Our Indie Kids playlist celebrates everything on the indie spectrum, whether that’s rock, folk or pop, because we firmly believe in taking a little walk off the beaten track every once in a while.
There’s no better name for the first track of our latest Indie Kids round-up than ‘Where We Start’ and it just so happens that this single is incredible. It’s from Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Zach Tabori who distills the introverted extrovert paradox into this rhapsodic indie-rock number. The track emerges from a grungey one-two-one-two guitar sway and eerie synths into an explosion of drums, strings and Tabori’s flawless voice.
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Next for our adventure into the indie unknown is Creature Canyon, another Californian band, who have dropped this surefire road-trip track, ‘Sleepwalking’. They even drop the line “driving up and down the coast” into the mesh of radio-ready hooks, rock ferocity and psychedelia. Inserted between the sing-along chorus are little gems of riffs, grooves and mellowed moments that’ll keep the listener on their toes.
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Speaking on psychedelia, we have a track that’s absolutely soaked in psych and surf rock vibes from Texan indie-pop duo HOAX. The ear-wormy ‘Drew’ is from the pair’s upcoming conceptual album b? which explores the human capacity for empathy through their softened style informed by 60’s pop, 70’s Motown, and alternative R&B.
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We’re going to stay down at the beach with another L.A.-based band FNTN who evoke the younger, more naïve versions of themselves with the nostalgic ‘Impossible Summer’. It’s a charming and feel-good track following in the tradition of 60s surf-pop complete with charming harmonies that all filled with the past reflections of a sun-soaked romance. This song is perfect for a little mental escape into memory.
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I swear that we don’t plan this stuff ahead of time, it just so happens that the coastal theme carries on with Beach Weather, although that’s where the comparisons end. This enigmatic New York three-piece, comprised of Nick Santino (vocals, guitar), Reeve Powers (bass), and Sean Silverman (guitar/production), break up the beach vibes with their grungey and angsty alternative-rock anthem ‘Unlovable’. This track goes hard with stomping rhythms, distorted guitars and unflinchingly honest lyrics.
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On the road somewhere between London and Swansea, you’ll find Broken Fires, the retrospective indie-rock meets pop-punk trio who craft songs the delve into live’s trial and tribulations as you’ll hear with ‘Underside’. The key to the texturally complex track is in the minor-key middle section, where you’ll heard, “I’m hanging out on the underside of life.” It’s not about the glamour, but about dealing with your sorrows in an honest way and oftentimes that ‘aint pretty.
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And just like that we’re back looking out to sea with The Mind Action Conflict’s new tune ‘Ocean Breeze’. However, it’s not the warm Californian sands we find this time, instead it’s the cold wind and invigorating salt spray from of the Baltic Sea on Sweden’s coastline. Nature’s wild power is brought to life with the unpredictable format of this track, which was born out of experimenting with a piano and a LinnDrum. The unlikely components of an indie-rock track are brought into the fold with some fearsome guitar playing and the lead singer’s energetic, yet gravelled, voice.
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Leading us out this week is the downtempo ‘The Space In Between’ from Australia’s Alta Falls. Set over the minimalist landscape of downbeat drums and drifting synth keys, the duo’s lifting harmonies gradually lead us to the song’s moment of ignition. Around 2:52, the energy picks up with more layered vocals, driving percussion and 80s-esque guitar chords as a final reminder to the intended listener that we all have the potential to bridge the gap between people.
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PURPLE MELON 