Under-The-Radar Artists I’m Loving (as a Music-Obsessed Indie Pop Girlie)
- Ashley C
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Haute & Freddy
Track of Choice: Dance The Pain Away
If you like: Chappell Roan, The Last Dinner Party, Melanie Martinez
Haute & Freddy, aka Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp, are a new dynamic duo I have been obsessed with. Their debut album, Big Disgrace, holds 13 tracks featuring fun synth-pop tracks. Their costumes are also outrageously fun, with large frilly collars, wigs, and a rainbow of colours!
If you think these two are new to the music scene, you’d be wrong! Combined, these two have written hits for major artists like Britney Spears, Calvin Harris and Katy Perry. If you want to know more, read their interview with The Rolling Stone. Now, they are breaking free to create music that is explorative and completely them. What got me into their music is their song from 2024, “Scantily Clad,” which is now actually a feature on their debut album too!
If you like their sound and want to see them live in Vancouver, then you’ll need to hit resale websites ASAP — as they actually have a sold-out show on September 9th at Vancouver’s Hollywood Theatre.
A fun tidbit for all Chappell Roan fans, their song “Shy Girl,” is giving Roan nostalgia at the end of this song.
Debbii Dawson
Track of Choice: Chemical Romance
If you like: Syd Taylor, CMAT, Goldie Boutilier
Coming from the Midwest in the US, Debbii Dawson is an America’s Got Talent Contestant from 2022. Her soft voice and country charm shines in her music through her unique blend sounds. In an interview with Atwood Magazine, they describe her as having an ABBA-esque sound with her newer music leaning more disco pop. I think what is unique to Dawson is her ability to make something sound vintage and contemporary at the same time!
My suspicion is that “Chemical Romance” (2025) is the start of a new wave for Dawson, and after listening to her two more recent singles, like “Gut Feeling,” I can confirm the direction is more spunky pop (just how I like it). Give me the 80s piano synth any day, Dawson!
For now, Dawson might be more of a one-hit wonder for me. Her other music besides “Chemical Romance” tends to lean a bit more mellow and country than my typical indie or hyper-pop bias. Her website is also giving major 2000s vibes, and I love it!
Cherry Bomb
Track of Choice: Never be Me (M*therf*cker)
If you like: Wet Leg, Tame Impala, MARINA
With only two released songs, this is about as niche as I get. I can only find some information about Cherry Bomb online. Her real name is Mandy Leed and was previously the lead singer of the band Misterwives before their split in 2021.
Normally, artists are big on promoting their work, so either this artist wants to remain hidden, or they are too new for me to scout much about them yet!
Her first single, “Never Be Me (M*therf*cker)” has already reached over a million streams on Spotify, and over 53K views on YouTube. Impressive work for an artist whose music hasn’t even been out for half a year.
Sasami
Track of Choice: Slugger
If you like: Sarah Kinsley, King Princess, Clairo, Mitski
SASAMI or Sasami Ashworth is an LA-based singer in her thirties who started creating music as a solo artist in 2019. Her sound features indie pop with rock influences. SASAMI is a fluid artist known for oscillating between performer, singer, songerwriter, instrumentalist and even producer!
Her song, “Love Makes You Do Crazy Things - Sarah Kinsley Cut,” is a song for sad romantics. The layered musical accompaniments in this ballad with the theme of being desperately romantic is: chef’s kiss. My love for this song is truly driving me crazy, so yes, love does all make us crazy. Right from the get-go, another one of her songs, “In Love With A Memory” feat. Clairo is wistful, cinematic and features both women’s chilling vocals. Their voices blend so beautifully together in this pop ballad that I have it on repeat.
There is also, what I believe is, a French horn on this track, and I know that’s SASAMI’s main instrument so I have a sneaky suspicion that it’s her playing it too!
If you want to see SASAMI live, she will be a special guest for another artist’s show on July 27 at the Hollywood Theatre. If you ever search up her live performances, I won’t deny that her looks are intensely metal; it matches her high energy and expressive features in the best way, though! IMO, I think she will be a hit to watch.
Telenova
Track of Choice: Discothèque Inside My Head
If you like: Wolf Alice, The Beaches, Beach Bunny, Suki Waterhouse
Telenova is an Australian pop trio from Melbourne. Blending indie rock and cinematic pop, as seen on their most recent album, THE WARNING. I would say this album is upbeat but underlying with sadness. There are clear themes of personal struggles that feels autiobiographical to listen to. Songs like “IN THE NAME OF YOUR LOVE,” and the closing track, “WAITING FOR A MIRACLE” feel representative of the highs and lows of life. That optimism can be seen in the lyrics from the prior song: “Under the sky is a rainbow / Only after the flood does the sun shine below.”
I would describe their sound as having an electronic influence, with heavy melodrama and dark romanticism. This can be seen in the band’s slower tracks like “Bones,” which as a melodramatic ballad, is filled with reverbed dreamy vocals and a danceable beat. As noted in their interview with Unravelled Edit, their songs have layered meanings and comment on the complexity of our human lives.
If you want to take a listen to these songs, check out my playlist that features these artists and my track choices for them, including some other artists I love!
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