Three Indie Artists You Need to Listen to Right Now

by Samantha Cerezo

Has your playlist been sounding bland lately? Does the genre of music you’ve been listening to not spark the same euphoria it once did? Whether you’re a veteran fan or new to the world of indie music, here are some indie artists that are sure to spice up your playlist.

Based in the Philippines, IV of Spades is a band labelled as pop rock and funk rock. Currently there are three members: Zild Benitez (keyboard and bassist), Blaster Silonga (vocalist and lead guitarist), and Badjao de Castro (drummer and vocalist). Their early singles take on a disco-funk feel, as heard in one of their songs “Hey Barbara”. With a commendable bass line, this song should be played when you want to have a good time. Other singles with the same feel include “Take That Man” and “Where Have You Been, My Disco?” Despite their disco-funk roots, the band has been producing mid-tempo jams lately. Their most popular one being “Mundo”, which roughly translates to “world”. Fueling their rise to popularity, this song has nearly 100 million plays on Spotify. It is about someone telling their lover that they are their home and their world. With a repeating guitar melody with the wah effect and heartfelt lyrics, it is no wonder that it’s a hit. I personally look forward to the guitar solo each time I listen. Another one of their popular mid-tempo jams is “Come Inside of My Heart” from their album, CLAPCLAPCLAP!. It is about a person asking their crush to get closer to them in order to know them better. Undoubtedly, this song is famous because of its catchy chorus sung in falsetto.

Our next band is Sports. Based in Oklahoma, it consists of two members: Cale Chronister and Christian Theriot. Famous for their unique vocals, their first single was released in 2015 and is called “You Are the Right One”. It is their most played song on Spotify with a guitar line sampling Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight”. It is about loving someone from afar and hesitating to confess. Another notable song of theirs is “Someone You’d Rather Be Dating” from their second album released in 2016, People Can’t Stop Chillin’. With elements of electro-pop, one of the song’s strong points is the funky bass line. It is about confronting a lover about a failing relationship and listing reasons why they shouldn’t leave for someone else. From their most recent album, Everyone’s Invited, “Shiggy” is made up of mellow synths that create its smooth groove. This song is different from their other songs in the way that it features rapping from rapper Keith Charles, which subtly gives off an R&B feel.

The last artist is Miguel Reyes, better known by his moniker as Michael Seyer. He is a Filipino-American who grew up just outside of LA. His most popular song on Spotify with about 10 million plays is “Pretty Girls”, which is from his first album, Ugly Boy, released in 2016. It has a mellow, arpeggiated guitar melody surfacing throughout the song with a break in the middle featuring spoken singing from the same voice at two different octaves. The song is about how society (represented by the pretty girls in the song) fails to judge based on one’s personality instead of one’s appearance. Along with “Pretty Girls”, “Ring Around the Rosie”, another one of my favorite songs from Seyer, is an indie take on the nursery rhyme with the same name. With sprinkles of guitar with the wah effect throughout the song as well as the electric piano, it’s impossible to not nod your head to the smooth beat. My take on the song is that it’s someone singing about a toxic lover who they suspect is cheating on them, thus making them wonder if their lover still has feelings for them. The line “we all fall down” in the song refers to the current relationship ending soon.

Hopefully these news artists will make an appearance in your playlist, whether you’ve been a long time fan of indie or you’re new to the genre. Happy listening!