ARTIST PROFILES

New Zealand's rock band, The Veils caught my attention with their latest single, No Limit of Stars. The band consists of lead singer Finn Andrews, Sophia Burn on bass, Henning Dietz on drums, Dan Raisbrook on lap steel, guitar, and Uberto Rapisardi on keyboards. This alternative rock band at times reminds me of the goth bands of the 80s in certain songs and especially their lyrics. The band was started by lead singer-songwriter Finn Andrews when he was 16 years old. He had se

Singer-songwriter and rapper Aaron Hoffman better known as SonReal started off by recording mix tapes. In 2006 he released Trapped In the Streets and followed it up with a series of mixtapes. He released a mix tape every year starting in 2008 through 2014. It was in 2012 his collaboration with fellow Canadian hip hop artist Rich Kidd that gained SonReal attention for the single, Hometown. Since then he was nominated for a Juno award and has gained a large following. His music

Canadian blues-rock duo The Blue Stones caught my attention with their latest single Healing. I fell in love with this song and its lyrics. Upon closer inspection, the group is catching the attention of many. Their following is growing and I'm not surprised because the music has some teeth to it. Love the vocals and percussion on the music. The duo consists of Tarek Jafar on vocals, guitar, bass, and keys and Justin Tessier on percussion and backing vocals. The duo has been

Warhaus is the brainchild of singer-songwriter, Maarten Devoldere who is also the frontman for the Belgium rock band, Balthazar. He decided to create his alter ego and decide what kind of music he would like to create as a solo artist. It didn't take him long to figure things out. He said he wanted to make the type of music in the style of songwriters of the '60s. I think he succeeded. During his time with his band Balthazar he started writing during a five-year period for h

Fever Ray is Swedish singer-songwriter, Karin Dreijer Andersson, on her solo project. She is one half of the electronic music band, The Knife. As a solo artist, she is free to explore creatively with her music. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden this talented artist didn't waste any time forming a band. In 1994 they formed the rock band, Honey Is Cool then later formed the band The Knife with their brother. Since 1999 they have released several albums and for a decade kept plugging a

Singer-songwriter Dora Jarkowski who is professionally known as Dora Jar just had the opportunity of a lifetime. She opened up for alternative pop singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the crowd loved her. She was born here in New York City and later her family moved to California where she spent her growing up years. Her mother is a stage actress who was always singing show tunes around the house and would play music at home. The songs were from Stephen Sonheim and she would s

The alternative rock band, Silversun Pickups has an interesting sound. They caught my attention with their single, Alone On A Hill. The band from Los Angles, California consists of lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert, bassist and backing vocals Nikki Morringer, keyboardist Joe Lester and drummer Christopher Guanlao. During the 2000s the band was playing the club circuit all around California gaining followers. They continue to remain independent which many bands are choosing t

Indie Alternative folk singer-songwriter Riley Pearce got his experience performing live while busking in his native Perth in Australia. He grew up watching his Dad perform with bands on stage and decided to pick up the guitar. When he turned 17 he started playing out on the streets. This came naturally to him and knew he wanted to be a musician. His music has a calm to it and quickly puts you at ease. Lyrically his words move you and send you to the corners of your mind. The

What a beautiful name and one that is distinct and memorable. Meet French-Senegalese singer-songwriter, Anaiis whois as memorable as her name. Her beautiful vocal tones tell the story of someone who has been searching or trying to discover themselves. At a young age, she went from her city of birth, Toulouse, France to Dublin, Dakar, living in Senegal with her Dad then New York, and now residing in London. All those changes are reflected in her music. She says it's how she g

I first heard Yumi Zouma several years ago as I was checking out some new artists and fell in love with their song, Powder Blue. Since their release in 2015 of their EP, Cascine Park this band has been gaining traction and their fans love them. Yumi Zouma consists of singer/keyboardist, Christie Simpson, guitarist/bassist, Josh Burgess, guitarist/bassist/keyboards, Charlie Ryder, and drummer, Oliva Campion. This alternative pop band from Christchurch in the city of Canterbur

Have you ever had a song just stick in your head all day? This pop singer-songwriter from Belgium, IIiona had me humming her song, Garçon Manqué all day. This talented young singer has been creating a stir with that single. Iliona says she prefers to be underrated than overrated. It's more intimate to be underrated or underground. She is always taking risks with her music but so far her instincts have been on point. One of her goals was to perform live with her audience righ

New York City native, Blu DeTiger has been honing her craft for several years...and yes her real name is Blu DeTiger. Since the age of 7, she has been playing bass guitar and wanted to be a musician. Her older brother is a drummer and she felt she wanted to do things differently and she has. She later went to NYU and attended the Tisch School of the Arts and the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. She has been a DJ in the underground club music scene and from what I hear

Brazilian singer-songwriter, Bruna Mendez started her career as a lyricist but decided to express her songs herself. Born in the city of Goiânia, Brazil she weaves elements of funk, RnB, Electronica, and more. She is self-taught and has been a part of several bands there in Brazil. She's only been on the music scene for a short time but has been creating quite a stir with her brand of music. Her journey began in 2008 after writing lyrics for several artists she felt she need

I was excited to hear English Post-Punk band, White Lies new music. It brings me back to my days in college radio at WSIA-88.9FM in Staten Island, NY. Their sound reminds me of bands such as The Fixx and The Icicle Works new wave sounds from the '80s. The band consists of lead vocals, guitarist, Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave(bass guitar, backing vocals), and Jack Lawrence Brown (drums). The band got together in 2007 after they wrote songs that didn't feel right for their origin

German alternative duo, Milky Chance has been making music since high school when founding members, Clemens Rehbein and Phillip Dausch met in the jazz band they were playing in. They started recording songs and uploading them to YouTube to gain a following. Their music is a mix of alternative pop with electronic music and influences of both folk music and reggae. Quite an eclectic mix. In 2013 they recorded their first EP, Sadnecessary which was done at Clemens Rehbein's hom

He may be only 19 years old but singer-songwriter, Ekkstacy from Vancouver, Canada knows what he wants. In listening to some of his songs he wears his heart on his sleeve. He makes the type of music that has you in your feelings. He started making music at the tender age of 14 but sort of quit because he felt he didn't have enough substance. He started writing again as a way to deal with several personal traumas that were going on. He says it was therapy for him and it helped

This great Alternative Punk Rock band from Marrickville- Sydney, Australia has the music world buzzing. Their tunes are catchy and since 2014 have been playings gigs around their country. The band consists of guitarists, Teo Treloar, Carl Redfern, and new additions bassist Justin Tauber, and drummer Joe Parkins. The band says that they play the type of music that captures the raw sounds and energy of the indie bands they love. Some of their musical influences are The Pixies,

This Canadian band plays some good old-fashioned rock and roll. They have been making the rounds for a few years now and have quite a following. The band consisting of singer/guitarist, Luke Bentham, bassist Ross Miller and drummer, Kyle Fisher from Hamilton, Ontario is making the kind of alternative rock you can wrap your head around. They got together in 2006 and all met while in high school. The band started playing around town and gaining fans for their in-your-face type

There is nothing more satisfactory than hearing a really good song. I came across this singer-songwriter and was blown away by the lyrics of her new single, Hardline. The guitar riffs reminded me to an extent of the band, Type O Negative's hit song, Love You To Death. Julien Baker has been making music for some time now and she has the industry buzzing. This Memphis, Tennessee native grew up on VH1 and didn't get into southern music till later. She loves Hank Williams and has

When I first heard this singer's songs I thought at first it was a new song by Florence Welsh from Florence and the Machine. Upon further investigation, it is the beautiful voice of singer-songwriter, Freya Ridings. She has the music industry buzzing about her music. Freya Ridings who hails from England grew up in a creative household. Her father, Richard Ridings has been an actor and featured in such films as The Brothers Grimm and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The creativ