Discovering new music is always exciting when in search of something new. Often you hear the same five artists being played over and over again on the radio. Let’s uncover four new artists that have been hiding in plain sight. These artists offer a range of different genres, and I can guarantee there is something for you.
Searows (Alec Duckart) is a folk singer originally from Portland, Oregon. He began his music career in 2022 and since has come out with two albums and multiple singles. Starting in Jan., he will be on a small U.S. tour hitting California and New York. Duckart’s music has a feeling of melancholy and nostalgia. This year Duckart released a single called “House Song.” He described the song as “a personification of a childhood bedroom.” The song is slow and quiet, which provides a feeling of comfort. The lyric “there’s a thousand things that don’t wash out with anything” represents pieces from our childhood that will always be a part of us. The song “Keep the Rain” is a song featured on Duckart’s first album, “Guard Dog.” This song explores conflicting feelings within ourselves. The song starts with the line “I don’t know what steps to take I do the easy ones until it helps.” This portrays the inner turmoils we face in life and expresses feelings that come up with clashing feelings. Searow’s music is perfect for late night drives and rainy days.
Claire Rosinkranz is a pop singer from California. She first started releasing music in 2019 when she was 15 years old. She has released many singles and EPs and this year she released her first album called “Just Because.” She is not widely known, but you may recognize her song “Backyard Boy” because it blew up during the pandemic when it first went viral on TikTok. This song encapsulates the feeling of meeting someone new and the excitement that surrounds it. The line “my heart is on wings, I’m living in dreams” describes the sort of euphoric feeling of new beginnings. A lot of Rosinkranz’s music explores being a teenager and growing up. Her music is very upbeat and perfect for summer days at the beach. Her live performances and her ability to command a crowd are also incredible. Rosinkranz will be starting her third U.S. tour in March and will be visiting Minnesota on March 23 at the Varsity Theater.
Peter McPoland is an alternative and indie singer from Vermont. He started writing music in 2018 and initially only released singles, but since then has released two albums. His first album, “Slow Down,” is very different from his second album, “Piggy.” The first album is a lot calmer and you can definitely hear the indie aspects of his music. His second album feels more intense and even has rock elements to it. His live performances are widely energetic, containing crowd surfing, lots of flashing lights and dancing. The song “Slow Down” on his first album represents this feeling of life moving too fast and not being able to catch up. The line “you better slow down or I’ll lose my mind, I have this bad habit of falling behind,” shows that feeling of being stuck in the past and not wanting things to change.
Dr. Dog is an indie rock band based in Pennsylvania. They started their career in 1999, and have since released numerous singles and 12 albums. You may recognize their song “Where’d All The Time Go.” It displays the feeling of time slipping away from you and feeling that you aren’t appreciating it enough. It shows how in the blink of an eye life has gone by and you feel that you have missed all of it. My favorite song by Dr. Dog is “Nellie.” This song feels like it is from the perspective of someone who is consumed by lust, someone who observes everything about another person and is just in awe of their perfection. Dr. Dog’s music encourages people to find the small beauties in life.
Music often helps us express ourselves in ways we never thought we would be able to. Finding new artists allows us to discover more about ourselves and music. I definitely would recommend trying out these four underrated artists if you’re in search of something new.
