The Head & The Heart – Hurts (But It Goes Away)

Hurts (But It Goes Away)

Artist: The Head & The Heart

Song: Hurts (But It Goes Away)

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: Seattle, United States

Release date: April, 2022

Comment: They’re not The Lumineers famous, but with 5 pretty successful studio albums, The Head & The Heart are definitely a well-known band. Named after the dichotomy of doing what your head says or following your heart, the band recently released their fifth studio album: Every Shade of Blue, which includes today’s recommended track: “Hurts (But It Goes Away)“. It’s perhaps the most upbeat track in that record and also a perfect piece of folk-pop. I particularly like the following lyrics that they sing in the chorus: ““tell me that I’m going to be okay, tell me that life’s going to find a way…”.

Unfortunately, this earworm doesn’t have an official video (yet) but here’s a live version they performed on Jimmy Kimmel’s show.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Gallipoli – Blurry Mess

Artist: Gallipoli

Song: Blurry Mess

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: Los Angeles, United States

Release date: April, 2022

Comment: Gallipoli means “beautiful city” in Greek. It is also the name of a region in Turkey as well as a military campaign during World War I. In fact, it was the ‘Battle of Gallipoli’ which inspired Aman Sheriff and Lucas McCone to name their LA-based indie folk act: Gallipoli, as a homage to their family history. Both musicians got several years of experience as music producers and film composers, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they decided to make music together.

Back in April, they released On Vondo, their debut EP, which consists of four beautiful tracks and was written during the 2020 lockdown when the pair lived in North Macedonia for six months. All four tracks are really nice but my favourite, Blurry Mess, is simply special. I just love the switch in gears around the 2:30 mark. The song, which talks about an out of sync couple full of doubts, will remind you of artists such as Bon Iver and Lord Huron.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Jillian Lake – Steady Hands

Artist: Jillian Lake

Song: Steady Hands

Genres: #indiefolk #singersongwriter

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Release date: April, 2022

Comment:  It is common knowledge that some of the best art comes out of feeling heartbroken. It was that aching feeling that inspired indie artist Jillian Lake to write Steady Hands, a luscious and stripped-down single that forms part of her brand new album Younger Then. After reaching over 100K plays on one of her most recent singles, Jillian is set to keep expanding her audience with her new work.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Joe Holt – Who Cares

Artist: Joe Holt

Song: Who Cares

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: New York City, United States

Release date: April, 2022

Comment: If you like indie folk music, then you have to give this song, Who Cares, a chance. With its sweet melody and Joe’s ethereal vocals, it’s hard not to fall in love with this track that this talented #singersongwriter wrote during the pandemic to reflect the helplessness we were all feeling –and to some extent still feel–, at the time. Who Cares is the second single from Joe Holt‘s new full-length album, Tired of Trying. Having graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2015, this folk-rock artist has released four EPs and three full albums already, all worth checking out.

You can find the studio version of this gorgeous track in the mixtapes below but here’s a live rendition of it. Enjoy:

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Kami Kehoe – Test Dummy

Artist: Kami Kehoe

Song: Test Dummy

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Las Vegas, United States

Release date: April, 2022

Comment: A song about heartbreak, Test Dummy is a hauntingly melancholic tune that grows on you with every single listen. Promising Las Vegas-based artist Kami Kehoe wrote it after a heartbreak and in the process showed us that she got what it takes to make outstanding music. Definitely someone to keep an eye on. Check her out.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Rose-Erin Stokes – The Same Way

Rose-Erin Stokes
Photo: Andrew Sowka

Artist: Rose-Erin Stokes

Song: The Same Way

Genres: #indiefolk #singersongwriter

Location: Ontario, Canada

Release date: April, 2022

Comment:  This sweet and gorgeous song goes hand in hand with its quirky music video, which is basically a short film directed by Andrew Sowka. The song, part of Rose-Erin’s upcoming LP, When The Sun Goes Away, is a guitar-based indie-folk tune that somehow reminded me of Regina Spektor‘s Us, even though the two songs don’t sound alike. I guess it is the way how Rose-Erin sings “all along”. Anyway, please enjoy this magical song/music video.

Featured on the following mixtapes:

Sigrid – It Gets Dark

Artist: Sigrid

Song: It Gets Dark

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Norway

Release date: March, 2022

Comment: Norwegian singer Sigrid got an international pop hit with Sucker Punch, from her eponymous debut album. That song was catchy and I did like it, but the young artist still managed to surprise me when I listened to It Gets Dark, a lead single off her brand new sophomore album: How To Let Go. This song is next level good. Check it out.

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Sasha Alex Sloan – WTF

Artist: Sasha Alex Sloan

Song: WTF

Genres: #indiepop #altpop

Location: Los Angeles, United States

Release date: March, 2022

Comment: WTF got some rather depressing lyrics but I fell in love with it anyway. As soon as Alexandra Artourovna Yatchenko, aka Sasha Alex Sloan (and formerly: Sasha Sloan), started singing: “Same shit, different year”, I was spellbound. One of the lead singles off Sasha’s sophomore album, I Blame The World (which is going to be released next week!), this honest track is definitely a #musicalcrush. Hopefully, there will be a few of those in the new album.

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Skinny Dippers – Wedding Ring

Artist: Skinny Dippers

Song: Wedding Ring

Genres: #indiefolk

Location: Brooklyn, United States

Release date: February, 2022

Comment: When most people hear the words: indie music, they think of songs similar to Wedding Ring, such as New Slang by The Shins (which was also part of the famous Garden State Soundtrack discussed recently here), so when you hear the second single off NY-based indie project Skinny Dippers‘ upcoming debut album, that’s what you’re going to get: a perfectly fine example of #indiemusic. From the warm guitars to frontman Ryan Gross‘ gentle vocals, this clever song about realising a little too late that the person you have an affair with is wearing a wedding ring, will certainly leave you looking forward to The Town & The City, their debut album.

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Cassidy Mann – Since I Met You

Artist: Cassidy Mann

Song: Since I Met You

Genres: #indiefolk #singersongwriter

Location: Toronto, Canada

Release date: March, 2022

Comment:  I’ve mentioned before that a certain song would have fit well in Garden State‘s award-winning soundtrack, but in Since I Met You’s case, that was absolutely what the songwriter intended. Talented artist Cassidy Mann wrote it after rewatching that movie and getting inspired to make something as magical as that soundtrack. She managed to do it, by the way, as this track is a beautiful indie song with a delicate electronic background that complements the acoustic brushes really well. Also, is it just me or does Cassidy sound a bit like Phoebe Bridgers‘?

Since I Met You is one of six songs tyou can find in If It’s Not Forever, Cassidy Mann’s debut EP. The sky’s the limit for her.

Featured on the following mixtapes: