_{By Mike Romero}

With so much music in the Provo music scene, it’s easy to get sucked in and start listening to music in a bubble. It’s always great to see what awaits you in the broader world of sonic textures, and to find new recommendations that can inspire you to make music differently than you did before.

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Canadian alt pop act The Ninth Empire. The Ninth Empire has a cinematic pop sound that’s sure to please fans of LANY and The Kid LAROI, while their melancholy emo undertones are sure to touch the hearts of former Warped Tour attendees. Their new song “Ghosted” perfectly encapsulates that sound, with rolling synth bass, tight drums, and sad boi hooks in spades.

The most striking thing about this song is just how gosh dang polished it is. Pop fans will appreciate the heavily effected vocals, plus the choice at 2:36 to strip all of the effects away and reveal the gritty, unpolished voice underneath and let the emotion cut through. The track even touches on modern Soundcloud rap for inspiration, with a rapid fire second verse keeping listeners engaged all the way through. It’s a quality listen and one of the best new indie finds we’ve had.

Make sure to check out The Ninth Empire on Instagram. You can stream “Ghosted” below.