5 Musical Artists You Probably Aren’t Listening To (But Should)

I have always been very passionate about music. In high school, I had somewhere around 300 CDS, and it wasn’t even until the last couple of years that I actually stopped buying physical albums (although given the current state of digital music that is slowly making a comeback in my life). My tastes have always been varied, listening to everything from classic rock to country. And of course, I had my personal preference of emo/punk/pop punk.

I also always loved live music. There is something undeniably special and highly therapeutic about standing in a crowd, whether it’s 200 people or 20,000 people singing along to your favorite band singing your favorite song.

Although I love music and have always depended on musical artists to get me through hard times, I kind of fell out of the loop the last couple of years. Not that I stopped listening to music, but I stopped consuming in the same way I had before, I semi-stopped seeking out new artists and new music leaning heavily on what I already knew, and I stopped going to live shows. But it is no secret, this past year (maybe a year and a half) has been a time of self-rediscovery. I’ve spent the past 18 or so months rediscovering parts of me I had muted or buried away and the importance of music in my life has come roaring back with a full vengeance (in the best way).

I have spent more time this past year at concerts than I have probably in the previous five years combined. For the first time in years, I think my SpotifyWrapped will have more hours of music played than podcasts. And although I am still listening to a lot of the bands I grew up on I have come across a surprising amount of new up-and-coming bands that you’re probably not listening to, but really should be.

Madeleine Mayi

(6,061 Monthly Listeners on Spotify*)

Madeleine Mayi opened for Taking Back Sunday at The Glass House in April. I will be honest, I never really have high hopes for opening bands, not that they are bad, but prior to this year I’d say most openers I experienced just never stuck with me. But Madeleine Mayi was different. I am obsessed with this girl’s lyrics and I could not get “Lights Out” out of my head for days!

verygently

(11.7K Monthly Listeners on Spotify*)

Comprised of songwriters Tristan Bushman, Drew Erwin, and Joey Hendricks, verygently continue to theme of impressive opening acts I’ve encountered this year. I got to experience them when they opened up for Augustana back in May. They opened up their set by signing the opening few lines of “Get Over You” acapella. No exaggeration they gave chills and I was in awe of their entire set.

They are a brand new band that just started this year. And since they are so new, all I can go off is what I remember them sharing during their performance. If I remember correctly, they formed as a band after Daniel Layus, lead of Augustana, saw them perform together in Nashville. He recommended they start working together and then when Augustana’s original opener for this year’s tour fell through he reached out to guys, asked if they had taken his advice, and invited them out on the road.

Durry

(106.8K Monthly Listeners on Spotify*)

Durry is not a new discovery of mine this year. I actually discovered Durry last year (or maybe even late 2022), but have not given myself the chance to praise them the way they deserve. Now officially one of my favorite bands, I discovered Durry when their song “Who’s Laughing Now” went viral online.

My mama always said I would regret it
If I ever got a tattoo
She said I’d never get a job like I ever wanted one
With that attitude

My dad said I had to learn to drive a stick shift
But every van I ever had was an automatic
My friends said that someday I would make it big
But I’m still living in the basement

I took a deep dive into every song they had released at that point and song after song I was completely blown away. I find so many of their songs so incredibly relatable, which if we’re being honest is hard to find in your 30s, especially when we are talking about things unrelated to relationships. Songs like “Worse for Wear” (please watch the video I included) and “Coming of Age” have become my millennial anthems, speaking to the struggles of trying to survive in this strange “adult” world.

Back to the rat race run in place
I just spin my wheel till my next lunch break
And hope it gets better with a five cent raise
But I can’t stop until I get paid
I don’t know which is worse, the commute or the hearse
I don’t think that it’s worth it anymore
Sick of living for the paycheck
Blow it on the weekend
I’m giving up and loading up the briefcase

Daisy Grenade

(162K Monthly Listeners on Spotify*)

Although I can’t quite put my finger on it, the way I want to explain Daisy Grenade and my love for them is by saying that they are the kind of girls I needed when I was in High School/College. They are pretty and have incredible voices, but they are also strong and snarky, and just the right amount of dark. Every time I watch them, besides “Oh my god they are so talented” all I can think is “They are so badass!” Their music, even if it is only momentarily gives me a boost of confidence I so desperately need in my life.

But my love for them wasn’t instantaneous.

I first saw Daisy Grendade when they opened for Fall Out Boy in March. I thought they were cute and energetic. They weren’t bad, but they didn’t really stick with me. Thinking back on that performance I think I would blame it on acoustics. They didn’t sound bad, but they didn’t sound clear enough for their music to resonate with me.

It wasn’t until I was getting ready to go to Sad Summer Fest, that I became fully obsessed with these girls. Seeing that they were on the lineup I decided to give them a try on Spotify and immediately I was hooked. Songs like “Hypocrite” and “Are You Scared of Me Yet?” became staples in my summer soundtrack.

And their performance at Sad Summer did not disappoint. Hands down they were the best performance of the day!

Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to see them two more times (WWWY 24 and opening for State Champs earlier this week) and they always put on a killer show, filled with so much energy. I also had one missed opportunity to meet them and successfully met them, but those are stories for another time.

Ian McConnell

(214.5K Monthly Listeners on Spotify*)

Another Instagram find, Ian McConnell makes music that makes me smile.

My first exposure to him was a clip from his song “Adult.” Immediately I was hooked and the Instagram algorithm knew it, so it obviously started filling my feed with more and more clips of more and more of his songs and it didn’t show me anything I didn’t like.

He writes songs with simple lyrics and catchy melodies, that are incredibly relatable! If you want to feel things and feel better, I say check him out.

*Spotify Listeners as of 11/16/2024