Artist Spotlight: Stripped-Back Folk, Carefree Garage Rock, and Ominous Punk-n-Roll
By David Weddle
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
Exploring the raw talent and resonant stories of the independent music scene.
It is an exciting time for new music currently, and with our regular spotlight articles, we highlight a huge variety of artists from across every imaginable genre for you to discover. Today we shine the spotlight on three incredible independent projects pushing musical boundaries: Ryann Ross, pretty nice, and The Infamists.
Kicking things off with an exceptionally graceful introduction is Jersey-born, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Ryann Ross. She makes a striking debut with her emotionally rich eight-track collection, On The Marsh.
Ryann brings her lyrics to life by using live instrumentation including the cello, lap steel, piano, and acoustic guitar. The stripped-back production makes for the perfect backdrop for Ryann's voice to really shine.
Lyrically, she opens up about the instability of her early twenties, reflecting on tough subjects like fractured relationships, homesickness, and rebuilding herself in unfamiliar places. Ryann Ross brings a timeless songwriting sensibility paired with modern emotional directness.
Listen here
Ryann brings her lyrics to life by using live instrumentation including the cello, lap steel, piano, and acoustic guitar. The stripped-back production makes for the perfect backdrop for Ryann's voice to really shine.
Lyrically, she opens up about the instability of her early twenties, reflecting on tough subjects like fractured relationships, homesickness, and rebuilding herself in unfamiliar places. Ryann Ross brings a timeless songwriting sensibility paired with modern emotional directness.
Listen here
Switching gears into a burst of carefree indie energy, we shift our focus to pretty nice, the solo moniker of multi-talented creator Joe Hardina. Operating as a true independent powerhouse, everything released under the project is recorded, produced, mixed, mastered, and released entirely by Joe himself.
His latest track is a sonic pivot from his usual catalogue, intentionally channelling the fun, bluesy, and uninhibited sounds of classic blues rock, garage rock, and western rock into a tight, three-minute indie track. Built with a fast-paced mentality, it is the ultimate anthem made for driving fast, singing along at the top of your lungs, and completely going wild. Joe’s sheer enjoyment in creating the track translates beautifully through the music, delivering a refreshing, high-energy vibe that is impossible to mistake.
Listen here.
His latest track is a sonic pivot from his usual catalogue, intentionally channelling the fun, bluesy, and uninhibited sounds of classic blues rock, garage rock, and western rock into a tight, three-minute indie track. Built with a fast-paced mentality, it is the ultimate anthem made for driving fast, singing along at the top of your lungs, and completely going wild. Joe’s sheer enjoyment in creating the track translates beautifully through the music, delivering a refreshing, high-energy vibe that is impossible to mistake.
Listen here.
Closing out today’s roundup with an explosion of pure, unfiltered Southern grit are The Infamists. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, this self-described "three-headed rattlesnake" has been delivering rock and roll since originally forming in a University of North Texas dorm room via a Craigslist ad in 2012. Maintaining the exact same power-trio lineup for over a decade, Riley Rogers, Spencer Wharton, and Ryan Weiss have built a reputation for a fearless, "anything goes" mentality that sees them playing tranquil cocktail lounges and tinnitus-inducing biker bars in the very same weekend.
Their blistering new single, 'Feral Noises and Amphetamines,' serves as the fierce lead offering from their upcoming full-length album, Black Magick Carousel. The track is a shot of high-speed, snarling, blues-driven adrenaline loaded to the brim with razor-sharp riffs, howling vocals, and a fangs-bared guitar solo. Delivered with a raw punk-n-roll energy perfect for fans of massive gang vocals, the song cleverly uses an ominous werewolf metaphor of trying to outrun your inner party animal to frame a deeply powerful, cautionary tale about overcoming addiction.
Listen here.
Their blistering new single, 'Feral Noises and Amphetamines,' serves as the fierce lead offering from their upcoming full-length album, Black Magick Carousel. The track is a shot of high-speed, snarling, blues-driven adrenaline loaded to the brim with razor-sharp riffs, howling vocals, and a fangs-bared guitar solo. Delivered with a raw punk-n-roll energy perfect for fans of massive gang vocals, the song cleverly uses an ominous werewolf metaphor of trying to outrun your inner party animal to frame a deeply powerful, cautionary tale about overcoming addiction.
Listen here.
Keep an eye out for more artist spotlights, and if you have any new music that you think deserves a shout-out, feel free to send it our way.