Here are five of my favorite underrated music artists that you need to start listening to and adding to your playlists this Spring.
I am the sort of person who is always on the hunt for new music. Like most people, I have my “go-to” favorite artists and songs, but sometimes you need something different to mix it up! Whenever my friends reach out to me and ask for music suggestions, these are the five artists that I adore and always recommend.
1. Lucy Dacus
Lucy Dacus is an American singer-songwriter, probably most well known as a member of the hit band Boygenius alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. Many (not all) fans of Boygenius typically know Phoebe Bridgers as the best out of the three members. Although I do love Phoebe as well, I feel that Lucy Dacus is not only an underrated member of Boygenius but also an underrated artist on her own. In 2021, Dacus released her album Home Video and I was immediately in awe. I had already listened to a few of her songs beforehand but the release of Home Video was truly what led to my love for Dacus’s music. Her lyrics are so clever that they’ll leave you thinking about them all day long. The tracks on Home Video as well as her others to any new Dacus listeners, I implore you to check out “Hot & Heavy”, “Brando”, “Please Stay”, and “Nightshift.”
2. Del Water Gap
Del Water Gap is an American singer-songwriter who goes by Samuel Holden Jaffe outside of his professional life. I first discovered Del Water Gap in December 2020. I am an avid Maggie Rogers fan and when Rogers released her album Notes From the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016, “New Song” was co-written and sung with Del Water Gap. Following my listen to “New Song”, I knew that I needed to check Del Water Gap out. Jaffe’s lyrics are so raw that they will fill you with feelings of adoration, agony, admiration, and anguish. My top three Del Water Gap songs include “To Philly”, “Sorry I am”, and “Theory of Emotion”.
3. Ashe
Ashlyn Rae Willson, professionally known as Ashe, is an American singer-songwriter best known for her 2019 hit “Moral of the Story.” I had heard “Moral of the Story” a number of times on TikTok and other forms of media but had never really dove into any other of Ashe’s music. It wasn’t until this past September when my roommate played some of her songs in our apartment that I was hooked. I spent the entirety of the fall walking around campus with nothing but Ashe’s vulnerable and captivating lyrics blasting through my AirPods. My favorites of Ashe include “Love Is Not Enough”, “Someone To Lose”, “Kansas”, and “Hope You’re Not Happy”.
4. Adam Melchor
Adam Melchor is an American singer-songwriter who recently toured as an opener for Noah Kahan. About two weeks ago, I was listening to Del Water Gap radio on Spotify when “Real Estate” by Adam Melchor came on. I was instantly captivated by Melchor’s soft and light voice. Although Melchor writes and sings about complicated and intricate emotions, he still manages to create music that feels warm and comfortable. I would recommend “Real Estate” and “Moon In The Morning” to any new Adam Melchor listeners.
5. HAIM
HAIM is an American rock band that consists of three sisters Estie, Danielle and Alana Haim. I can’t quite recall how exactly I discovered HAIM but I do remember the first song I ever listened to of theirs. It was the Spring of 2021 when I heard “The Steps”. In my opinion, the perfect word to describe HAIM and “The Steps” is spunky. They create the type of music that instantly makes you want to get into the car and blast it while driving around. My other favorite HAIM songs consist of “Gasoline”, “The Wire”, and “Kept Me Crying”.
Two things that bring me immense joy are receiving music recommendations from others and sharing my music recommendations with friends and family. I’m hopeful that you’ll give some of these artists a listen (they deserve it) and discover some new songs to add to your rotation.