New Jersey native and Nashville-based singer/songwriter Claire Ernst has been captivating audiences since her debut at 14. With over 6 million streams on Spotify, she has cultivated a dedicated fanbase. Claire’s sound is a dynamic blend of country songwriting, pop hooks, and groove-heavy R&B chords. She recently released her debut album, Oh, Hello! (Disc 1), showcasing her evolving artistry. Claire continues to write and perform, connecting with listeners through her unique musical style.

Next of Kin, a country trio formed in Austin, Texas, in 2023, blends country soundscapes with rich three-part harmonies and honest storytelling. The band's formation began with a collaboration on “Jekyll & Hyde” that quickly evolved into a full album. Lili Hickman, Caelin Baker, and Madison Baker comprise the group, bringing their individual talents together. Their music has quickly resonated with audiences in Austin, with the group currently performing and working on new music.

The Takes, a folk-rock band from Portland, Oregon, are known for their unbound approach to music. Their 2024 EP, Lay Hold, delves into country/blues rock tendencies, featuring Sumner Rahr's raw vocals and a classic four-piece arrangement. Drawing inspiration from their early psychedelic influences, the band creates songs with a jam band ethos. Lay Hold was produced by Joe Chiccarelli and recorded at Sunset Sound. The Takes have toured extensively, including headline tours and appearances at major festivals. They are currently planning a U.S. headline tour and will release new music this summer.

Jason Scott & The High Heat, from Oklahoma City, create a dynamic sound that blends amplified Americana and heartland roots-rock. Led by Jason’s unique songwriting, the band – which consists of Gabriel Mor, Ryan Magnani, Bobby Wade, Garrison Brown, Taylor Johnson – has garnered critical acclaim from fans and industry alike. Their 2022 debut album, Castle Rock, showcased their blend of heartland rock, Americana, and ‘90s country influences. The band has performed at renowned festivals and supported various artists like the Eli Young Band, Gin Blossoms, and Kaitlin Butts. Their new album, American Grin, is slated for release on March 28, with the lead single “Me & The Bottle” already gaining significant traction.

British-American singer Tommy Newport is known for his infectious falsetto-driven indie anthems. He gained recognition with his 2018 debut, Just To Be Ironic, and has since released several projects since then. Newport has received critical acclaim from various publications, including Complex, Hypebeast, and PAPER, and has toured extensively across North America and Europe. He has collaborated with artists like EARTHGANG and was recently featured on 21 Savage's album, american dream. Newport released his latest album, Mister Domino, in August 2024.

GRACE BOWERS is an 18-year-old guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader rapidly gaining recognition. Her debut album, Wine On Venus, produced by John Osborne, has received widespread praise. Bowers' breakout moment came with viral videos of her guitar skills, turning her into a sought-after guitarist and an inspiration to young female musicians. Bowers has received numerous accolades, including the Variety Next Gen Award and Instrumentalist of the Year at the Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. She has performed on late-night television, debuting on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, toured with notable artists including Gary Clark Jr., and collaborated with Dolly Parton and Lainey Wilson.

Raised in small-town central Texas and based in Nashville, Tennessee, Joelton Mayfield crafts hard-hitting alt-country that’s at home in any setting. Mayfield’s distinct take on the genre blends his experimental musicality with a dynamic edge. At the center of it all is Mayfield’s deft lyricism, which draws from a Southern Gothic literary sensibility and deals intimately with the tensions embedded in family, religion, masculinity, and love in the American South.

A band led by songwriters Casey Walker and Spencer Tweedy, Case Oats hails from Chicago, and creates songs about relationships and experience with an unadorned delivery and an unflinching eye. Casey Walker’s lyrics cut to the “gooey heart” of relationships and experience of bringing a city-dwelling life back down to earth. Their yet-to-be-announced debut album is a well-defined, inviting labor of love that is light on pastiche and heavy on intention. Their arrangements, backed by a group of longtime collaborators, put Case Oats on a continuum of porch-sitting, familiar songwriters.

California indie garage rock band Archer Oh consists of Arturo “Archie” Medrano on vocals and guitar, Pedro Hernandez on drums, Diego Jacuinde on lead guitar, and Juan Cabrera on bass. Getting their start in the backyards of the Inland Empire in 2017, through their energetic live performances, DIY work ethic and goofy personalities, the band has amassed a cult following that despite the odds, continues to grow. By 2022, Archer Oh had embarked on two national tours as a support act before closing the year with their first headline tour, a major success in support of Gradients - their first record together as a band. 2023 solidified Archer Oh as a formidable touring machine, with the band playing 84 shows. More headline gigs and tours with Dogstar followed the next year. Here in 2025, Archer Oh released their debut album in February and is ready to win over even more people in the months to come.

Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford aka Fake Dad are a Los Angeles-based, NYC-bred indie-rock-meets-dream-pop duo. Formed in 2020, the two met at a college party in the East Village and have been inseparable ever since. Melting their own unique artistic visions to build a shared sonic shorthand, Fake Dad creates an intoxicating and colorful musical fusion complete with catchy pop-laden hooks, crunchy, ‘90s inspired guitars, grooving bass lines, and buoyant synths. With a distinctive production sound and a signature vocal delivery, the two write and record expansive musical moments from their apartment. Although Andrea and Josh come from different backgrounds, they share a common goal: to create music that resonates.

Brittney Spencer is a genre-defying singer/songwriter from Baltimore, celebrated for her remarkable ability to craft songs that blend life, truth, and imagination. Dubbed “Nashville’s new star” by CBS Mornings, Brittney has earned acclaim from The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Variety, Billboard, Consequence, and more.  Her debut album, My Stupid Life was produced by GRAMMY-winning Daniel Tashian, Marcus “MarcLo” Lomax, and Romil Hemnani, with collaborations from Grace Potter, Maren Morris, Abbey Cone, and Sarah Buxton. The album also features standout guitar contributions by Jason Isbell. She has toured extensively, sharing stages with Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Willie Nelson, Reba, Bob Weir, Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, Marcus King, and Grace Potter. Her festival appearances include CMA Fest, Railbird, Stagecoach, ACL, CMC Rocks, Tortuga Festival, Essence Festival, and Hyde Park’s BTS Festival, where she opened for Bruce Springsteen and The Chicks.  Along with her critically acclaimed debut album, Brittney made her Billboard Hot 100 debut at #27 as a featured artist on Beyoncé’s "Blackbiird" from the GRAMMY-winning album Cowboy Carter.

The Criticals are a Nashville based rock band formed by Parker Forbes and Cole Shugart. They’ve proven themselves a powerful and fierce duo — one with both a diverse musical appetite in the songwriting and a whiplash live show that’s drawn sellout crowds in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The band recently released their highly regarded EP Front Door Confrontations and continued a steady diet of raucous live shows across the country. The band are now set to release a handful of singles leading up to their debut album release on Fantasy Records later in 2025.

Somewhere between the ‘90s and now, arya emerged as a singer/songwriter who blends elements of pop and R&B with something darker, resulting in a compelling sound that is both danceable and deeply emotive. Drawing from her classical roots and influences like synth-pop, rock, and nostalgic sounds from the ‘80s, arya's music reflects her personal journey as a healing lover girl and a first-generation immigrant. Her latest release, INSIDES, is a deeply personal visual EP that captures the raw emotions of navigating toxic relationships and the journey to reclaiming oneself. From performing at Austin City Limits, SXSW, and Official ACL Late Night Show, arya has been proud to be a part of Austin’s growing pop scene. She was nominated in the “Best Pop” category in The Austin Chronicle's 2024 Music Poll. For fans of boundary-pushing pop, arya is a songwriter and performer who is just getting started.  

Over the last decade, Marlon Rabenreither, a.k.a. Gold Star, has established himself as one of the most gifted and beloved songwriters of the Los Angeles underground. On albums Big Blue, Uppers and Downers, and Headlights U.S.A., Rabenreither’s lovelorn lyricism and languid melodic sensibility brings forth a weathered, melancholic strain of Americana that feels both timeless and uniquely his own. Catching the attention of numerous indie music titans with his exemplary discography, Rabenreither has collaborated and toured with the likes of Mazzy Star, Phoebe Bridgers, and the Black Lips.

A band from New York City, The Thing originated in high school when Michael Carter, Jack Bradley, and Zane Acord bonded over rock & roll. Over the years, they honed their craft, self-recording and writing songs influenced by bands like the Kinks, Grand Funk Railroad, and artists of the Nuggets compilation. They started playing shows and creating a buzz around New York in 2022. During that time, they recruited drummer Lucas Ebeling from the city’s jazz scene. With the four-piece complete, they quickly hit the road. Since 2022, The Thing has played over 200 shows, capping off 2024 with a headline European tour alongside a U.S. headline tour.  Almost immediately following the release of their self-recorded debut LP, Here’s the Thing, the band turned around and recorded their second LP, The Thing Is in May of 2023. They intended to make a more experimental album that was recorded with all four members playing together in the same room. This strengthened their DIY ethos and opened up their sound, paving the way for their impending third album coming soon.

SNACKTIME is a Philadelphia seven-piece that plays a high-energy blend of soul, funk, punk, hip-hop and rock. Formed in the Summer of 2020, the band began performing free shows in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square that quickly attracted huge crowds. This progressed to sold-out headlining shows, support for national touring artists, and slots at major music festivals. SNACKTIME has remained on the road throughout 2024, including their largest headlining shows to date and multiple U.S. tours supporting Portugal. The Man. The band recently released their debut EP THIS IS DANCE MUSIC, recorded and produced by GRAMMY-nominated Will Yip (Lauryn Hill, Turnstile, Bartees Strange).

The Bends are an alternative rock band based out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The four members are seniors at LSU, and take influence from early 2000s rock bands like Kings Of Leon, The Strokes, and Arctic Monkeys. The quartet has recently struck major buzz with the debut single “Makeup.” They have gained industry-wide recognition, including Zach Bryan's endorsement across his socials.

The Droptines are an alternative country band born in Concan, Texas, but now based in Austin. Established in 2019 by singer/songwriter, Conner Arthur, also known as “The King of Concan.” This band puts in the work, taking none of the convenient routes when crafting songs. Blending multiple genres while tethering each song together with a specific vernacular native to the Texas Hill Country results in a broad range of authentic, versatile melodies. Add Conner’s rich voice and layered lyrics, and you have storytelling at its finest.  From the hard-hitting anthem “New Girl” to the heart wrenching melody "Old Tricks” to the opulent masterpiece "Bill of Sale,” combined with a captivating stage presence, this band takes listeners on quite the ride.