From power pop to indie rock, meet the voices you should listen in 2019
We can’t call them emerging artists, because they’ve been around for a while. But for some reason, they didn’t get at once the attention the deserved. The good news is that they’re slowly getting international recognition and that their recent works stand out in an always more predictable music scene.
Here are the artists you should keep an eye on this year: Banners, Sigrid and Andrew McMahon.
BANNERS
I came across Michael Joseph Nelson, a.k.a. BANNERS, in 2016 and I immediately fell in love with his single Shine A Light. He grew up singing in the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Choir and the Liverpool Kop. After releasing his first EP, Banners, on January 27, 2016, he made his tv debut on ABC’s show Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Now this talented guy is finally getting the spotlight: influenced by Jeff Buckley and Arcade Fire, among others, his music is an amazing combination of epic pop and indie rock that he describes as “haunting and hopeful”.
Add to playlist: Shine A Light, Someone To You, Got In You (Acoustic).
SIGRID
Born in Norway, in 1996, Sigrid started as a local sensation. After signing with Island Records, her music crossed national borders thanks to the single Don’t Kill My Vibe and she achieved global success with the hit Strangers. Her recent debut album, Sucker Punch, is a self-conscious electro pop autobiography that is worth our attention. Sigrid was the support act for George Ezra’s UK Tour and, this year, she will be touring with Maroon 5.
Add to playlist: Don’t Kill My Vibe, Strangers, Don’t Feel Like Crying.
ANDREW MCMAHON
Do you remember the pop punk-emo band Something Corporate? Well… their lead singer, Andrew McMahon, started another project in 2004 (Jack’s Mannequin), but he went officially solo in 2013. In the last 5 years, the American musician released 3 studio albums: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness (2014), Zombies on Broadway (2017) and Upside Down Flowers (2018). McMahon kept his original spirit but, over time, he turned his music into an intense and energetic power pop.
Add to playlist: Synesthesia, Fire Escape, Paper Rain.
