While we don’t want to admit it, we all love to be the person to say “I actually listened to them before they were famous” when referring to a new small musician who has recently blown up. I think there are so many amazingly talented musicians who aren’t receiving a fraction of the hype they deserve and I am sitting here (not-so) patiently waiting for the day they do. To speed up the process, this article is going to be a list of some of my favourite small artists that I’ve been listening to recently, aka the anti-gatekeeping article. Please help these artists blow up because they deserve it!
Alix Page
Favourite Songs: 25, Girlfriend, Sweet
If you are lucky enough to say that you knew Gracie Abrams before the Eras tour, then you might recognize Alix Page as the opener for Gracie back on the This Is What It Feels Like tour! Page is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter who primarily produces indie rock songs. My all-time favourite Alix Page song has to be 25. It’ll probably be yours too if you are a fellow lover of an awesome bridge. And by the time this article is published Page’s most recent EP Bug will be released! She will be in Toronto in May so if you find yourself listening to (and loving) Alix Page as much as I do you’re in luck.
Beeson
Favourite songs: Keeping Score, Swimmer, I Haven’t Seen You Since the Summer
Seeing that Beeson has around 52k monthly listeners on Spotify felt like a crime!! Similar to Alix Page, Beeson also makes indie rock/alternative music. Her lyrics are so well-written and the music itself is amazing. Beeson has been making music since 2021 and I am so impressed by the amazing variety in her music at such an early stage in her career. Of my favourites Keeping Score and Swimmer are definitely a little more mellow but I Haven’t Seen You Since the Summer is so lively and upbeat! Her first headlining tour unfortunately just came to an end but hopefully she will be back soon!
Sydney Ross Mitchell
Favourite Songs: Do It Again, Forward to the Kill, Fast Cars and Faster Horses
I discovered Sydney Ross Mitchell through my Spotify daylist during a Stauffer study session and I immediately texted all of my friends to go and listen to her. She recently came out with her debut EP called Pure Bliss Forever and each song is better than the last. Her sound is described as “Folk Dream Pop” and “Freak Folk” which draws on traditional folk elements such as acoustic instruments mixed with avant-garde elements. She states in this interview that she has always been fascinated by lyrics and therefore puts immense focus into making sure she gets the words in her songs exactly right. As an English major, I relate and love her all the more for it!
Alisa Xayalith
Favourite Songs: Ordinary Love, Roses, Kiss Me Like You’re So In Love
Upon research for a little biography about Alisa Xayalith I discovered that she’s had a super interesting career. From 2006-2021 Xayalith was part of the New Zealand band The Naked and Famous Since 2020 she has put out some solo music but in April she will be releasing her debut solo album Slow Crush. Her music could be considered indie-electronic. Unlike the other artists on this list whose music is primarily acoustic-based, taking an electronic approach certainly sets her apart. In particular, I find it interesting that Xayalith pulls off an electronic approach to indie music, a genre that is typically saturated with acoustic sound.
Amy Allen
Favourite Songs: girl with a problem, weirdo, choices
If Amy Allen’s name looks familiar it’s because she’s probably written songs with your favourite artist. Most recently, she’s helped write Sabrina Carpenter’s Short and Sweet and Emails I Can’t Send, along with Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS, and Harry Styles’ Fine Line and Harry’s House. She also won Songwriter of the Year at the 2025 Grammys. Despite all of these amazing achievements, she only has around 58k Spotify listeners. Her 2024 self-titled album amy allen can be considered a mix of folk-rock and bluegrass. Her album focuses on personal experiences with love, relationships, and everything in between showing that Allen isn’t afraid to get vulnerable with her listeners.
Those are my five favourite small artists! I can’t wait for the day they blow up even though I will definitely miss their affordable concert tickets. The only thing I love more than finding new music, is sharing it with others so they can love it too and I hope I did that for you today.