When it seems like nothing is getting better, music will be the thing to remind us that actually there is light somewhere. These are the 21 artists keeping us feeling excited and optimistic about the next twelve months of music.
Cruel Hearts Club
Picture Marina Diamandis wearing Doc Martens making giddy grunge – that’s Cruel Hearts Club. Making tunes across the spectrum from attitude-laden riff-heavy rock songs to classic glowing guitar-indie singalongs, Cruel Hearts Club are consistently dreamy fun, with a little bit of edge.
For Fans Of: Anteros, The Kooks
Walt Disco
Dizzying, addictive, and utterly entrancing, Walt Disco had a pretty good 2020 given the circumstances. Their Young Hard and Handsome EP (one of our favourites of the year) cemented their art-alt sound as a seductive snarl of excitement that could barely be contained in four tracks – so here’s hoping they unleash more before 2021 is out.
For Fans Of: HMLTD, Charli XCX
Squid
Oddball post-punk’s been on a steady rise for a while now, but no one’s quite doing it with the psyched-out eccentricity of Squid. Replace the typical post-punk darkness with some 2021 technicolour, plus some expansive (even brushing with poppy) builds, and you’ll start to understand the groove that Squid are in.
For Fans Of: LCD Soundsystem meets Sports Team
The Zangwills
The Zangwills are a shining example of just why indie-rock is having a renaissance – howling, huge choruses, stomping guitar slow-burns and genuine storytelling will always win, and they have that in spades. Twitching melodies irresistibly draw you in, and classic, soulful vocals keep you there as The Zangwills (along with much of this list!) pave the way far away from the indie landfill.
For Fans Of: Arctic Monkeys, The Amazons
milk.
milk.‘s fantastically danceable indie-pop sound has seen them rising quickly through the last year, and if they keep turning out such quality bops, we’re hoping that 2021 could be the year we get an album. The ambition and promise shown on 1, The EP (interludes on a debut EP? Bold, and pulled off with precision and panache) sets them up as indie-pop’s next big thing for sure.
For Fans Of: The 1975, No Rome
Baby Queen
Entrancing, vulnerable, and infectious: Baby Queen is, without a doubt, out to make alt-pop hers. Racking up support slots even in the nightmare of 2020 for the likes of Yungblud, and garnering massive admiration for her effortlessly fresh vibes, Baby Queen is the quirky hand to guide you through the new year with a sparkle.
For Fans Of: Phoebe Green, GIRLI
Talk More
Talk More might just have struck gold with the dreamy sound they’re weaving a name for themselves with. Striking a mesmerising balance between anthemic indie singalongs and sweeping, theatrical pop production, their drifting atmosphere glitters with readiness to enchant the world.
For Fans Of: Alvvays, Swim Deep
Lauran Hibberd
It’s hard to pin down whether Lauran Hibberd‘s music makes you feel like you’re her best friend or whether it makes her seem so cool that it’s intimidating… Maybe it’s both – the riff-heavy laidbackness mixed with the deliciously cool, effortlessly real delivery make her a voice you just can’t stop listening to.
For Fans Of: Bloxx, Ten Tonnes
Drug Store Romeos
Get ready to be mystified, because the hazy, electrifying Drug Store Romeos are here to take your breath away. Carving eerie, divine soundscapes out of whistles and velvety vocals, synths and organs, and intricate melodies the whole way through, one listen will have you thoroughly haunted.
For Fans Of: Gengahr, Billie Eilish
Fudge.
Explosive storytellers, vivid performers – Leeds’ Fudge. are a whirlwind waiting to be whipped up. Discordant guitar lines, frenzied fast-paced vocal deliveries, tense builds and crashing choruses – that doesn’t even begin to fully sum them up. They’re urban poetry in a way you’ve never heard it before, but you’ll be hooked.
For Fans Of: shame, Sleaford Mods
Kid Kapichi
Kid Kapichi will have you staggered that you’re not already obsessed – the ferocity of IDLES without any of the contrived soapboxing, headspinning riffs and shout-along powerhouse vocals. We don’t care how long we have to wait for festivals and mosh-pits again as long as Kid Kapichi are a staple at every single one – they’re dizzying, and with a debut album out in February, they’re on their way to domination.
Mollie Coddled
Meandering bedroom pop with woozy vocal lines just made to sink into – Mollie Coddled‘s glassy instrumentals and silken vocals flow ethereally between snapping beats and pulsing synths. Somehow she sounds like a summer’s afternoon and a comfort blanket at the same time – essential listening.
For Fans Of: Clairo, Easy Life
The Red Stains
If post-punk keeps rising the way it has done for the last few years, then it’ll be up to The Red Stains to keep it pushing the boundaries. They’ve already practically trademarked the combo of sass-laden lyricism, a dizzying instrumental melee of jittering noise, and voraciously buzzing energy. They might be fresh, but they’re definitely not tame.
For Fans Of: The Runaways meets Dream Wife
The Bob Baker Sound
Straight out of the mid-2000s, The Bob Baker Sound are here to provide that nostalgic feeling you spend every summer chasing. Their debut EP came out in October, but its timelessness means that it’s the perfect soundtrack for whenever you stumble upon it, combining sound of the classic indie greats with a refreshing acoustic folk-punk vibe.
For Fans Of: An acoustic Oasis or The Cribs
Georgie
With the voice of an angel and songwriting skills to match, Georgie released her utterly gorgeous debut album last summer, and enough people have already fallen in love with its ethereal soundscapes and silvery vocals that it’s getting a physical release now too. It’s as dreamy as it is moody, so our eyes are out for more magic in this style from Georgie.
For Fans Of: Jorja Smith, Laura Marling
Home Counties
With the easy-going grace and style of an early Libertines with access to more sound effects, Home Counties burst on to the scene with their classic-yet-cutting-edge sound. Upbeat riffs mixed with swooping, reeling vibes place Home Counties somewhere between the mid-2000s and the space age – perfect to escape 2021.
For Fans Of: The Libertines, Feet
Dolly and the Dinosaur
Even just their name yells fun – Dolly and the Dinosaur make upbeat, sunny guitar tunes just made to sing along to, packed with plenty a bright melodic line and a dizzy chorus. They shine their brightest on buzzy breakout single Unofficial (which should be a staple of any summer playlist), but they pack depth too in some dreamily melancholy moments. The balance is just what 2021 needs.
For Fans Of: Circa Waves, Indoor Pets
Bears In Trees
No one gets social media graft quite like Bears In Trees – when all we have to really connect with artists is the internet, Bears In Trees have knocked out some of the best infographics we’ve quite possibly ever seen to ensure we’re definitely connected. Add that to an unending flow of uke-punk tracks about self-love, struggles, and being young and yourself, you’ve got a band whose music we can definitely see ourselves needing in the coming months.
Public Body
Looking for a slice of utterly boppy, effortlessly cool indie-dance to spice up your January? Look no further than the woozily groovy Public Body and their talk-singing, jagged-melodied guitar tracks to provide just the thing. They’ve got swagger, charm, and energy in spades, so get on board and have a boogie.
For Fans Of: Sports Team, Feet
Atlanta House
Soaring, anthemic indie-rock – Atlanta House are undoubtedly prepared to take up the arena-sized mantle put down by the likes of Sea Girls and Marsicans and follow them to full venues and festival fields. Moody riffs, swaggering grooves and sultry vocal lines are all the calling cards of an indie-rock Next Big Thing, and Atlanta House are it.
For Fans Of: Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Night Cafe
Sunny Bones
Sunny Bones may only have one single out, but it promises that they’re out to shine a little light on the next year. Swaying, glowing musical textures, and a dreamy chilled-out sound is a must right now, and Helen Anderson’s honey vocals are totally mesmerising.
For Fans Of: Orla Gartland, Phoebe Bridgers
Here’s a playlist collecting all of the above for your listening delight.
