Trending in Indie 

Sound:

Indie music has been subject to great change over the years. It's sound though vastly different due to different sub-genres of indie, still has an underlying base. In the last year we saw some great tracks by various artists, new and old. The sound of indie has developed a niche for conventional rhythm with unconventional sounds like Casey Dienel's, 'High Times'. The melodies are mostly a well balanced blend of directional and colour melodies and ambisonic and ambient sounds have seen a great revival in the last year or so. On top of this, these days indie songs have taken to fuse with other genres like EDM and R&B, creating more upbeat tunes. Indie artists, while retaining their airy vocals have turned to a more ferocious vibe. An apt example would be Marika Hackman's 'Boyfriend' where her music conveys a provocative mix of humour, envy and frustration. It's deceptively gentle and fragile sounding while having strong under currents of mockery. 

 Style

Style varies greatly in indie artists to match the sub-genres of indie or sometimes even concepts of specific albums. However, there is an underlying common trend found amongst indie artists. Most of them value comfort over fashion so they can be fully comfortable while performing so many artists can be seen sporting items such as t shirts, plaid throw overs, ripped jeans and converse. Overall they have a very chic casual look to them. However we must remember that the indie movement itself is very individualistic, which means some if not all artists project their individuality throw their style whether that be clothing items, hair or make up.

                

 

People 

Wolf Alice

With the release of 'Don't Delete the Kisses', an indie rock and synth-pop hybrid and 'Yuk Foo', a fierce punk rock anthem for the angst ridden, Wolf Alice strengthens its reigning superiority in the indie world.

Shahjie

The Pakistani indie artist continues dominating the indie scene in Pakistan with his reverb-laden poetic music painting an absurd and surreal world, reflective of a Pakistani's life through a fairy tale like glass. An apt example of this is his single, 'Pandol' over which he had complete creative control.

Matt Maeson

After being exposed to music outside the christian sphere, Matt Maeson started writing his own music and went from performing at motorbike rallies to developing his first album, 'Who Killed Matt Maeson'. This album with it's lead single 'Cringe', speaking of self induced isolation due to his very different lifestyle, made it to the top of the US Viral Charts and has brought the newcomer quite a bit of attention.

The Tamashbeens

An indie band, hailing from Lahore are gaining popularity fast by staying true to indie traditions while appealing to the people by singing in their native language, Urdu. Their recent track, 'Tor Phor', utilises brilliant guitar riffs, creating a very rhythmic sound allowing the chorus with which the song starts to shine through. 

Snail Mail

With the release of her single 'Thinning', showcasing her beautifully airy music and traditional sound, people around the world have hailed her as the greatest comeback indie has made, realising the initial values and sound of indie, refreshing amongst all the hybrid and evolved sounds indie music has developed.

Zion T

Zion T is a Korean indie artist who rose to fame quickly after his track, 'Yanghwa BRDG' and has continued making waves, talking about seemingly mundane yet personal things and feelings in his unique wordy R&B-Hip Hop style. He continues to rise and dominate with his latest album, 'OO' of which a personal favourite of mine is, 'Complex', featuring one of the biggest names in the industry, G-Dragon.