Welcome back to our weekly NMF roundup. Here’s what we think you should be listening to this week!

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boy - Luke Hemmings

IYL: Ashton Irwin, Mali-Koa, Only The Poets

As the lead vocalist of 5 Seconds of Summer, 27-year-old Luke Hemmings has sold millions of records, toured the globe numerous times, accumulated billions of streams, and become one of Australia’s most successful musical exports. As a solo artist, Luke has turned his creative process inward, finding a place for self-discovery, exploration, and experimentation. The first result of which was his critically acclaimed debut solo LP, When Facing The Things You Turn Away From released in 2021 and lauded “equal parts mesmerizing and immersive” by Rolling Stone. Recorded in New York with Grammy-nominated producer Sammy Witte, his next project, "boy", is scheduled for release on April 26. The EP is a result of continued introspection into maturity and humanity paired with the influence of LCD Soundsystem, My Bloody Valentine, The Verve, and Cocteau Twins culminating in a body of work highlighting both Luke’s personal evolution and his craft as a songwriter. The first glimpse of that can be heard in the layers of loneliness explored on just-dropped single “Shakes.” 2024 is a year of growth for Luke with lots more to come soon.

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Shattered - Wine & Warpaint

IYL: RAWLS, Juniper Tree, Port Harbour

Wine & Warpaint navigates an interior world decimated by loss, deconstruction, and depression while maintaining a paradoxical commitment to hope and optimism. Their signature blend of big hooks, punk edge, and wall-of-sound energy led to them being recognized as winners of the Player Plus Studio Sessions: Powered by Fender, where they were selected by a celebrity panel of music legends and executives as one of the 26 best-unsigned bands in the world. In the studio, Wine & Warpaint is the conception of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Brandon O’Neill, who is joined live by Taylor Bess, Colleen Christman, Hunter Glotz, and Hannah Haupt. After working with Matt Goldman (Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, Anberlin) for the first EP "HOMELESS", O’Neill released a self-produced 9-song cover album as well as the band’s sophomore EP “Half to Life." Their upcoming debut full-length “Disassociate” is produced by O'Neill and bassist Taylor Bess and mixed by Bess and Will Beasley (The Dangerous Summer, Turnstile, Asking Alexandria).

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FREAKING OUT - Point Blank Society

IYL: DBMK, Former Vandal, Vaines

Point Blank Society is the musical persona of Cullen King - based in Austin, Texas. Cullen’s early background in performance includes work with Houston Grand Opera and Broadway Across America. His on-stage experience in the classical/theatrical realm fused with his passion for alternative music at a young age and inspired Cullen to begin writing and releasing his own music. This resulted in the conception of Point Blank Society while he was still in high school. To this day, when listening to Point Blank Society’s music, you can hear the combination of his classical roots and alternative influences. Since the conception of Point Blank Society, they have reached milestones such as multiple appearances on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, performances alongside globally recognized acts, and extensive touring all while remaining independent from a record label. But what he is most proud of is the body of work he’s created with his producer Nick Scott.

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The Winner - Emma Bieniewicz

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Catch Me If You Can - The Scarlet Opera

IYL: ZEE MACHINE, Jake Wesley, Perta

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HOW IT ENDS - CHARLOTTE LAWRENCE

IYL: Carlie Hanson, Clara Mae, Jaira Burns

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Wasted Youth - Chloe Star

IYL: Feezy Lebron, Luck, Yusha Assad

Chloe Star is an indigenous singer, songwriter, visual artist and tribal advocate. Growing up she split her time between Los Angeles and her family’s reservation in San Bernardino. With a childhood that was chaotic and often unstable, she found solace in journaling and writing poetry. She taught herself to play piano and guitar and soon started transforming her prose into lyrics. After spending the past few years finding and cultivating her sound, Chloe is now ready to make her introduction to the world. 

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Darling, The Planets - The Rare Occasions

IYL: Yot Club, Joy Again, Surf Curse

The Rare Occasions are an LA-based, New England-bred indie rock band known for their explosive garage rock anthems with catchy vocal harmonies. Brian McLaughlin (singer) and Luke Imbusch (drummer) have been making music together since their early teenage years. They formed The Rare Occasions while attending college in Boston where they met Jeremy Cohen (bassist). Since then, the band has toured nationally, won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and released a vast catalog of music online. In 2021 the band released their first album as a trio, Big Whoop, which received significant press and radio play. Around the same time, their 2016 track “Notion” went viral on TikTok and continues to make waves. The track topped Spotify’s viral chart in the US and several other countries landed on Billboard’s alternative charts and top 100 singles charts in the UK, Ireland, and Canada, and was certified Platinum in 2023.
The Rare Occasions released their new EP, Attaboy, on November 4th, 2022. The first single off the EP “Seasick” garnered the attention of radio DJs across the country including SiriusXM’s Alt Nation with the second single “Not Afraid” being an explosive follow-up. After sharing Attaboy’s hard-hitting riffs, danceable grooves, and ear-catching melodies with audiences on two recent nationwide tours, the band has shifted its efforts toward new music.

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Did We Meet In A Past Life? - Southcourt

IYL: Tiris, Electric Football, LVRBOY

festivalcore

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GODSPEED - Rose Avenue

IYL: Will Chant, Fia, Alex Olivia

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Songs of a Past Life - Landon Conrath

IYL: Saint Blonde, Vacation Manor, Hotel Apache

I'm so curious if people actually read these. Can you comment a frog emoji on my Instagram or something if you see this. I am an artist from Minneapolis, MN. I started writing music at a very basic level in 2019 after a college friend showed me the ropes of songwriting. This later blossomed into my first completed song, "Pieces," which I shared with a friend at a pool party in late 2019. He was looking to get more work as a producer, and I wanted to try putting out a song for the first time. So, we went to his parents' basement and finished my first song over a 3-4 month period. I honestly struggled with the process so much and didn't really know if I even wanted to continue. I had never experienced handing the reins of my creative work over to someone else; it was uncomfortable at first. I released the song in January 2020 and didn't expect much. I remember I went to Colorado over winter break with some friends, and we were on an early sunrise hike when I checked my phone to see that the song had been played 14,000 times in a single day. I was dumbfounded. We decided that we might as well keep going, and that led to the creation of two EPs in basements, which began my career as a songwriter, even though I had spent my entire life thinking I would be a professional drummer. The last few years have been a blur of writing and touring, but I just want everyone to know how thankful I am to do what I do. If you've read this far, you mean a lot to me. Much love to you all

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Vertigo - Magic Whatever

IYL: Unroyal, EDVN, Deane

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bleachers - Haiden Henderson

IYL: Stevie Howie, Austin Giorgio, JORDY

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Peachy Keen - 1990nowhere

IYL: asking for a friend, Olivver the Kid, Olen

1990nowhere is a collaboration between Lostboycrow & Olivver the Kid. The group met in August 2018 and began a friendship and songwriting relationship. This started with a collaborative release called "$20" and now comes to fruition with the release of a plethora of ear-worm tunes. Run the damn ball!!

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recollections - townsend

IYL: Noktis, kid blu, The American Indie

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TILL WE DIE - DEAD HENDRIX

IYL: Levi Zadoff, ROCKET, K.T.A.+

Dead Hendrix is a punk/rap artist from Centretown in Ottawa, Canada. Just 20 years old, he’s already been writing music for more than a decade, often about real-life topics like drug abuse, heartbreak, insecurity, and trauma. He’s not in it to get rich or famous but to share his passion with the world. - Billboard (World Music News)