By James Sandberg
It’s become hard for Utahns, and even the population of the greater Mountain West, to ignore the chorus-saturated guitar, unique vocals, and clean breakdowns, all tied together with stylish licks, featured in the distinct style of indie rock that’s been coming out of Happy Valley in recent years.
After The Backseat Lovers’ 2019 breakout single, “Kilby Girl,” achieved late success in 2021 and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, the past few years have featured a revitalization of the attention given to Utah’s unique underground music scene—which possibly even contributed to the creation and success of NPR’s Sense of Place: Provo series that aired in early 2024. The waves created through the scene, which can mostly be attributed to the success of The (aforementioned) Backseat Lovers, have pumped out a specific brand of indie appearing in more and more newly formed bands from the Utah County area.
Utah’s new style of indie has expanded past the circles of the local scene without anything to call it; though one term that seems as though it might catch on is “Provocore Indie,” both because the bands with this sound (such as The Backseat Lovers, Internet Lover Boys, Lazy Loners, CAYSN, etc.) predominantly are from Provo (or at least from Utah County) and because the lyrics are very region centric to the unique Utah lifestyle.
Provocore Indie is mostly characterized by (although definitely not limited to) a few things: One of the most distinguishing qualities of the genre are the guitar tones, which typically have a touch of distortion on one guitar while the other is tastefully soaked with chorus and reverb. The clean bass lines are danceable, even when only root notes are being played, and the drums are deep in the pocket with the occasional unobtrusive fill. The vocals absolutely take the stage, with a melancholic tone and an unnatural accent, sometimes featuring a vocal filter that can only be found within the genre. The lyrics tend to be centered around themes of juvenile romance, and some of the nostalgia and bittersweet pains that come with that territory.
Arguably the most recognizable quality of the genre, though, are the iconic staccato breakdowns. These short bursts of harsh notes coming from a fully synchronous band are usually either featured in the pre-chorus or the bridge and act as a breath of fresh air from the nonstop groove felt throughout the rest of the song, as a typical breakdown would. Breakdowns usually appear in heavier genres, such as hardcore, or in some metal subgenres, meaning that those breakdowns rely deeply on heavy distortion and chugging. The breakdowns showcased in this particular style of indie are defined by the clean, quick bursts from the entire band, with lyrical hooks acting in tandem with the warm guitar tones and explosive cymbals.
One speculation into why the genre has blown up in the way it has is because of the resurgence of indie rock bands from the early aughts, which Provocore Indie borrows many elements from. You can hear those elements taken from songs like “PDA” by Interpol or “What Ever Happened?” by The Strokes and transformed into an entirely different sounding identity of indie.
The popularity of Provocore has led to a growth of talented, yet similar sounding bands (of which I’ve created a playlist that even includes Salt Lake County bands with similar influence for you to check out). It’s definitely still a growing genre, and though it might be slightly divisive (due to its large presence causing some to feel like it overshadows the variety of the Utah County music scene), Provocore Indie will more than likely leave a nostalgic musical footprint in the minds of the current generation.
Be sure to check out the first-ever Provocore Indie playlist below!