Three years ago, Samia was lauded for making music that was profound and personal yet widely accessible. The Baby was beautifully assembled, though she wasn’t the first musician to take her deepest emotions and put them into the world so others can call them their own. But The Baby proved that the way she interacted with her surroundings had an edge to it that separated her from her peers. When that point of view gets taken away, however, where does a songwriter go next? For Samia during lockdown, the answer was clear: “I had to write about old experiences, because nothing was really happening, from this fresh perspective,” she says. 

Read more: 15 years later, the horror-comedy Teeth still has bite

In early 2020, Samia, like the rest of us, found herself sequestered in solitude, unable to make poetry out of the present — which ended up being a blessing in disguise. “I’m a person who’s really afraid of being alone, so I had to face a lot of things,” she says. The Baby was expansive in how it became a home for every listener. Its follow-up, however, would be Samia’s opportunity to give herself the same space. “I had more room to be totally honest because I was sitting with myself more often and getting closer to the bottom of the reasons why I felt the way I did,” she adds. “That allowed me to be hyperspecific in a way that I was scared to do before.”

Flash-forward two years, when Samia decamped to Betty’s, a North Carolina studio owned by Nick Sanborn and Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso, with her friend and collaborator Caleb Wright to make Honey — her burgeoning, mystical, and deeply forthright sophomore record. Honey is sparsely arranged and paired with a powerful story holding many throughlines; more so here than ever before, Samia is cataloging her experiences for us to understand, not adopt. The thesis of the songs being a fragmented relationship is a familiar circumstance, but Samia’s songwriting layers the record with vivid, specific imagery, like a Porches show at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, a lover’s mom threatening suicide, and doing anti-porn chants with evangelicals outside an ex’s window.

As other indie artists elect to go bigger and louder on their second albums, Samia approached Honey much differently. It’s heavily populated with soft moments that give way to well-timed dance numbers. At the apex of Honey, the solemn, empty-room piano ballad “Pink Balloon” organically transforms into “Mad At Me,” an evocative, sensory nightclub anthem. The lush retrospect of a withering romance on the former collapses into a paean about not being avoid fallout. It might be easy to compare Samia to other women in indie. Honey flourishes like a Phoebe Bridgers-Dua Lipa hybrid, but a track like “Mad at Me” is a perfect representation of the electronic elasticity of Samia’s creativity. 

How Samia was able to make such acute, upbeat changes of direction — like the title track or “Amelia” — work with the aesthetic of the entire album is due in part to her partnership with Wright, whom she considers one of her closest friends and the musician and producer she trusts more than anyone else. “[Wright and I] both really prioritize supporting the sentiment and supporting the song, and, coincidentally, it just happened to be that a lot of the songs needed to be spare and minimal for us to be able to tell the story the way we wanted to,” she says. 

Wright and Samia together have grown since 2020. They, along with Nathan Stocker and Jake Luppen, worked together on The Baby and were trying to be smart about their approach. Now it’s a 50-50 collaboration between them and their creative inclinations. “When you have a debut, it feels like a lot of pressure to be the person you want to be,” Samia says. That all changed during the pandemic, when she opted to let go of appealing to the masses by being relentlessly intimate in the face of environmental and sociological finality. “For [Honey], especially coming after COVID-19, [Wright and I] are more interested in being honest,” Samia adds. “If we were to die tomorrow, what would we want to say, and how would we want to say it? And, at the risk of not being totally accessible to everyone, I think it was important for us both to just say what we were feeling and to capture the environment we were in.”

[Photo by Sophia Matinazad]

After two years of reflection, Samia hasn’t hardened. Her arrangements have softened, even when she pierces through the gloom with a song that might enrapture you in a nightclub. “There are these huge moments of relief or release where we get to dance it off,” Samia adds. “That’s what we were aiming for, to really only to and use those moments when it felt like it was absolutely time to step away from the darkness.” An explosive, cathartic song like “Honey,” which Samia wrote in 15 minutes, is what she considers to be the culmination of the entire project, hence it being the title. “That song, just personally, I’m sure, will read differently to people,” she adds. “But that song, to me, represents the whole story that I’m trying to tell with this record.”

The surface-level story that Honey tells, lyrically, begins with “Kill Her Freak Out,” where Samia reckons with the anger that stems from feeling unloved. She taunts her ex, proclaiming she’ll kill whoever he marries and then recalls memories of worship songs, losing her state ID and having dreams of being pregnant. By the album’s end, on “Dream Song,” Samia is in a different place, singing of forgiveness. It’s not just a collection of tracks about sadness and breakups. No, Honey aims to track the personal trauma of two lovers parting ways, told from the point of view of somebody who has no choice but to scale back every layer and piece together some kind of understanding. 

That songwriting greatly informs the musical story of Honey, which poignantly details the ecological foundation that a relationship creates. Bonds break, people move and the world keeps turning, but the roots retain strength. Samia understands that now and clings to the imagery of Pando, a grove of 80,000-year-old Aspen trees in Utah that are really a single organism comprising 40,000 individual trees. The arboraceous metaphor captures Samia’s approach to record-making altogether, as all 11 tracks on Honey are connective tissue forming into one entity of catharsis aglow with oncoming hope.

Perspective is everything to Samia, which she generously emphasizes on “Sea Lions,” a piano ballad that swells into an electronic breakdown merging an automated voice with her octave-surfing harmonies. Though it’s subtle, Honey deals with how musical fame can affect a relationship or catalyze its dissolution, and Samia comes to the conclusion that it’s not reconciliation she seeks. She wants to cross paths with the people of her past and continue knowing them. It’s a theme directly addressed on “Sea Lions.” “You said when I come on the radio it makes you wanna die/Well if I shut up, can I come inside?” Samia sings. “I don’t wanna talk/I don’t ever wanna work it out/We’re too far gone/I just wanna see your house.”

Samia calls Honey a “community record” and likens her listeners, friends and songs to an “ecosystem.” On the album, she culls a habitat-like sense of wonder for the people around her and the music she makes, something she purposely looked for during the pandemic. “Curating community is a big passion of mine,” she says. “That was a big priority with this record, just trying to choose the people I was working with with intention and give them the space to be fully collaborative.” You can hear that influence on Honey, as collaborators like Christian Lee Huston, Rostam and Briston Maroney have their fingerprints everywhere. It changed the alchemy of the project altogether, most importantly because of how malleable and impressionable Samia is as a musician — even though she wasn’t always copacetic about listeners hearing the ticks and tricks of other artists in her music. Beyond that, however, she has always worked in close quarters with other artists, letting her own talents flourish by witnessing her peers play. 

“To have [Huston and Rostam] work so closely on [Honey], you can really hear them, and you can really hear their influence on me, which I used to be wary of or nervous about,” she adds. “Now I think it’s just the coolest thing. I hate doing anything alone, especially curating art. It’s always been natural to me to reach out for help and collaboration, and I feel so lucky that those particular people were willing to work on my stuff. I was really not expecting that.”

In recent years, few debut records as mystifying as The Baby have been followed up with a project as deftly inspiring as Honey. Samia is no longer attacking her own work with lyricism that everyone can latch onto. Instead, she’s using personal growth to make amends with retrospect, tackling old memories in new ways. “I had 10 years to write the songs on [The Baby], and I had barely two to write [Honey],” she says. “At the beginning of the process, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m gonna do this. Not that much has happened since I wrote [The Baby].’ But I landed on something that really felt right.” Samia attributes much of that decision to Wright, who accompanied her during their handful of week-long studio sessions. “There are very few people in the world who I feel comfortable being totally honest with, and he’s one of them,” she adds. 

For the first time, Samia wanted to simplify everything and just let herself have feelings. That decision is what makes Honey the brightest record of 2023 so far, teeming with confessionals and transparency. “I’m writing songs to communicate things to people that I’m too scared to say in conversation because I hate confrontation,” she says. “I also am pathologically trying to hold myself accountable all the time. I have a really hard time just feeling my feelings without picturing them in the context of a court of law and seeing if my argument would hold up, objectively.” 

Half of Honey is zoomed out, as Samia attempts to understand how her feelings comprise the bigger picture. The other half is, as she puts it, her “wallowing in it,” but with a flair of wisdom. “If I’ve learned anything in the past couple of years, it’s that it’s just as important to get to the other side as it is trying to be objective and trying to be mature,” she says. Much of the record deals with alcohol being consumed as a method of escape. Few club songs build an honest portrayal of how grief can manifest itself through dancing; the transitions into slowed-down parts mimic the lull of isolation. In an era where drinking to feel less is romanticized, Samia has devised a record that plainly illustrates how destructive the last few years have been. What a gift to watch her unfurl her own past with such attentiveness and veracity. Even more so, Honey sets a benchmark for more accountability in indie rock to come. 

Read more: The 55 best albums of 2022

Blondshell

Blondshell (Sabrina Teitelbaum) is alt-rock’s next blockbuster. This year, she made an entrance with a series of absorbing singles that play out like an emotional rush. Whether she’s crafting odes to 2000s cult detective shows that rip like an MTV classic (“Veronica Mars”) or singing of a smoldering toxic love (“Olympus”), Teitelbaum possesses a charismatic cool and frankness that envelops everything she makes. —Neville Hardman

Bob Vylan

With a sound that incorporates grime and punk, Bob Vylan provide rapid-fire, politically charged anthems that tackle social issues such as racism, police brutality, and capitalism. After releasing their defiant sophomore album, The Price Of Life in April, and given their wide-ranging sound, it seems inevitable that the duo will keep climbing the ranks of the punk, rock, and hip-hop circuits simultaneously and become industry fixtures in no time. —Alessandro DeCaro

CARR

New Jersey-bred, Los Angeles-based singer CARR is one of the most recent signees to Pete Wentz and Spencer Smith’s DCD2 Records. That should be enough to pique any (former) pop-punk kids’ interest; otherwise, her biting songwriting should do the trick. Born Carly McClellan, CARR, is clearly an A+ student of ’00s pop punk, with her more recent releases being flanked by sleek production and anthemic guitars. The tracks only uplift her words that often sound like late-night Notes app confessionals — exactly the kinds of songs you want to sing/scream along to into your hairbrush-microphone in your bedroom. —Sadie Bell

Chappell Roan

Throughout the past year, Chappell Roan has been churning out pop bangers, but lately the one that seems to be sticking with everyone is her viral TikTok hit “Casual,” a country-tinged pop number that details the pitfalls of a situationship. While Roan signed to Atlantic Records at just 17 years old, she’s gone through some transitions and has since redefined her voice as an artist with the help of producer Dan Nigro. Now, she’s making music that’s Taylor Swift-meets-Mazzy Star-meets-Carly Rae Jepsen — and she’s even been able to open for Olivia Rodrigo and FLETCHER on tour. —Ilana Kaplan

Destroy Lonely

Atlanta-based rapper Destroy Lonely channels the golden era of melodic trap in the vein of industry giants such as Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, and Playboi Carti — the latter of whom signed the recording artist to his own label Opium. Destroy Lonely’s flow is centered around fast-paced cadences that balance playful indulgence with direct lyricism. His production also shines, with stuttering hi-hats, booming 808s, and a unique juxtaposition of melodics that fuse ’90s-era West Coast hip-hop synths and hyperpop-like elements. —AD

The Dare

New York City fucks with the Dare — there’s really no better way to put it. The electro-art-pop project comes from Harrison Patrick Smith, who also helms the indie-rock outfit Turtlenecked and has been cutting his teeth in the NYC scene for years. After becoming (a damn good!) resident DJ, the Dare dropped his first-ever and still only single, “Girls,” earlier this year — and essentially, Manhattan and Brooklyn’s cool kid scene was never the same. First conceived as a joke, it’s a cheeky, sleazy banger meant to be blasted in dive bars and warehouse parties alike. He’s already booking festivals and major events outside of the city, so it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world falls for this indie-pop prince. —SB

Dijon

Dijon had his biggest tour to date in 2022, opening for Bon Iver, and it was a match made in indie heaven. Like his tourmates, the alt-R&B project from Los Angeles’ Dijon Duenas spans a variety of genres to capture a vibe that’s totally distinct to him. Some songs are total crooners supported by synths or acoustic guitars, and others are sunnier with the percussion turned up, but all are carried by his sweet rasp. His late 2021 debut album, Absolutely, has been a hit, but it seems like Dijon is just getting cooking and on the cusp of being an alt-R&B star of this generation. —SB

DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ

Imagine a universe where Sabrina Spellman creates rollicking house beats, with her sardonic black cat Salem grooving out by her side. Now, meet DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, the anonymous duo of DJ Sabrina and Salem, who’ve carved out their own nostalgic corner of the internet with albums that go on for hours. The pair are on a steady rise, equipped with a prolific number of releases, the bewitching power of the ’90s, and a 1975 co-write (“Happiness”). —NH

Drain 

In recent years, Santa Cruz, California has become fertile ground for birthing modern hardcore groups, and the scene’s latest export Drain are among the heaviest hitters. Since the release of their thrash-inspired debut LP, California Cursed, Drain have been propelled from hometown heroes to main stage warriors — due in large part to their playful aesthetic, uplifting lyrics, and stage presence that invites crowd participation. Now signed to Epitaph Records, opening for Neck Deep, and headlining the hardcore festival Sound and Fury in August, they’ll hardly be slowing down anytime soon. —AD

Dummy

LA’s Dummy are set to make their Sub Pop debut next year and have already dropped two tracks off the sure-to-be-great record. The five-piece make wonderfully strange guitar music that possesses strains of shoegaze and art rock just the same, and feels nostalgic for the ’90s, but cool and present, nonetheless. In the past year, they’ve played shows with Beach Fossils, Hosegirl and Snail Mail, so if that’s any indication, it seems like Dummy are the next indie band you need on your radar ASAP. —SB

Fleshwater 

Many bands have attempted to revive the spirit of ’90s post-grunge/shoegaze for years. However, few have ever come as close as Fleshwater on their brilliant 2022 debut, We’re Not Here to Be Loved. Comprised of members from Vein.fm, along with bedroom-pop artist MIRSY, Fleshwater have created a compelling, melodically-driven sound of haunting vocals, fuzzed-out guitars, frantic rhythms, and a certain dream-like quality that’s unlike anything else at the moment. On We’re Not Here to Be Loved, Fleshwater channel the energy of classic ‘90s groups such as Failure, Deftones, and Hum in progressively new ways that capture existential dread in vivid detail. It’s sure to be the moody soundtrack to bring us into 2023. —AD

Hemlocke Springs

For 24-year-old medical student Isimeme “Naomi” Udu, making music used to be a hobby. If she got the rare inkling to release a track, she’d put it up on Soundcloud and then immediately take it down. That all changed in 2022 when she put out “girlfriend” as Hemlocke Springs — taking the internet and TikTok (where it currently soundtracks 68K videos) by storm. She makes glorious, ’80s-tinged indie-pop out of her bedroom, and has quickly inspired a devout fanbase who admire her making music for “awkward Black girls.” She may only have two tracks out right now, but you can bet her whirlwind success is sure to continue into 2023. —SB

Ice Spice

Chances are, you’ve at least heard clips of rapper Ice Spice‘s mega-viral single “Munch (Feelin’ U)” or seen photos of the 22-year-old, self-described “baddie” appear on your feed. Few artists blew up like the Bronx drill artist this year — and few artists seem as destined for global stardom right out the gate as she does. The rapper is bringing a bit of spice, if you will, to drill. She spits ultra-fast verses full of stop-in-your-tracks funny, smart lines that put shitty men in their place, and even flips classic EDM tracks. With a debut album in the works, she’s sure to bring some much-needed zest into your life. —SB

Isabella Lovestory

If you’re curious about who one of the next big pop stars might be, look no further than Isabella Lovestory. The Honduran singer, now based in Montreal, is adding a sexy, feminine flair to reggaeton, fusing it with Y2K-resonant pop and hyperpop. On her songs, like off her recent 2022 record Amor Hardcore, she sings empowered, sexually charged songs in a matter-of-fact tone over maximalist tracks that could soundtrack both a high-end runway show or underground rave. Next year, she’ll be touring her latest even more — but it seems likely that in due time she’ll be opening for names like Dua Lipa and Rosalía. It’s about time we fast-track her innate star power straight to global domination. —SB

Kid Bookie

On the heels of a nu-metal revival, Kid Bookie charges to the foreground, all guns blazing with a cheeky smirk. He’s like a love child of Linkin Park and Slipknot, so if you love all the rage and excitement of metal — Bookie is your guy. “Stuck In My Ways” feat. Corey Taylor put Bookie on the radar of heavy music fans, but the 2021 release “Mass Hysteria” solidified his place for naysayers or gatekeepers. After fighting against stereotypes towards Black artists in rock and metal, Bookie has spearheaded a movement and created more room for BIPOC artists to follow in his footsteps. He’s a true trailblazer, and sure to keep fueling the fire in 2023. —Yasmine Summan

JELEEL!

With each backflip and shirt rip, JELEEL! grows more powerful. The Rhode Island rage rapper looks like a formidable WWE opponent — a towering build, muscles that bulge — that belies his optimistic, good-hearted nature. On record, JELEEL! melds pop-punk and hip-hop into a contagious brew. Onstage, he explodes into the kind of theatricality that makes him use fans for a few reps. The intensity of his live show, however, is far from a marketing scheme. Rather, JELEEL! uses his innately glass-half-full outlook on the world to help others find their way out of the darkness. —NH

Loveless

Following a meteoric rise on TikTok, a series of inventive covers of modern pop hits, and two LPs released in just one year, Los Angeles-based duo Loveless are putting the heart and soul back into modern rock on their own terms. With a sound that is reminiscent of later-era Bring Me The Horizon and the Plot In You, as well as subtle throwbacks to mid-2000s post-hardcore (think Saosin and Silverstein), Loveless undoubtedly refined their brand of rock with their latest album End of an era, and are poised to continue topping the charts and securing slots on major festivals in the new year. —AD

One Step Closer

After releasing various EPs and demos over the course of five years, One Step Closer finally delivered their sentimental and nostalgic debut album This Place You Know in late 2021 and have captivated audiences ever since. The band, who share a unifying straight-edge message, have seamlessly revived the golden era of ’90s melodic-hardcore in the vein of bands such as Turning Point and Bane, while also incorporating a more modern approach to the genre. In 2023, One Step Closer join longtime scene veterans Silverstein on their North American tour, and they’re sure to continue to reach new heights in their pursuit of redefining melodic-hardcore. —AD

Rachel Bobbitt

Before diving into the singer-songwriter sphere, Rachel Bobbitt had a bit of an unlikely start — as a teenager on Vine who shared pop covers and gained a substantial following. But she’s since transitioned into a singer-songwriter career that explores the depths of emotion — joy, love, and pain. The coming-of-age tracks have helped the Toronto-based artist share stages with musicians like Men I Trust and Indigo DeSouza, too. —IK

Raffaella

If you grew up on and can’t help but miss ’00s bubblegum pop, Disney Channel’s heyday, and weekends spent at the mall (or playing Mall Madness!), then Raffaella is for you. The singer makes indie-pop that plays on the Y2K music and aesthetics of her childhood, with a dash of snarky-sweet, tongue-in-cheek lyricism about the trials and tribulations of girlhood. From NYC but relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, the recording artist has fit seamlessly into the Midwestern scene and collaborates with members of the local band Hippo Campus on her tracks. Together, they worked on her EP LIVE, RAFF, LOVE (Act I), which arrived on Mom + Pop in 2022, and will be followed up by Act II in 2023. Live, laugh, and love with Raff, and you’re in for a treat. —SB

Samia

It wouldn’t be wrong to call Samia a poet. Her songs include illusive references to memories, heartbreaking confessions others wouldn’t dare say, and find the significance in details that could’ve been overlooked to tell stories about her, her friends and lovers, and what it means to accept the love around you. You could pore over her words for hours and — after drying your tears — still not feel certain that you grasp their full meaning. Regardless, her gentle, at times fierce indie rock makes you experience every emotion amplified. The singer came up in the NYC DIY scene in the late 2010s before relocating to Nashville and already released her incredible debut LP, The Baby, back in 2019. With Honey coming in early 2023, though, she seems poised to become one of indie’s biggest names. —SB

Softcult

Twins Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn initially appeared in the long-standing pop-punk group Courage My Love, but in changing their sound to the grunge and shoegaze-inspired Softcult, they’ve since come even more into their own as songwriters. The Canadian duo have released two exceptional EPs (Year Of The Rat, Year Of The Snake), as well as a series of singles, that echo their feminist ideals and activism against injustice. With poignant lyrics that tackle topics such as abuse, sexual assault, and oppression, Softcult remain fearless in their mission to make the world a better place. —AD

Tanukichan

Classically trained, multi-instrumentalist Hannah van Loon has been making music as Tanukichan in the Bay Area since 2016, but it seems like the singer-songwriter is about to enter a new era — and one you’d be remiss not to be a part of. Her sophomore full-length, GIZMO, is due out in March, and it sees her reunite on many tracks with frequent collaborator Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi and build upon her charming dream-pop sound. She’s released two singles already, “Make Believe,” a fuzzy, delicate tune where her gentle voice nearly blends with the track, and “Don’t Give Up,” which finds her sound meet nü metal. Listen to her hypnoticisms and you’ll feel yourself float away to somewhere brighter. —SB

Paramore’s “The News” is an angsty return to the band’s roots

While “This Is Why” captured Paramore‘s newer influences, “The News” is a return to the band’s angsty roots. Teeming with the anxiety of the doomscroll era, “The News” manages to bring back the band’s harder roots and pair it with the psychedelic guitar riffs they’ve been toying with in more recent years: “Shut your eyes but it won’t go away/Turn on /Turn off/The news!” Fittingly, it debuted with a horror-filled music video, too. “The News” proves Paramore aren’t done reinventing themselves just yet. —Ilana Kaplan

SZA’s “F2F” is a pop-punk anthem for horny sad girls

Five years after the release of CTRL, SZA returned with her triumphant follow-up S.O.S. today. The genre-spanning record is full of instant classics traversing hip-hop, indie rock, R&B, pop-punk and country-folk. While there are a few standouts — including a collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers — “F2F” is the one people can’t stop talking about. The country-tinged anthem has a pop-punk chorus that laments being horny and sad, which is the ethos of the project. But “F2F” is SZA’s most exciting feat on the record, somehow existing as the three-way love child between Fefe Dobson, Avril Lavigne and Pink Slip. And bonus? Lizzo actually has a writing credit on the track. —Ilana Kaplan

MOD SUN and Charlotte Sands’ “SEXOXO” is a nostalgic journey to find bliss

At this point, Charlotte Sands is pop music’s secret weapon, as she’s constantly able to add an abundance of emotion and vocal prowess to every track she is featured on. For “SEXOXO,” pop-punk powerhouse MOD SUN enlists Sands to pen a nostalgia-laced track that’s centered around a somber guitar line and blunt lyricism. It attempts to make peace with the past to pick up the pieces and find true bliss after a heartbreak. MOD SUN shines in his own right as a vocalist, seamlessly balancing rhythmic cadences that are akin to his previous hip-hop work, with an evocative tone that is sure to pull on your heartstrings. —Alessandro DeCaro

Lana Del Rey asks “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd”?

Lana Del Rey made her grand return this week when she announced her ninth studio album, the superbly named Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. To support the news, she also dropped the title track. The tunnel she’s referring to may literally be one that existed between 1928-1967 in Long Beach, where the singer-songwriter lived for several years when she was still performing as Lizzy Grant — but on the dreamy ballad, she’s more concerned about what the essence of such a place might mean. It’s a stunner, and invites you to think about your own Ocean Blvd tunnels. —Sadie Bell 

Blondshell’s “Veronica Mars” is an alt-rock ode to Kristen Bell

This year, Blondshell (Sabrina Teitelbaum) made an entrance with a series of mesmerizing releases. Now, with her fourth single, Teitelbaum has crafted an ode to the 2000s cult detective show that rocks like an MTV classic. Midway through the track, “Veronica Mars” blossoms into a ripper, with a guitar squall that could inspire instant devotion. All the while, Teitelbaum sings of home, the early aughts, and protecting her own boundaries over an alluring nonchalance. —Neville Hardman

White Reaper erupt in shredding galore on “Fog Machine” 

White Reaper always fucking rip — and they do exactly that on the second single off their upcoming album, Asking For a Ride (out Jan. 27 via Elektra). The latest song from the Kentucky stadium rock-inspired band is an uptempo blast that erupts in some very fun, nostalgic shredding. We can only imagine how thrilling it would be to see the group play this live to a crowd that’s totally going off to the sound. —Sadie Bell 

Jesus Piece’s “An Offering to the Night” harks back to classic ‘90s beatdown hardcore

Philadelphia-based metalcore unit Jesus Piece have made a chaotic return with “An Offering to the Night,” their first new music since their 2018 debut LP, Only Self. The track is an exercise in unrelenting beatdown hardcore that’s accentuated by frontman Aaron Heard’s vocals, which bleed with despair and unbridled rage. Jesus Piece have their musical dynamics down to a science, allowing tension to build just enough before allowing a cathartic release in the form of pummeling breakdowns and bass-driven grooves. Clocking in at just over two minutes, “An Offering to the Night” will evoke your most primal instincts and make you want to destroy everything around you — safely, of course. —Alessandro DeCaro

Dove Cameron puts a dark twist on 1994 Edwyn Collins hit with “Girl Like Me”

Dove Cameron has gone full-throttle into dark pop, and she has yet to miss. Following the success of playful numbers like “Boyfriend” and “Breakfast” this year, the singer has flipped the 1994 hit “Girl Like You” by Edwyn Collins and turned it into a sultry, synth-pop smash that challenges power dynamics and gender roles with an air of mystery. As she says it herself: “This song is what I would want playing behind me in a slow-motion fight scene in the action film of my dreams.” So would we. —Ilana Kaplan

Gloomer creates disorienting scuzz on “One More Time”

Gloomer, the humble shoegaze/drum-and-bass project of Elliott Kozel, is built on connecting genres that shouldn’t go together, but work. Now, the LA producer has unveiled another new single, “One More Time,” that follows that enthralling pattern. Lyrically, the song revolves around trying to help loved ones with drug addiction and the struggle of caring for someone set on self-destruction. Over breakbeats, fuzzy guitars, and even a string sample, Gloomer has made another cut that mesmerizes and disorients. —Neville Hardman

Samia releases a heartbreaker of a double single with “Pink Balloon” and “Sea Lions”

Nashville-by-way-of-NYC singer Samia has a way about her that could instantly make you break down, just upon hearing the sound of her voice relaying any number of her literary lyrics. The double singles she released this week off her upcoming record, Honey (out Jan. 27 via Grand Jury), “Pink Balloon“ and “Sea Lions,” certainly have that emotional pull. The pair examines a failing relationship — from when it’s on its way out and drenched in anger (“Sea Lions”) to the calm reflection that can come once you’re done grieving the breakup (“Pink Balloon”). While the love here may have been as fragile as the string on a balloon, you’re going to want to hold onto these tracks, and hold onto them dearly. —Sadie Bell 

Lostboycrow’s “Coffe Drugs” is a decadent ode to old vices

“Coffee Drugs,” the sixth track from Portland crooner Lostboycrow’s newly released album Indie Pop, is a decadent love letter to old vices. Wrapped up in a retro-style arrangement that’s reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys and Roy Orbison, Lostboycrow shows incredible versatility as both a singer and lyricist on “Coffee Drugs,” allowing the song to toe the line between heartfelt sentimentality and melancholy, as well as projecting his voice in a way that creates a palpable, intimate feeling. “Coffee Drugs” is the perfect pick-me-up for a dreary Monday morning spent lost in rumination. —Alessandro DeCaro

“LEMON LIME” will make you want to be best friends with the duo Bestfriend 

Bestfriend are an alt-pop duo made up of Stacy Kim and Kaelan Geoffrey. Like a meant-to-be indie-pop collaboration of the modern generation, the two connected via mutual friends and Instagram DMs and now make music together remotely from their respective homes in Vancouver and Toronto. Their latest single, “LEMON LIME,” is a charming little earworm, layered with harmonies and sound. Even as they’re singing of 20-something malaise, it’s a comforting tune and will make you an instant wannabe bestie of Bestfriend. —Sadie Bell

ill peach mark a momentous occasion with “GUM (The Loveless Edit)” featuring Ian Sweet

When ill peach shared “GUM” last year, they promised that they’d rerelease the track once it reached a million streams. This week, the experimental pop duo of Pat Morrissey and Jess Corazza made good on their word with the arrival of “GUM (The Loveless Edit)” featuring Ian Sweet. The pair’s chemistry remains as kinetic as ever throughout its three-minute runtime, but Sweet’s vocals and Estrada’s explosive guitar solo take the track to new heights. See for yourself below. —Neville Hardman

Matt Pond’s latest project as the Natural Lines is back with “Monotony” 

Earlier this year, indie-rock artist Matt Pond announced that he would no longer be performing as Matt Pond PA, as he had for over 20 years. Instead, he debuted his latest project, the Natural Lines, and they’re already set to release their debut full-length next year on March 24. The lead single is a sweet, folksy song about taking a step back and allowing oneself to breathe (“When you start to think about the way you breathe/It doesn’t mean you believe in monotony.”) Those harmonies and uplifting guitars are sure to do the trick and help you take a deep breath in. —Sadie Bell

Scroll through TikTok and you’re more than likely going to hear one of Annie DiRusso’s deeply vulnerable, raw songs about the complexity of relationships. 

DiRusso went viral on TikTok with her rock anthem “Nine Months” after downloading the app at the beginning of quarantine. The earnest indie artist (think Lucy Dacus’ signature raspiness with a healthy dose of rock guitar) was attending Belmont University in Nashville at the time. 

Her friend and then-guitarist Daniel Nunnelee had been encouraging her to post on the app all summer. In August 2020, she finally decided to try it, filming a stripped-down version of her song “20” in a black dress with eyeliner on. 

Read more: How Victoria Anthony went from singing with P!nk to creating pop-punk-inspired anthems

“The whole day Daniel and I were like, ‘Expect it to flop. Don’t get your expectations too high,” DiRusso tells Alternative Press. “I posted it that evening and really didn’t expect anything at all and kind of forgot.” Overnight, the video received 250,000 views.

“It felt like a movie,” DiRusso says. “My phone was blowing up, and all these notifications were coming in from people and musicians I really admired.” DiRusso described her first brush with internet fame as “very out of body” and admits she “had butterflies.” 

DiRusso’s songs are raw ⁠— anyone who has been in a confusing relationship (so, everyone) will relate and just might get chills listening to how relatable her lyrics are. She says it’s sometimes difficult performing her more unguarded tracks, including “Nine Months” and “Infinite Jest,” live.

But over time, she’s found that playing “Nine Months” is “very cathartic” and “actually quite healing singing it every night with a crowd.” For “Infinite Jest,” “she could cry” when she remembers everyone singing along to “these really vulnerable words that I had written, almost if they had written them.”

DiRusso moved to Nashville in 2017 when she was just 17. During freshman year, she started listening to Big Thief, Jade Bird and Lucy Dacus, and was “so inspired by the honesty in their songwriting.” She calls songwriting in Nashville “the craft of the town” and says she’s “learned so much” while living in Music City. 

Playing her first show after blowing up on TikTok at The Basement East in Nashville was an unforgettable experience. DiRusso called it “the coolest night ever” and “the first time I ever had fans show up to a show.” Prior to COVID-19, the crowd mostly consisted of friends and family, and this was certainly a departure. 

“There were people singing the words to my songs, which had never happened before,” DiRusso says. Naturally, she was “freaking out.” She’s since toured with Sara Kays and Samia, and is often approached by fans who found her music on TikTok. She went out on her own for a headlining tour in the spring and quips, “I feel like I’ve been touring for years even though it’s been about a year.”

The Westchester native graduated in December 2021 but found herself balancing her music with classes at the beginning of her career. She missed a month of school to tour and called it all “a lot to juggle.”

“I almost did fail out,” DiRusso admits. Luckily, her “professors were cool about it for the most part.” During her first headlining tour, she thought she’d have plenty of free time. Instead, she realized “there’s always something else you could be doing and a lot of distractions.” 

“If you’re staying with people on the road, you want to be a good guest in their house and hang out with them. And if you’re in a city like San Francisco, you don’t want to sit in an Airbnb or hotel and do homework. And then it’s time for soundcheck!” DiRusso explains. “Inevitably, there’s so many obstacles you have to navigate your first tour, which made it so I didn’t get any schoolwork done and almost didn’t graduate. But I did, thank gosh, and am so happy to be done with school. It was keeping me up every single night.”

With the August release of “Call It All Off,” a single she’s been working on since December 2020 with pal Briston Maroney, she’s set to skyrocket. 

[Photo by Anna Koblish]

“I had just gotten out of a relationship, and I was reminiscing and processing it,” DiRusso says. She started by reflecting on what her ex was up to now and then wanted to highlight “the feeling of getting out of a relationship and having to reenter the world as an independent person after losing yourself in something so all-consuming.”

And like her other breakup songs, it’s as vulnerable as ever. “I lost my sense of reality while in this relationship,” DiRusso admits. “A lot of the song talks about the fallout from that and trying to reconnect with people in my life that I lost touch with and regain the knowledge lost.”

Now, she’s preparing to embark on a fall tour with English musician Declan McKenna, who she’s been a fan of since she was 15, when his inescapable hit “Brazil” came out. This tour has been a long time coming, with DiRusso manifesting it when she was a teen fan.

“I remember being so obsessed with that song and the songwriting, and then figuring out he’s around my age, it blew my mind,” she raves. She emailed everyone on his team in hopes she could open for him when he first started touring, writing, “Hi, my name is Annie DiRusso. I am a 15-year-old songwriter, and I would like to open up for Declan McKenna on tour because I am such a big fan.” 

With this upcoming tour, her teen dreams are coming true. DiRusso calls it a “crazy, full-circle moment” that was six years in the making.

FOR FANS OF: Lucy Dacus, Samia, Maude Latour

SONG RECOMMENDATION: “Call It All Off”

The band will kick off the second leg Sept. 28 in Los Angeles with special guest Samia. Empath will then join them for the rest of the run, which concludes Oct. 13 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Read more: Wallows drop “Especially You” and announce upcoming album ‘Tell Me That It’s Over’

Those who subscribe to the Wallows newsletter can access presale tickets March 29 at 10 a.m. local time. General tickets go on sale April 1 at 10 a.m. local time. The previously announced North American tour dates are already on sale. You can purchase tickets here.

The news comes after last week’s release of Tell Me That It’s Over. The album was produced by three-time Grammy winner Ariel Rechtshaid, who has previously worked with artists such as Vampire Weekend, HAIM and Adele.

Check out a full list of Wallows tour dates below.

Wallows Tell Me That It’s Over tour dates

The shoe company is teaming up with AltPress to share the first in the series from the streets of New York City with alt singer-songwriter Samia and her band of the same name. 

Read more: ‘Joker’ film reportedly “upset” ‘Suicide Squad’ star Jared Leto

Directed by filmmaker Vincent Martell, Dr. Martens captures Samia and her band in their natural habitat, preparing to take to and then tear apart the stage at Our Wicked Lady in Brooklyn. Martell follows Samia as she opens up about the communal aspect of the New York music scene and the pushback she’s endured to get to where she is now.

“I think my purpose as a storyteller is to tell the one unique perspective that I have because that’s all I have,” Samia says. “Often in the music industry, the artist is regulated to a position of asking for permission and being told what’s objectively good and hip without being given any sonic references. So I think that is all to say that I am struggling now in trying to intentionally believe in myself and trust my instincts.”

Trusting her instincts expands past her music and to who she chooses to surround herself with while pursuing her dream.

Read more: Of course, the Dr. Martens Sex Pistols collab would be punk AF

“I was making music with people who didn’t support me and believe in me for a long time and who were condescending and made me feel bad about the work that I was creating,” she says. “I thought that I was just gonna have to rely on myself in this process for emotional support and to believe in what I make. Then, I met [my current band], and they have only showered me in love and positive affirmations and constructive criticism and things that help move the project along.”

That community extends beyond Samia’s practice space as she explains she’s made an effort to branch out to continue growing.

“There are so many powerful, solid communities that already exist, and people are so willing to let you penetrate their bubble,” she says. “I feel like there’s a shared mindset in New York of wanting to learn from your peers and a willingness to let people in in order to let them do that—infiltrate your circle. I think everyone understands how beneficial that is.

Read more: These Joy Division, New Order Doc Martens are filling our post-punk hearts

“That’s really what I’ve done. I went to shows, and I stayed after. I’ve said, ‘I’m in love with you, and I need you to let me into this somehow. I need to be a part of this, and I’ll do whatever I need to do.’ Through the process of working together and trying to have somewhat of a symbiotic relationship with these people, it just strengthens that bond. It always feels especially powerful to be able to curate shows with the people who inspired me, and New York is the best place to do that. It’s so accessible.”

Check out the full Dr. Martens Music & Film Series with Samia below.

Dr. Martens Music & Film Series continues in Los Angeles Oct. 23 with De’Wayne Jackson, who some will recognize from his support slot on Waterparks’ Entertainment tour last fall. Joined by filmmaker Erik Rojas, (tiLLie, Chase Atlantic, Waterparks), Jackson will perform at Superchief Gallery at 739 Kohler St., and you can RSVP here.

The following week, the series returns to New York City with Junglepussy at Superchief Gallery Oct. 30. You can RVSP here. L.A. Witch, Paranoyds, Sad Girl, OSHUN, Combo Chimbita, Phony Ppl, Death Valley Girls and PJ will also be part of the series. You can keep tabs on all of Dr. Martens’ upcoming events here.

As for Samia, she’s currently out on the road on a slew of dates supporting Remo Drive and Cold War Kids on their respective runs. Check out the full list below and grab tickets here.

Dates:

10/11 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Arts *
10/12 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *
10/13 – Portsmouth, NH @ Press Room *
10/15 – Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall *
10/16 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House Of Independents *
10/17 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar *

11/14 – Phoneix, AZ @ The Van Buren ^
11/15 – San Diego, CA @ North Park Theatre ^
11/16 – Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues Anaheim ^
11/17 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater ^
11/18 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades ^
11/20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore ^
11/22 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst ^

* with Remo Drive
^ with Cold War Kids