Watch out for singer songwriter Kendra Checketts and the track Blasé. You’ll love if you like quirky upbeat indie pop. The new track comes off her forthcoming debut EP. It could fit nicely on Spotify’s Indie Pop Playlist.
The 22 year-old San Diego worked herself on the 16th season of The Voice where she worked with Blake Shelton and Adam Levine. Kendra made it to 14th overall on the show’s 16th season. Vocally she’s been compared to Adele, Aretha Franklin and Amy Winehouse. She performed at House Of Blues San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium, Marriott and Westroot.
Checketts released her hit single “I’m Not Sober” with producer Clueless Kit that clocked over 1.9 million streams on Spotify.
Look out for Jamie Lee Harrison and the pop ballad Say It Out Loud. Hailing from Newcastle, the pop track was produced by Lewis Gardiner who is known for his work with Ellie Goulding, Nick Jonas and Chvrches.
“The song speaks to that bond you have with someone special when you know what you’re both feeling, but you don’t want to ruin it by saying anything” shares Jamie.
I would put Jamie in the same category as the German breakout artist Zoe Wees. Big in your face vocals paired with big anthems.
He first made waves on Britons Got Talent in 2017 and turned heads with ‘Everybody Hurts’ by REM. In 2017 he released his debut album ‘Reflection’, followed with a 2018 album ‘Powerful’. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders.
Look out for Annie Elise and the new track We Can Pretend. You’ll love if you like a dreamy vocal and synths. The 20 year old has a voice that stands out, and was a classically trained violinist before embarking on an electronic pop journey.
The former Berklee student gave a talk at TEDxLancaster that became the most-watched TEDx talk on the subject of synesthesia which physically makes her see sound and hear color. Annie notes, “I loved being able to create sounds that produced colors I liked. It felt like being a conductor of an orchestra, except I was a conductor for color.”
“We Can Pretend” is a song about the space between dreams and reality. We initially wrote it to be about a false awakening, you know, when you wake up in your dream but you’re still asleep – but the song turned into so much more than that” shares Elise.
The track would fit nicely on Spotify’s Soft Pop Playlist and Apple’s Pop Delights. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.
Check out Don’t Go by New Body Electric. You’ll love if you like dream pop. Think MGMT, Beach House, Tame Impala and M83.
The duo has opened for Common Market and RJD2 and were featured in ads for Haagen-Dazs, Dutch Bros, and the Japanese FlowFushi. They had placement in MTV’s ‘Teen Mom’ series. They also landed on Apple Music’s Feel Good Soul, and got a shoutout from pro surfer John John Florence when he featured their track on Instagram.
“Don’t Go’ is about moving on from past relationships and into a new chapter you don’t want to end because it feels so good. There’s always a next step to take however” shares the indie pop duo. Give it a stream on KOAR’s Indie Invaders Playlist.
Check out the feel good track Put Your Head Back by Don’t Believe In Ghosts via Imagen Records/ ADA Warner. Fans of upbeat indie rock will love or early fans of The Killers or Modest Mouse.
The three-piece indie rock act has landed on TV shows including ‘Ink Master’. The track ‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ put the band on a regional radar. In 2019 Don’t Believe In Ghosts sold out New York City’s Bowery Ballroom. The band was on the up but Covid stopped the act from touring. Like a slew of other artists, this act is regaining momentum.
This band has always been about seeing the light in the darkness,” shares Nathan. “It’s always been about optimism, growth, and lifting people up. There were a few months there where I couldn’t even lift myself up anymore, it became very hard to focus. ‘Put Your Head Back’ is a defiant statement about no longer going down that path and re-aligning who you are and where you are going.”