The world took us on quite a ride throughout the last months and it hasn’t been easy. As an artist I’m in one of the most affected communities – no gigs, no festivals… it has hit many musicians hard. But the indie music scene really stuck together supporting each other and creating music to make this time a bit more bearable. As a musician, radio show host, and foremost a huge music lover I’ve been listening to a lot of great music – and I discovered some really amazing albums. Here are my top five indie records that blew me away while being stuck at home.
1- YVI – Control
I discovered YVI on an online festival. I remember tuning in while frontman Diederik Bradsma was playing a song called „Hometown“ from their debut record. His masterful songwriting and emotional performance immediately captured my full attention and an hour later I had listened to the full album „A Few Words of Comfort“ and became a fan. I wanted to hear more – and I was in luck! The band from the Netherlands released their second EP „Control“ during quarantine. Reinventing their style while keeping the raw emotion that defines their sound they created another truly beautiful work of art.
Listen to Control here:
Buy the album here: https://yvimusic.bandcamp.com/album/control-2
2- Paddy Dennehy – Little Light
One line sung by the Irish songwriter was enough to make me click on his profile and listen to the whole album. Dennehy is a real vocal force, his performance is powerful and it doesn’t hold back an inch of emotion. That combined with strong messages, great storytelling and a beautiful production makes this album a masterpiece. It takes you on an emotional journey through the worries, struggles and feelings that come with being human, and it’s a beautifully painful journey. It’s the kind of music you just need sometimes.
Listen to it here:
Buy it here: https://paddydennehy.bigcartel.com/product/little-light-album-cd
3- Christiana Zöllner – Lofi Folkie
You know a song is good when it works with a guitar and a voice – and this album proves that. It’s a collection of 8 beautiful folky tracks that combine masterful songwriting with a lovely guitar and an honest and emotional vocal performance. It’s a heartwarming and relatable album, that welcomes you with refreshing honesty that creates a real connection to the listener. My personal favorite is „Any Little Star Ship“. It’s been stuck in my head ever since I heard it and it always makes me smile.
Listen to Lofi Folkie here:
Buy the album here: https://christianazollner.bandcamp.com/album/lofi-folkie
4- Safe by Sound – The Radroom Session EP
Long before Corona I was fortunate to see „Safe by Sound“ live in Germany. I was immediately impressed by their groove, beautiful harmonies and great use of the looper. Just before the lockdown they recorded „The Radroom Session EP“ a live album with many unreleased songs. The recording really captures their great chemistry as a duo and shows how great the two musicians are. With wonderful harmonies, great melodies & rhythm and that live feeling that we all learned to miss in these times. This is truly a great EP to listen to and sing along to (Get ready to scream HEY! in „Sunlight“).
Click here to listen:
You can also see the sessions on Youtube:
5- The Satellite Station – What are we all searching for
I couldn’t make this list without including „What are we all searching for“ by The Satellite Station. The man behind the music is Travis Rue – his songs have a big and uplifting feeling yet he still manages to tell deeply vulnerable and emotional stories. It’s that kind of music that you can listen to in the car singing along with a smile on your face but also while sitting at home buried in your thoughts and melancholy. The album is a bitter sweet collection of great songs, beautiful melodies and stories to uplift and carry you through life.
Listen to the album here:
Buy the album: https://thesatellitestation.com/product/what-are-we-all-searching-for-
- Luna Keller‘s haunting new single, “A Ray of Light” is drawing rave reviews and getting added to playlists across the globe. Luna is also the curator of the supafresh indie playlist, “Why doesn’t everyone know these songs?“
