A Dive Into Seattle’s Current Indie Music Scene
Something truly magical must occur when a small group of individuals pick up their drumsticks and strum a minor chord in the dark and dingy garages of Seattle. Maybe it’s the introvertism and the vitamin D deficiencies causing them to retreat out of the perpetual drizzle and into the depths of their basements, or perhaps it’s the webbed feet that makes any non-aquatic sport seem particularly daunting and starting a band sound much more favorable. Either way, Seattle undeniably possesses some unique quality that led to its title as “home of grunge”, “one of America’s most diverse music scenes”, and the birthplace of numerous famous musicians and bands- Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, and Neil Young to name only a few. The origins of Seattle’s music scene is impressive enough on its own, but it’s far from being history. Seattle’s indie music scene is still alive and kicking.
With a diverse array of genres everywhere from indie-pop to death rock, people interested in finding new local music need not go further than their nearest venue to discover their new favorite band. There are countless talented artists in the Seattle area, all of which deserve to be listened to and talked about. While this article can’t list them all, it will give you a head start on highlighting a few to get your feet on the ground.
Let’s start with some of the big guys. These artists have had some time to get their footing and are shaking things up in the Seattle area and beyond.
The indie rock band Deep Sea Diver is led by the bold, edgy voice of vocalist and guitarist Jessica Dobson, who was previously lead guitarist for both The Shins and Beck. With their recent tour with Pearl Jam at the Climate Pledge Arena on March 28th and 29th, this band is already going places.
Thunderpussy is an all-female rock n roll quartet with the commitment to “fuck up every rock n roll stereotype you know to be true”, according to their Spotify profile. This band just released their 2024 album, West, a powerful expression of their commanding synergy.
Wimps newest album, City Lights, follows the experience of current world struggles and inequalities, including the the rise of AI, the aftermath of the pandemic, and climate terrorism. It is described by the band’s Spotify as a “slacker punk moshterpiece”. This statement is confirmed, tried and true, very moshable.
Formed in 2015 with rotating members from across America and Europe, Acid Tongue is a modern psychedelic garage-rock band, who are on tour this summer in WA, CA, Vancouver, and across France. They will be performing at the Day In Day Out festival on July 13th, as well as August 31 at the Bumbershoot festival.
There are plenty of up-and-coming bands you should know about as well. Here are a few.
Another psychedelic garage-rock band, Screen Frogs, is celebrating the release of their 2024 album Subterranean Wreckage Amidst Stolen Hues. Formed in 2018, Screen Frogs describe their sound as, “pure phonic mania”. Their new album holds true to this sound by including snippets of odd instruments and vocal techniques, dynamic vocals that sail through the fuzz, and beats that keep you on your toes.
An even newer band, Balcony Bridge, formed in 2021 through a spontaneous meet up at the Fremont Farmers market. This indie-rock band can be found playing at parks and markets across Seattle. They recently played at the Northwest Folklife festival, and have upcoming gigs at the Sunset Tavern on June 27th and Capitol Hill Block Party on July 19th.
Zookraught, a “three piece dance punk” band, are distinguished by zigzagging face paint and a dedicated following of moshers. They get the award for bringing the most energy to their performances and connecting with the audience via mic hand-offs and of course crowd surfing. Their biggest upcoming performances are July 12th at the Day In Day Out festival and July 21st at the Capitol Hill Block Party.
Described by KEXP as “Pure Pacific Northwest filth”, Wild Powwers is a grunge rock trio that has been playing for about a decade. Stay tuned for the release of their newest album, Pop Hits & Total Bummers, out July 2, 2024. In celebration of the new release, they will be performing on July 6th at Neumos alongside local bands Constant Lovers and Haunted Horses.
Progressive alt-rock band King Youngblood is dedicated to providing songs that bring a modern twist to classic rock and “fueling the world-wide resurgence of rock music”, and to activism through reclaiming Black rock music. King Youngblood will be playing on July 14th at the Day In Day Out festival.
Warren Dunes turns tropical beach rock on its head with chilling vocals from Julia Massey, and the multi-layered melodies and instrumentation which embodies the spirit of oyster laden beaches of the Pacific Northwest. Naturally, their sound was coined as “PNW beach rock”. After the release of their 2024 album Aquamarine, Warren Dunes is touring all over Washington this summer, including July 21st at the Capitol Hill Block Party.
An honorable mention of bands that weren’t highlighted in this article but still definitely deserve a listen are dream pop band Coral Grief, “gunk pop” band Black Ends, otherworldly “odd pop” band Fruit Juice, beautifully tranquil band Apples With Moya, and the humourous trio Batbox, who claims that one thing’s for sure: “they’re probably a band”.
If you want an extensive playlist (extensive meaning well over 24 hours long) of local artists, you can find one HERE. You can also follow @bandsofseattle on Instagram for a weekly show calendar of local bands, and listen to the local music show Audioasis on KEXP. Warning! Proceed with caution. Once you start down the path of discovery, it can be difficult to stop and you might wind up as a full blown music snob.
If you thought grunge is dead, think again. The Seattle indie music scene is thriving now just as much as ever, and one thing is clear: the “Seattle sound” isn’t going anywhere. Truly, the reason for the constant abundance of new music is Seattle’s community of music enthusiasts and a long history of supporting local artists and venues. This article only touches the tip of the iceberg of all that is going on in the 2024 Seattle indie music scene. What’s underneath the surface is now in your hands, and your decision to support local artists.
With a diverse array of genres everywhere from indie-pop to death rock, people interested in finding new local music need not go further than their nearest venue to discover their new favorite band. There are countless talented artists in the Seattle area, all of which deserve to be listened to and talked about. While this article can’t list them all, it will give you a head start on highlighting a few to get your feet on the ground.