Indie music has always been subjective to taste. Recently, indie music has become more mainstream and more widely spread. If you want to dip your toes into the wide variety, here is where to start! These artists vary from indie rock to bedroom pop. Regardless, these artists are a great way to start spreading your taste in music!
1. Wallows
This band is a personal favorite of mine. You might have heard of the lead singer, Dylan Minnette, from starring in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, but their music is amazing. I would recommend starting with their debut album “Nothing Happens”. Their music is indie rock and there isn’t a single skip on that entire album. Personally, my favorite song of theirs is a single called “Uncomfortable” but all of their music is amazing.
2. Mxmtoon
Mxmtoon’s music really took off on Tik Tok with “Prom Dress”. Her music centers around a ukelele and is calming and relaxing. I personally like to play her music while working or doing homework. Her music is easy to relax and to have in the background. Her second album, The Masquerade, has songs like “Seasonal Depression” and “High and Dry” that are less ukelele calm and more rhythmic so she has a large variety.
3. Clairo
Clairo’s voice alone can put you to sleep or make you stare at the ceiling for ours. The soft bedroom pop artist has a variety of relaxing quiet music to some jams you can blast in your room. She has an album called Immunity and an EP, along with a bunch of singles. My personal favorite song is “Bags” from her album.
4. Declan McKenna
There’s no good way to describe his music but as an 80’s rock vibe. In my experience, Declan McKenna’s music is fitting for so many people, even if they prefer more pop or rock. My personal favorite song of his is “Humongous” from his only album What Do You Think About the Car?. However, he does have a bunch of singles to listen to, including “Brazil”, which became popular on Tik Tok.
5. The 1975
This band has been around for a while now, with multiple albums compared to the other artists on this list. My favorite thing about their music and albums is how they tell a story. The first song on each is called “The 1975”, an instrumental piece with some talking or singing that isn’t completely coherent or sends a message, a perfect opener that sets the tone for the listener. For example, their most recent album, Notes On A Conditional Form, “The 1975” is Greta Thunberg’s speech. Regardless of their ability to make an impact with their music, the indie pop band also has some pretty good songs. My personal favorite is “Love It If We Made It” from A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships along with a popular listen, “Somebody Else” from I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it. Overall, I highly recommend this band for both the message and the music.
6. girl in red
This artist’s bedroom pop vibe is what attracted listeners to her in the first place but the way she connects with them is why they stay. Marie (her real name), writes songs with sapphic undertones and relatable lyrics. Her song “summer depression” shows how teenagers feel and think, how they say they’re depressed and brush it off as a joke while still carrying that weight. She has no albums, only scattered singles. My personal favorite song is “watch you sleep.”, which provides a sense of calm and security. The way Marie has the way of reading her listeners’ minds and still having really enjoyable music is amazing and I highly recommend.
To get you started, here's a Spotify playlist with some songs by these artists:
YES to all of these 😌
you just named three of my favourite artists. i adore mxmtoon, ten 1975, and OFC girl in red for all my sapphic music needs.