One of my favorite pastimes is spending hours on Spotify looking for new songs and creating playlists for every mood or occasion. Although I love the music I’ve been finding the past few years, I realized the music I regularly listen to is pretty male-dominated. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always going to enjoy Harry Styles, Rex Orange County, COIN, Hippo Campus and more, but I really want to start making a conscious effort to listen to as many female artists as I do male artists.
Indie music is my favorite genre, so I’ve started looking for female indie artists to listen to, and let me tell you, these women are FANTASTIC. There are so many I could recommend, but here are five female indie artists you need to start listening to ASAP:
1. Soccer Mommy
Soccer Mommy is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee, who released her first studio album in 2018. I’m very new to her music, as I listened to her for the first time a few weeks ago, but I like her more and more every time I play her songs. According to an NPR interview, she is torn between a lot of different sounds that make their way into her music, and sometimes her songs are confessional and slow, while other times they are more influenced by upbeat pop and rock sounds.
Favorite song: “Your Dog”
2. girl in red
A perfect way I saw girl in red described is that she is “the lo-fi queer pop icon changing lives.” Her songs are very authentic and give her queer followers and those dealing with mental health issues a voice and someone to relate to in media. She writes, records and produces all of her music in her own bedroom, which shows not only how personal her music is, but also how much talent she has. I listen to her music a lot when I’m feeling anxious, and her soft vocals help me relax and feel calm.
Favorite song: “i need to be alone.”
3. Clairo
I first heard Clairo’s music when I was listening to the Maggie Rogers radio on Spotify, and I added her song “Sofia” to a playlist immediately. That song has since blown up on TikTok, and I think she deserves all the hype she’s gotten from it and more. Clairo has a soft breathy voice that is soothing to listen to, and her lyrics show an emotional depth that is impressive for someone who is only 22-years-old.
Favorite song: “Softly”
4. ella jane
I found ella jane on TikTok when one of her songs made it to my for you page, and I fell in love with her music. She only has three songs on Spotify right now, but they’re all incredible, and she’s so talented. Her song “nothing else i could do” was on the list of the top five songs I listened to in 2020, if that tells you anything about how much I like her music. If you’re a fan of Billie Eilish, you should definitely give her songs a shot.
Favorite song: “nothing else i could do”
5. ELLIANA
ELLIANA also only has a handful of songs on Spotify right now, but all of them are absolutely worth listening to. She is the artist I discovered most recently on this list, and I’m so glad I came across her music. A review of her song “Nirvana” on Triple J Unearthed says, “If you’re looking for something to caress your ears and make you feel alrighty, this is the spot,” and I think that sums up her music perfectly.
Favorite Song: “Fire”
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