Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we got new music from Katie Gavin, Laura Marling, Soccer Mommy, and more.
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Soccer Mommy – Evergreen
Following the electronic grandeur of 2022’s Sometimes, Forever, Sophie Allison scales back her sound to its most essential components on Soccer Mommy’s latest album, Evergreen. Still, there are new flourishes to take in: the lush strings on opener “Lost;” the titular, tender tribute to Allison’s Stardew Valley wife in “Abigail;” the Alex G-esque guitars on “Some Sunny Day.” If Soccer Mommy’s latest proves anything, then it’s that great songwriting will always be evergreen.
Laura Marling – Patterns In Repeat
Singer-songwriter Laura Marling has invariably imbued her work with an aura of calm. Gentle, finger-picked acoustic guitars have become a constant of her music, and while that’s still the case with her new album, Patterns In Repeat, that tranquility has been given a new raison d’etre. As a new mother, Marling reflects on parenthood and domestic life on tracks like “Child Of Mine” and “No One’s Gonna Love You Like I Can.” It’s unquestionably some of her most tender songwriting yet.
Two Shell – Two Shell
Electronic duo Two Shell have always embraced their inscrutability. From trolling journalists in email interviews to leaking their own self-titled debut album months ago, they don’t shy away from playing into their absurd antics. Although they enjoy their opacity, Two Shell’s first LP contains some of their most accessible, danceable production to date. This is a record brimming with thumping kick drums, thick low-end, and wall-to-wall techno bangers.
Mamalarky – “Nothing Lasts Forever”
Indie rock four-piece Mamalarky are now a part of Epitaph’s roster, and they’ve just released their first single for the label, “Nothing Lasts Forever.” Although there is no mention of a new album, “Nothing Lasts Forever” showcases what could be an intriguing direction for the group to head in. Heavily filtered synths and funky drums abound, suggesting that the uncertainty Livvy Bennett sings of can be as frightening as it is fun.
Yeule – “Eko”
Yeule has been on an incredible run, from excellent albums like 2022’s Glitch Princess and 2023’s Softscars to their cover of Broken Social Scene’s “Anthems For A Seventeen-Year-Old Girl” for the stacked I Saw The TV Glow OST. “Eko” continues that run with what is Yeule’s most overtly pop song in her catalog. As its name suggests, “Eko” is about love, obsession, and a voice echoing in their head. Like the echoes ringing in Yeule’s head, their catchy new song will be echoing in yours.
Katie Gavin – What A Relief
MUNA is known for their sugary-sweet hooks, pristine production, and refined pop songwriting. So it may come as a surprise that the debut solo album from front-person Katie Gavin is quiet, contemplative, and mostly acoustic. She has described her first solo endeavor, What A Relief, as “Lilith Fair-core,” and it feels like an apt description. What A Relief may be a pared-down affair compared to MUNA’s outsized indie-pop, but it’s just as riveting, showcasing Gavin’s plurality as an artist.
Fievel Is Glauque – Rong Weicknes
Jazz fusion duo Fievel Is Glauque revel in confusion. Just as their 2022 debut album, Flaming Swords, accomplished, its follow-up, Rong Weicknes, twists and turns like a disorienting case of vertigo. That is, if vertigo were a lot of fun to experience. Simultaneously groovy and grotesque, Fievel Is Glauque’s second record is a whimsical expansion on their avant-garde blueprint.
Momma – “Ohio All The Time”
One of the standout indie rock releases of 2022 was Momma’s debut, Household Name. There isn’t any news of a full-length follow-up, but the Brooklyn-based outfit has returned with “Ohio All The Time,” a ‘90s alt-rock-indebted tune that reminisces on the possibilities of youth and the excitement surrounding one of the band’s summers on tour. If “Ohio All The Time” is any indication, then whatever Momma has in store for LP2 likewise seems pretty exciting.
Hey, Ily! – Hey, I Loathe You!
Hey, Ily!’s new album, Hey, I Loathe You!, is a total triumph. Caleb Haynes and co. follow up on the histrionic digigoth of their 2021 EP Internet Breath and their 2022 proper full-length Psychokinetic Love Songs with chiptune synths, swelling post-rock guitars, and pure panache. Emo heads who watch Nintendo Directs live are absolutely eating with this one, and that includes yours truly.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Our Home”
Will Oldham, the prolific indie rocker who records under the sobriquet Bonnie “Prince” Billy, actually went and made a capital-C Country album. Following up last year’s gorgeous Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You, Oldham decamped to Nashville with producer David “Ferg” Ferguson and cooked up a batch of songs alongside virtuosic session musicians. “Our Home,” lead single of next year’s The Purple Bird, features a breathtaking solo from mandolinist and co-writer Tim O’Brien. Country has always been a peripheral style for Oldham, his filigreed indie tunes inflected with subtle twang. But on “Our Home,” he leans fully into the Nashville sound, even going so far as to release this album on No Quarter instead of his usual home, Drag City. As “Our Home” shows, however, Oldham isn’t interested in facile pastiche; he’s the real deal.
