Indie Artists To Keep An Eye On In 2019

Stella Donnelly

Stella Donnelly Combines Comedy and Horror in New Music Video

Stella Donnelly, who was featured in The March Dot Podcast a Fremantle, Western Australia-based singer-songwriter, made waves last year at SXSW alongside her debut EP, Thrush Metal. The 26-year old is a jarring storyteller with a beautiful, Aussie accented voice and since that six-song collection was essentially just her and her guitar, there was no bother complicating the track besides using those core elements. On her brand new track "Old Man," Donnelly introduces a jangly, full-band indie pop sound to go with her freshly-released LP, Beware Of the Dogs.  Dig into her lyrics and you quickly uncover some compelling and urgent social messages.

Vagabon

Vagabon -- the project of Cameroon-born, New York City-based multi-instrumentalist Lætitia Tamko -- was one of 2017's biggest DIY success stories. In various ways, including breaking down stigmas and stereotypes within the fashion industry, she has proved herself to be a truly amazing artist. Her debut album featured guitar-and-drums gut punches like "The Embers" and "Cold Apartment" -- written early in the process -- alongside the last track recorded, “Mal á L'aise,” a sun-kissed sound collage made entirely in Logic production software. There are so many different routes Vagabon can take with her second album which is coming later in 2019.

Vagabon Changing the Face of Rock

Westerman

Removed from playing his first U.S. shows, we're anxious to hear from London artist Will Westerman, in particular his angelic voice. Lofty Nick Drake and Arthur Russell comparisons are well-earned, and in a modern sense, his dreamy, deeply emotional soundscapes echo Bon Iver, early James Blake, and the subtler moments of last year's acclaimed album by The 1975. His story is more like something from an adventure book, having started with folk music, then  tying in electronic vibes with a producer he happened to meet along the way. Westerman is currently working on his debut LP and plans to release it this fall in 2019. And being a one man project, I wonder if Westerman and Pronoun would get along?...

Westerman Does It On His Own

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal

Remember those SoundCloud vs. Bandcamp memes that were kind of funny in 2017? Adam McIlwee sits at the center of that Venn diagram, easing the two worlds into peaceful equilibrium. Way back in 2005, he co-founded the Scranton, Pennsylvania band Tigers Jaw, and helped carry the torch for emotional punk music through his departure in 2013. Soon after, Adam morphed into his true state, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal and ended up co-founding the emo rap collective GOTHBOICLIQUE. With GOTHBOICLIQUE in the works, he was able to collaborate with many artists, including Lil Peep, that were exploring sensitive lyrics and heavy metal emo beats.

How Wicca Phase and Lil Peep's Friendship Made Them Successful

Wild Pink

We're ending with one more from Tiny Engines Records, the same label that signed Nanami Ozone and are doing great for the year of 2019. New York City's Wild Pink make panoramic rock music that's like the War on Drugs, but with more emphasis on poetic, storytelling lyrics, and a little alt-country thrown in. Wild Pink is a band that deserves attention but if you told them that, they'd probably deny it. Or at least that's the vibe we're catching from them. Their 2018 sophomore effort Yolk In the Fur is a downright spellbinding listen. If it arrived on one of the bigger indie labels, like say Matador or Sub Pop, it would have been all over last year's year-end lists. Tiny Engines suggests they've got more in store for 2019, so here's to hoping for their third LP in as many years.

How Wild is Wild Pink?

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