You already know that INDYtoday is about all things local — and today, that love extends to our playlists too.
As we head into fall, why not craft your seasonal symphony using music by artists from Indy? Here are a few you might already recognize and some that you can start following ahead of their inevitable big break.
🎶 Names you may know
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds | Did this North Central High School grad know he’d go on to win 13 Grammy awards someday? Or that, in 1999, a 25-mile stretch of I-65 would be named after him? The prolific artist + producer even has his own Las Vegas residency.
Adam Lambert | The “American Idol” alum and Queen frontman was born in Indy. While his family moved to California shortly after his birth, he attended a high school there that also has a weirdly familiar ring to it: Mt. Carmel High School.
Adam Lambert began performing with Queen in 2012.
Photo by marcen27 via Creative Commons
The Ink Spots | This quartet formed in Indy in 1934 and performed together for 20 years before disbanding. In 1989, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fans of the “Fallout” video game and recent Amazon TV series should recognize a few tunes; seven songs from the group have been featured across the franchise.
Blair St. Clair | The two-time “RuPaul’s Drag Race” competitor has released several albums and EPs. Their love for their hometown runs much deeper than their stage name; they’re also a co-founder of the performing arts company Indy Drag Theatre, which produces multiple musical parodies each season with all-local talent.
Wes Montgomery | Modern jazz guitar owes a lot to Wes Montgomery + his unique style of playing. Before he became a nationally-recognized star, his first performances were at the 440 Club at 440 Indiana Avenue, where the Canal Overlook Apartments now stand.
While he was a student at Highland High School in Anderson, McLaughlin shattered both wrists in an accident and temporarily interrupted his musical career.
Photo by Butler Corey via Creative Commons
Jon McLaughlin | One of Anderson’s biggest stars reached mainstream success in 2007 with an Oscar-nominated song in a Disney film + his album fittingly titled “Indiana.” He’s toured with Kelly Clarkson and Sara Bareilles, and one of his songs was even covered by Beyoncé.
Josh Kaufman | This winner of season six of “The Voice” keeps himself busy with Broadway roles, local headlining performances, and a small flower farm his family runs in Whitestown. If you love soul legends like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye + introspective singer/songwriters like Jeff Buckley and Paul Simon, his music will reach your soul too.
The Los Angeles Times called John Hiatt “one of rock’s most astute singer-songwriters of the last 40 years.”
Photo by Schorle via Creative Commons
John Hiatt | This Broad Ripple High School graduate has been releasing music since 1973. He’s been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and released his most recent album, “The Eclipse Sessions,” in 2018.
3 to 1 | This trio was formed in 2011 and can often be found at the Slippery Noodle Inn, Ale Emporium, Mousetrap Bar & Grill, Apre’s Jacks, Flatwater, and The Dugout. Steeped heavily in the styles of classic groups like the Allman Brothers Band + Grateful Dead, their music spans decades and genres.
The Why Store | This band originally formed in Muncie in the late 1980s. After splitting in 2000 to pursue solo projects, they later reunited, even recording a live album at The Slippery Noodle Inn in 2016.
Public Universal Friend has performed at many local venues, including The Vogue.
Photo by @tarynlmason
🎶 Up-and-coming stars
Joshua Powell | This prolific psychedelic rocker has made a name for himself in the Indy music community and beyond with tracks like “Sad Boy at the Skeleton Party” + “Coral Castle.” Listeners who appreciate the sounds of Tame Impala will like his style.
Public Universal Friend | This rock band from the Circle City describes its music as “queer goth appalachian doom punk,” and frontwoman Jody Galadriel Friend is also a published author. Those who like Pete Yorn will vibe with PUF.
81355 (pronounced “bless”) | Well-known local hip-hop artists Oreo Jones, Sirius Blvck, and Sedcairn Archives banded together to form supergroup 81355. The trio’s album “This Time I’ll Be of Use” got them so much attention they were signed onto popular label 37d03d, founded by members of Bon Iver + The National. If you like Frank Ocean, you’ll dig this group.
zakè | The man behind the mysterious name, Zach Frizell, utilizes archaic synths, sound manipulation, and tape machines to create drifting soundscapes. If you like getting deep work done or unwinding for the day with meditative music in the background, you’ll enjoy his sounds.
Spring Term | Nathan Davis makes “songs that sound like spring,” with a cohesive visual presence on social media that feels like a love letter to the hazy, sunny aesthetic popularized by artists like French filmmaker Éric Rohmer. Those who like early Vampire Weekend will enjoy his tunes.
Saint Aubin | Thanks to his “wildman” performance style, Saint Aubin’s music is best experienced live. He also uses his unrelenting energy to churn out a weekly newsletter with links to his top five new favorite songs, so you can constantly discover fresh music.
Robin Raps has been publicly releasing music since 2019.
Photo by @itsjusthalo
Robin Raps | Like pop rap? You’ll dig Robin Raps, whose musical presence is as hyperlocal as it is groovy — he’s organized shows at HI-FI, at Patron Saint, and even on an IndyGo bus.
Samuel David Sharik | This talented artist has one EP under his belt, with many more to come. He describes the band as “Midwestern guys making Midwestern music” — the first track on their album is even called “Michigan.”
Kyle Bellinger | This worship leader set out as a solo artist in 2021. Before that, he was the vocalist and frontman for several rock bands, and has released five independent projects during his career so far.
What other local bands + musicians should we know about? We’re all ears.