Tired of listening to the same old mainstream artists every time you open your music app on your phone? Having trouble finding good underground artists? I’ve got you covered. Here are some of my favorite indie bands that have left a lasting impact on me.
Starting strong with Nocturne’s Kiss. His music centers around rock and shoegaze music. Danny (Daniel) Aranson started exclusively as a producer, with his first known production being for Toosii, titled “Met in LA,” in October 2020. Some more well-known artists that he has produced for include Lil Uzi Vert, Skrillex and Coco Jones.
Aranson’s first song came out under the name “DxnnyFxntom” in 2022, with a song titled “Chemicals,” topping just over 714,000 streams. This is still his most popular song. It has trap beat instrumentals and no lyrics throughout the entirety of the song. His last song under this name was in September 2024, in collaboration with multiple other indie artists.
His first song under the name Nocturne’s Kiss was released in May 2023, his debut single, titled “Where Are You Hiding?” Four months later, on September 1, 2023, he released his self-titled debut album, featuring 11 songs that ranged from two to four minutes in length. Since then, Aranson has released three more albums.
In May 2024, Aranson released a new album titled “The Edge of the Outside.” He said that the book, “1984,” by George Orwell, really inspired the plot for this album. Before this was released, he was teasing his fans with snippets of new songs that would be featured on his TikTok lives, letting the excitement boil. This was a huge era for Aranson, and the enthusiasm he brought with this new project made many fans thrilled when the album was released, myself included.
“Breaking & Entering” is another album of his that was released in October 2024, sort of centering around a stalker’s POV in most of his songs, especially “Romanticize.” He also released yet another album in late August of this year titled “My Day of Reckoning.” My favorite song off this album would definitely be “Emma,” but I may just be biased because that is my name.
Coming in strong with Sunday (1994), who I discovered in December 2024 because they were the opener for Girl in Red, and I have seen them twice more in concert since. The members consist of Paige Turner as the lead singer, Lee Newell as the lead guitarist, their drummer, Puma and Lola Bates as a guitarist as well. A great band that focuses on a melancholy tune and has a specific aesthetic that I have not seen in many other bands. Their first song came out in February 2024, titled “Tired Boy.” This song remains their most successful song yet, with just over 4.2 million streams.
Their first EP came out in May 2024, with a total of six songs, three of them hitting over a million streams. A deluxe version of this EP was released shortly after as an album in September 2024. Their latest release would be their second EP titled “Devotion,” which hit streaming platforms in May of this year. With only 15 songs out as of right now, Sunday (1994) is beginning to make a name for itself.
Time to talk about Baby Queen! Bella (Arabella) Latham is a singer from South Africa but now resides in London, England. Her first single came out in May 2020, titled “Internet Religion.” Personally, I love this song. I think it perfectly encapsulates her as an artist, and she continues to use this style within her music. Her very first album came out in September 2021, called “The Yearbook.” It features ten songs, with the album being just over 30 minutes long. She then released a hit album in November 2023 titled “Quarter Life Crisis.” This album features one of her most popular songs, called “Want Me,” with over 27 million streams.
I saw Baby Queen in concert in June 2024 while on a trip to Washington, D.C. The environment felt warm and friendly, and it was definitely the best concert I have ever been to. While Bella has not released a song since April 2024, I am feeling hopeful that she will make a return, and I know that I am not the only fan clinging to that hope.
Have you ever heard of Jake Webber? Starting as a YouTuber back in 2015, Jake has actually made some good music. His first song was released in December 2020, titled “Mental Handcuffs.” This song of his has always been a favorite of mine, and I just realized that this is his first song. Between then and now, he has released over 20 songs, with his most popular one being “Ecstasy,” a collaboration with his close friend Johnnie Guilbert, which has reached over seven million streams.
Jake has recently been releasing a handful of songs, with themes of rock and metal. He has just over 170 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, and has been constantly trying to make a name for himself in the music industry, and I have hope for him to do so. I believe that with time and his new EP coming out soon, titled “Love Me While You Can,” will definitely be the push he needs to put himself out there even further.
Lastly, we have Kevin Atwater. Atwater’s first song came out in August 2020, called “Freckles.” With only 220 thousand monthly listeners, he is always bringing new music to his audience. With his dream pop style and sad themes, Kevin has become an extremely relatable artist to thousands of fans all around the world, feeling connected to him as he shares his trauma explicitly in his songs, something that is very difficult for an artist to do.
His most popular song is titled “Star Tripping,” accumulating almost 13 million streams on Spotify. This song focuses on his love interest’s religious trauma and how their being queer is a sin in his lover’s mind. One verse that has always stuck out to me would be “Bible in your car, always keep a hand on it when we’re kissing.” This showcases how his lover struggles with being with Kevin and how hurtful it is to Kevin as well. The song is sad, but it has resonated with so many people around the world.
With this list of artists, I hope you can find someone new to listen to. Always give a new artist a chance, because to you, they may just be the next best thing.