Up and Coming Artists: These New Artists are Sure to Spice up Your Playlist

Hanna Marchesseault, Staff Writer

Finding a particular song, artist, or band is easier than it’s ever been. Apps like Apple Music, Spotify, and SoundCloud allow your favorite songs to always be in the palm of your hand. They also provide aspiring musicians a platform on which their voices can be heard. The days of being discovered by producers and rocketing straight to stardom are in the past. Now, most artists have a following without a label. They produce their own music in their home bedrooms, uploading their songs to SoundCloud in the hopes the public will discover them.

If you’re a fan of all things alternative and pop, Gus Dapperton is the artist for you. Hailing from Warwick, New York, 20-year-old Dapperton writes, performs, and produces all of his own music. He embodies the hipster generation, but also proves himself as an artist who stresses individuality. Sporting pastel colors on his EP’s cover–and in concert–Dapperton isn’t your average hipster artist. Songs like “Miss Glum & the Pursuit of Falling,” and his most popular “I’m Just Snacking,” draw you into the poetic side of his work and paint a picture of love and confusion. He’s still growing up, and his music is there to grow with him.

For the rock lovers of the world, Dan Luke and the Raid is the band for you. Hailing from Bowling Green, Kentucky, this band has more of an interesting history than you’d expect. Dan Shultz–the band’s frontman–is the brother of Brad and Matt Shultz, otherwise known as Cage the Elephant. Shultz was only 10 years old when his brothers started their band, and he decided to follow suit. Dan Luke and the Raid are made up of Luke and then his bandmates: Dylan Graves, Patrick Stewart, and Anthony Joiner. They’re a group that will ease the minds of individuals who worry about the future of rock and roll. While they only have one song released, titled, “Black Cat Heavy Metal,” their talent shines through. Their sound live is as smooth as their recordings, and you can’t help but get up and want to dance. They’re a sound that doesn’t come around often, and they deserve to be heard.

For hip-hop and rap lovers, an artist you can’t live without comes straight out of Compton. No, literally. Buddy (born Simmie Sims) is a rapper and singer from Compton, California. Growing up, Buddy was mostly involved in musical theatre and worked with different conservatories. He was discovered by Pharrell Williams in 2009, and since then has already had an eccentric career. Buddy’s newest EP, “Magnolia,” makes it hard to believe that he’s only twenty-three. Magnolia was released at summer’s end. Filled with attitude, love, and a poetic edge straight from a colorful imagination. Buddy proves himself as an artist that deserves to be heard as each track passes by.

If R&B/soul are your go-to genres, then the group Girlhood is where you need to turn to next. Recently formed in 2015, Tessa Cavanna and Christian Pinchbeck of London seek out a sound that is a reminder of 1980s-90s hip hop. Songs like, “Bad Decisions,” and “Say It,” feel like you’re gliding through air on a cloud where you’ll never touch the ground–and you’re completely content with that. Pinchbeck wanted to create a sound that was fresh and new. Messing around with an iPad, he manipulates touch technology and sound waves in real time. Cavanna’s voice is as smooth as butter. You’ll never want to turn this group off.

For lovers of all things country, americana, or bluegrass; this artist is for you. Brent Cobb, a native of Ellaville, Georgia, creates music as sleepy and beautiful as the town he’s from. Writing songs for artists like Luke Bryan and Miranda Lambert, Cobb is making sure his own voice is heard. Enlisting help from his Grammy Award-winning cousin, Dave Cobb, Brent created an album–and recent single–described as “country soul.” Songs like “Shine on a Rainy Day,” and “Black Crow,” are reminiscent of James Taylor and Ray LaMontagne. Cobb provides a sound that’s familiar, but completely different in it’s own unique way. For relaxing on the beach, or jamming out in the car, Brent Cobb has you covered.