Indie artists are a type of music artist that aren’t signed to a major label, but this can also be to their benefit. Indie artists can be more experimental and have an independent style, something that isn’t run through five layers of management to be released to the public. This lets indie artists worry more about creating what they want to create rather than what fans or audiences want them to make. Of course these personal songs, along with every other kind of music, are very personal and are determined by each person’s independent taste. So there is no objective top five indie artists, much like how there isn’t a universal top five foods. However I want to share some of my personal favorites to help push them out there so that others can maybe enjoy what I enjoy.
First off, the prime example of the more experimental styles, Noelle Mansbridge, or more widely known as her alias femtanyl (no not the drug). femtanyl’s style is what’s best described as hardcore webcore, a very intense style that’s inspired by the internet. She dives into many sensitive topics such as abusive relationships or mental illness. A major contributor to her aggressive and harsh style is her experience being a transgender female, reflected in her overall themes of wanting to belong.
CONTENT WARNING: Song goes over ideas of self harm and can be overstimulating for some
Secondly is Jamie Paige, an artist who makes more traditional pop music but with a slight twist, the voice she uses isn’t real. Paige uses artificial voicebank software to create her voices, which sounds confusing, but an example you’ve probably heard of is Hatsune Miku. Miku is part of the vocaloid program created by SEGA, in which people use a voicebank of different vowels to create their own music. Paige doesn’t use Miku that much but one she does use often is a character that’s paired with Miku often, Kasane Teto. Paige uses primarily Teto’s voice in her most popular songs, which often cover themes of wanting love or wanting to belong.
Third is Alexander Leon Gumuchian, more commonly known by his alias bbno$ (baby no money). He is a Canadian rapper who is mostly well known for his songs “Lalala” and “Edamame”. He even won the Juno Fan Choice Award, which is a Canadian music award that’s given to the people’s favorite. Through my own experiences, plenty of focus is still given to the background track, often being enough of its own song without lyrics, making him different from other rappers. He’s been offered record deals, however he has turned them down to remain independent.
Fourth is the group FLAVOR FOLEY, which consist of Vane Lily, ricedeity, and the familiar Jamie Paige. I know having an artist on the list two times may make it invalid, however I’d like to point out that Paige has her own unique style from what she makes in FLAVOR FOLEY, thus making it acceptable. Much like Paige, FLAVOR FOLEY also uses artificial voice software, although their selection of voices is more diverse. Their songs often used to depict certain characters, rather than to tell stories. One prime example is BUTCHER VANITY which is a song about the character Yi Xi, which is the voice used in the song, and her cannibalistic tendencies.
Last but not least, Tom Cardy, who’s most well known for his comedy songs he posts to Youtube and TikTok. His songs are in several series such as The Feed, The Moth Effect, and Helluva Boss. He uses his songs to tell a story while still delving into deep topics. A prime example of this is his song “Level Clear”, which parodies Mario after he’s saved Peach, and the “now what?” that comes from finally reaching your dreams.
