Down South” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwPrBchV3ZQ
3. The Strumbellas
The Strumbellas are a Canadian band that can be considered Indie Rock, as well as Alternative Country. The band first formed back in 2008, but got their first billboard hit in 2016. The band began their first international tour in 2016 leading into 2017. The band originally consisted of 4 men and they later added 2 more after posting an audition on craigslist. The band currently has 3 albums out.
Top hit: “Spirits” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9kXstb9FF4
4. Glass Animals
Glass Animals is an Indie Rock Band from London, England. They released their debut album in June, 2014 and another album in August, 2016. The band has toured internationally and has been featured at many music festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo.
Top hit: “Gooey” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeo3an2M_Lo
5. Ziggy Alberts
Ziggy is an independent folk singer and songwriter from Australia who started playing the guitar in 2011. Ziggy taught himself to play the guitar and has been touring independently both nationally and internationally. He sings heartfelt stories about his personal experiences, coastal upbringing, and environmental issues. Ziggy has 3 albums and has reached 13 million Spotify plays.
Top hit: “Runaway” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8fbEyjQB38
Enjoy the music and stay tuned for more suggestions.