Welcome to Asia Pacific and R, we highlight emerging artists who are becoming your new favourites. Below, we’ve rounded up some up-and-coming names from around the world who either just dropped their music or are releasing new music soon, from LA indie rappers and freewheeling punk bands to Southern California legacies.
Read more: The 25 best albums of 2023 so far
Rhys Langston
Rhys Langston Know that a love of language is the essence of creating great art. Whether he’s casting a dizzying body of work or publishing his own poetry, that spirit runs deep as his catalog grows stranger and more brilliant.On his latest album, Langston goes one step further, joining forces with enigmatic psychic duo Pioneer 11 for a new album Operate the system (Released July 26 via POW Recordings).Here they are interdimensional travelers who defy convention and celebration Possibilities are bound to inspire more rappers to push the outer limits. —Neville Hardman
strange ranger
strange rangera nomadic indie rock band formerly known as Sioux Falls, has become one of the newest mainstays of the downtown New York music scene.It’s been a tumultuous few years for the band, moving from Montana and Portland to Philadelphia and releasing a 2021 album heaven without light, Now moved to New York – where they’re working on their latest project pure music, July 21st. The physical shift accompanies their move from lo-fi indie sounds to heavier sounds. New singles “She’s on Fire,” “Rain So Hard,” and “Way Out,” reverberate industrial, underground pop tracks that will captivate any listener.Alexandra Sand
underline
super pop star on the rise underlineEven after signing a deal with Mom+Pop Music, they remained steadfastly independent, releasing their latest single in June. underscores has made headlines for its work with 100 gecs and with Travis Barker, both of whom fall for their genre-smooth electronic sounds – sometimes bordering on emo, possibly straying into dubstep-adjacent territory, and prone to glitches – Thick soundscapes of post-internet culture. There’s something inherently special about the way Underscores move through these sonic spaces – a sincere, irony-free appreciation of nostalgia, thoughtfully updated with consideration for contemporary culture and their own unique, obsessive style. —anna zanes
mother tongue
mother tongueThe duo of Charise Aragoza (vocals/bass) and Lukas Cheung (guitar/vocals) are imagining a different future. “It’s weird, and it’s free, and it’s kind of goth, and everyone wears eyeliner,” Zhang explained. But with shoes, alternative rock and breakbeats unfolding on their debut album, vicious love (via Wazy Haze, July 21), their vision became clearer and more exciting. Whether you’re into spellbinding songs or homages to 2000s movie theater game rooms, these internet goths from Toronto’s DIY punk scene are crafting something deep. —Neville Hardman
Jacobs Castle
Late last month, we were officially introduced to Jakob Nowell, the son of the late Sublime singer Bradley Nowell and a musically talented Home. Nowell released his debut single with his new band, Jacobs Castle. “Time Traveler,” co-written with Rancid and Ivy Action’s Tim Armstrong, is a powerful, almost ethereal network of electronic sounds and punchy guitars. While his deep voice could be confused with that of his father, and the past does influence an aspect of his work, Noel’s voice is largely drawn from the modern world. His main inspiration was the fusion of “California’s past with a modern future.”Unravel the mysteries of the underground culture of the Internet. “With this single and that emotion, we can’t wait to see what he has in store for us next. —anna zanes
between friends
The alternative pop project of siblings Savannah and Brandon Hudson, between friends, is in the business of making relationship odes.but The Los Angeles duo are expanding their DIY pop and venturing into the gritty world of ’90s alternative rock.With ‘Smiley’ coming out in June, driving BuzzThe graceful lines and angsty vocals are reminiscent of Hole’s softer tracks. Their next chapter will intentionally explore the tougher fringes of superpop. —Alexandra Sand
perennial
The art-punk trio from New England has become one of the most bombastic, raucous emerging rock bands on the East Coast. perennial Their improvised, free-flowing duo is making waves in the post-hardcore scene British modern pop, 60s soul, 90s punk rock, techno and free jazz. their latest project, symmetrical autumn leaves, Out September 1, reworks five tracks from their scrappy debut album, taking the frenetic heartbeat of the band’s original work and using a slightly updated recipe: a cocktail of modernism, a daring experiment that Perennial What they discovered and honed over time during their eight-year career. —Alexandra Sand
Bennett
Your early 20s can breed tremendous growth, and Bennett These rich emotions are precisely mined on their upcoming debut album, can i go again (Published September 22 via Bayonet). The first teaser, “Insensitive,” is a tight love song in which the up-and-coming star emerges with a veil of confidence despite rejection. Fans of Bartees Strange, Indigo De Souza and Dijon should stay tuned, because Bennett is clearly on to something great. —Neville Hardman
Lifeguard
From hardcore and house to underground rock, some of North America’s most promising emerging bands can trace their ancestry to Chicago.Gritty trio lead the charge in Sound Uprising in the Windy City Lifeguard. July 7, matador record release The crowd can talk/wear trenchess, a combination of two of Lifeguard’s EPs, it really showcases Lifeguard’s limitless potential. hold hooks and noises to the same standard and heavily inspired by the sound and feel of live music, The band gave us a whole new reference point for what punk means in the modern world and for a younger generation eager to experience and create their own underground sound. —anna zanes
Sad Park
los angeles own Sad Park freed no more sound, Their third full-length feature, this month. It seems the emo/alternative band is stepping up their unique, pared-down sound and dark, evocative lyric at this point in time. From pop-punk notes to ska-inspired horn songs, the band reveals their truest selves on this album – their debut album was Pure Noise, produced by AJJ’s Sean Bonnette. Among many other great L.A. bands, like their peers Together Pangea and FIDLAR, they’re finding themselves and tapping into their inner chemistry to find their own uniqueness. On this album, Sad Park breaks free from the “DIY band” but doesn’t abandon the DIY spirit.
