indie underrated

It’s May, which means a lot of you are probably putting together your summer playlists. We’re here to tell you that “Sunday Shroom” by Vanda is a first-ballot addition! This indie-pop banger fuses influences from a variety of genres. The musical arrangement, anchored by an acoustic guitar, is folky in a Taylor Swift kind of way. The vocal tones are soulful and reminiscent of SZA. And the chorus melody is as catchy as any pop melody of the last fifty years. It’s a feel-good song with a feel-good lyrical composition. Songs like this are enough to confirm your belief in the healing powers of music.

Babe Club is feeling reckless with a self-destructive new single called “Ruin My Life.”

This alt-pop heater is characterized by playful-yet-sinister synth tones, and vocal layers that sound somewhat reminiscent of Billie Eilish. Though the speaker of the song is reckless, you get a sense that he or she is in full control. This sentiment pairs incredibly well with the song’s perfectly dissonant melodies. It’s raw, it’s dangerous, it’s “Ruin My Life” by Babe Club.

Norfolk, Virginia-based singer-songwriter Ann Gray paints a contemplative landscape with her newest single “American Experience.” The song’s verses are incredibly imagistic and meaningfully framed within the context of the title. It seems that the specific “american experience” Gray depicts here is one of navigating young love around the romantically cold climate of the present. Overall, it’s a thought-provoking composition from an artist with a rich and refreshing perspective. We think it pairs well with music from artists like Sam Fender; melodically pleasant while saying more than some listeners might realize.

Listen to these songs and more on our playlist now!