Written by Daniel Wright
I love listening to music; it’s a massive part of my day. So, here are five at least semi-unknown artists that you should listen to. By “semi-unknown,” I mean each has sub-5 million listeners on Spotify. This list is probably going to seem pretty genre biased; however, I think it is good to listen to a wide variety of music. I listen to everything from rap to indie rock to worship music, so give it a try even if it isn’t your typical music taste.
Twenty One Pilots. Just...wow. From the moment I first heard their Blurryface album, I loved their sound. They are this weird blend of rock, pop, and EDM, and they have been influenced by everything from metal to EDM to classical. Just know, the only reason that TOP is only an honorable mention on this list is because of their vast number of monthly listeners on Spotify (nearly 18 million). I was able to go see Twenty One Pilots in concert in 2019, and if you EVER get the chance to go to one of their concerts, do it. Their concerts are some of the most elaborate shows you will ever see put on. My personal favorite Twenty One Pilots songs are “Level of Concern,” “My Blood,” and “Hometown.”
5. Switchfoot
First up on the list is Switchfoot. Reminiscent of bands like U2 and Coldplay, and having influenced artists like the Jonas Brothers and (#1 on this list) Colony House, Switchfoot is an alt-rock band from San Diego, CA that has been around for over 20 years. They have released 11 albums and 3 EPs, winning a Grammy for their 2009 album Hello Hurricane. Their sound is heavily reliant upon the electric guitar, but the real star of the show is the voice of lead singer Jon Foreman. They are known primarily for their Grammy Award-winning Hello Hurricane album as well as for writing a large portion of the soundtrack of the early 2000s blockbuster film A Walk To Remember. I’ve seen them live multiple times and their insane skill is evident through headphones and in person. I love Switchfoot, so it’s hard to pick a favorite song, but at the moment, my favorites are “Saltwater Heart,” “Float,” and “Hello Hurricane.”
4. half•alive
California trio half•alive started in 2017, releasing their EP 3 in April of that year. It included three songs, including one of my favorite songs, “aawake at night.” Over a year later, in August 2018, they released their most popular song to date, “still feel.” The song and accompanying music video garnered the band so much attention that it earned them a record deal with RCA Records. In 2019, they released their first album Now, Not Yet, which reached #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker’s chart. Their sound is an interesting blend of indie pop, R&B, alt-rock, and electropop. They have said that they have been influenced by Twenty One Pilots, Vulfpeck, Kimbra (whom they collaborated with on their song “ice cold.”), and others. My favorite half•alive songs are “aawake at night,” “maybe,” “arrow,” and “still feel.”
3. Judah & The Lion
The best way to sum up Judah & The Lion is the name of their 2nd album: Folk Hop N’ Roll. They are this weird blend of three vastly different genres: folk, hip hop, and rock. They are most widely known for their song “Take It All Back,” which is a great example of these three contrasting sounds being perfectly mixed. They got their start as a Christian folk band, but quickly disassociated themselves from the Christian genre, saying that they wanted to make music for everyone. My favorite songs by Judah & The Lion are “Take It All Back,” “Over My Head,” and “Beautiful Anyway.”
2. COIN
Best known for the leading single from their second album, the band that brought us “Talk Too Much” is a fantastic blend of artists and is one of my favorites at the moment. They experienced massive growth after releasing “Talk Too Much” and didn’t stop there. Their third album, Dreamland, has continued their success. Their fun melodies and catchy lyrics make them a great band to blast while driving down the road or to turn up when doing homework in your bedroom. My favorite COIN songs are “Crash My Car” (which is much less violent than it sounds), “Don’t Cry, 2020,” and “Talk Too Much.”
1. Colony House
Oh, here we go, my favorite band possibly ever. I first heard of Colony House when I saw them open for Switchfoot at the Tabernacle in early 2019, and from the first guitar riff, I loved them. They are heavily and directly influenced by Switchfoot, and in a lot of ways, I hear a lot of Switchfoot in their sound. However, in many ways, they are totally different. Their first album, When I Was Younger, featured their most popular song, “Silhouettes,” which was featured in a Samsung commercial and received a lot of radio air-time on alt-rock and indie stations. Their second album showed off one of my favorite Colony House songs, “You Know It.” That song is another one that is perfect to crank up the volume and sing at the top of your lungs. The most recent album, Leave What’s Lost Behind, is, in my opinion, the best album of 2020. It is very different from their first two but still keeps their signature sound. I was lucky enough to see Colony House live in Athens right before quarantine started, and that was as good, if not better than, the Twenty One Pilots concert despite the size and budget differences. My personal favorite Colony House songs are “Was It Me,” “Keep On Keeping On,” “Looking For Some Light,” and “You Know It;” however, you can’t go wrong with any of their music.
Wow. That was really a lot harder than I thought it would be. These are all fantastic artists, and it was hard to narrow it down to just five. Below, I’ve linked a Spotify playlist with my favorite songs by all of these artists for your personal enjoyment. I’ve also added songs from three other bands that didn’t make this list. They are Young the Giant, Sarah and the Sundays, and The Band CAMINO, and they all just BARELY missed this list. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this music!
COMBINED PLAYLIST BELOW