By Zach Collier
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.
Here are five songs from indie artists across the country. Hopefully something here can help spark some new inspiration for you.
falllift – “Geronimo Minor”
This male/female duo feels like the countrified version of the 00s folk sensation The Civil Wars and we are HERE FOR IT. This song is such a vibe. It’s a slow burn with really great auxiliary percussion, including punchy kick drum, stirring bass drum, highly orchestral cymbal placements, and what sounds like chapchas/goat toes on 2 and 4.
The subtle banjo and low notes on the piano are really effective, and the strings are gorgeous. This song shows an incredible amount of restraint, ebbing and flowing, building and swelling, until you almost can’t take it anymore.
And the vocal performance? We can’t praise it enough.
Arto Vaun – “Stuck Inside a Map”
Arto Vaun’s debut album, Stuck Inside a Map, dropped in June and deserves your full attention.
Vaun, a Boston native, took a dramatic detour from his music career to pen a book of poems, earn a PhD in Creative Writing, and teach English lit overseas. His latest project is the result of six years of introspective songwriting while abroad healing from PTSD, and deals with profound themes of loss, grief, and renewal.
The title track is a standout—a dusty, melancholic midtempo rock tune with tremolo-soaked guitars. Think Death Cab for Cutie with a hint of Band of Horses. The song’s production has depth that elevates the entire track. This one’s a must-listen.
Souleye – “Float Away”
Souleye, a dynamic hip-hop artist, delivers his rhymes with a fluidity that blends cosmic themes with everyday experiences. Hailing from New England, he was captivated by hip-hop during the 90s and by his mid-teens was already writing and freestyling.
At 20, he received his name – Souleye – during a shamanic meditation. After touring and performing with Transcendental Alliance (a collective of likeminded hip-hop artists) he released his debut album, Soul Sessions. He’s dropped nearly a dozen albums since, including Flexible Morality and Universal Alchemy.
We love the vintage beats of his recent single “Float Away” – particularly the stutters in the drums. We weren’t expecting the chorus to be as lush as it is. It features a beautiful melody and sung vocals that are surprisingly well delivered.
Sophia Sheth – “No Second Chance”
Sophia’s voice is SO FRESH. We can’t get over how good it is. This one has a great drop into the pre-chorus. It all feels very neo-80s and we’re here for it. We also love that the pre-chorus feels like a decent chorus in and of itself, but then you drop AGAIN into a much bigger anthem with great harmony stacks and a great call-and-response vocal.
Sophia Sheth is an emerging artist from Chicago that’s involved in every step of her creative process. She writes and co-produces her music, and it’s clear she has a knack for crafting professional, slick, and melodic indie pop gems.
icyslug – “I Miss The…”
The Queens-born Jacob Marmott is icyslug. He delivers a raucous mix of dance and rap that’s practically tailor-made for the college party circuit. While I haven’t met him personally, his background as a top recruit for both football and hockey definitely adds a layer of authenticity to the rowdy, high-energy frat vibe he brings.
There’s something about his vocal style that’s super magnetic—think confident bro vibes. He’s got this slightly slurred, effortlessly cool delivery. The way he layers doubles and adlibs gives his relentless flow a complex, rhythmic punch that pairs perfectly with the detuned synths and house beats. It’s a fresh, intriguing blend of styles that hits all the right notes.