499 Featured Artists... and counting!

It's Indie And We Know It began in November 2018 and was nothing like the site it is today. We started off by trying to get a couple of extra followers for some of the artists we liked - and here we are, still writing... but with a MUCH bigger pool of artists to choose from!

499 artist and song features later, we're about to pass a huge milestone we never expected to reach. We've seen some incredible songs along the way but some have achieved some very notable milestones for us. And we thought... what better way to celebrate than to bring you the 10 artists who have had a lasting impact on us here at It's Indie?

Let's jump straight in!

10

Hayes & Y

In November 2019, we stumbled upon Hayes & Y, a four-piece indie-pop band with members from as far apart as Bulgaria and Finland. The song we fell in love with was Disaster - "you are treated to those half-falsetto effected vocals, driving home the now familiar refrain that is doing a very good job of tattooing itself indelibly on your brain."

And their new music since? Check this beast out!

9

Liar's Teeth

Liar's Teeth came out of nowhere, with their debut EP Disorder. Alex, Josh, Rico and Russell absolutely nailed this four piece atmospheric rock release, and it impressed us so much that we named it Album of the Year, despite us only hearing it in December.

"The problem with releasing an incredible debut EP is that it makes any follow-up such a difficult act to follow. This is the problem that Liars Teeth will face, following the release of "Disorder" - a four track piece of pure brilliance."

8

Narrow Margin

Narrow Margin released their first track in 2019, but their follow-up track Kids Don't Dance was where we first caught up with them.

They've since released Hey Mr Shareholder - another riotous piece of post-punk apocalyptic pop (try typing that after a few pints!) and it seems that they're on a positive trajectory for the future!

7

in earnest

When we first heard in earnest, we labelled them as "masters of sad indie" - and they certainly deserve that title!

This three piece hail from Southend on Sea and they've released two tracks to date, debut song put me under and the excellent come upstairs - the only track that we have ever rated as 10/10 on our blog!

They've just become ambassadors for MY BLACK DOG - a mental health charity who currently host the UK's only peer-to-peer chat system, using volunteers who have lived with mental illness themselves.

6

Liam Naughton & The Educators

Liam Naughton & The Educators were the first to be featured in our Artist of the Day format.

Based in Perth, Australia but also laying down some roots in London, indie rocker Liam Naughton fronts two different versions of the band, depending on where in the world he is.

Currently promoting the new album Cut on a Cut, a gritty collection of some very meaty indie rock tunes, Liam tells us that his ultimate goal is to headline at Croke Park, supported by U2, as well as to score the winning try for Ireland in the grand slam, and bicycle kicking the winning goal for Liverpool in the FA cup. No pressure...

5

Michael Baker

If you were looking for an album that leaves a lasting impression, you need look no further than Michael Baker's outstanding album Salt.

The album has been a labour of love for Michael, taking two years to write and touching on some very deep and personal issues, including some heart-on-the-sleeve tear-jerkers.

If you listen to nothing else today, you must listen to Salt. You will not be disappointed, of that we can be sure!

4

The Slow Day

Without doubt, one of the biggest tracks we featured here at It's Indie was the massive Home by The Slow Day. The song spent a record 14 weeks in our chart and refused to go quietly - so much so that we're sure the band got a little tired of being tagged by us!

The Slow Day consist of Adam, Chris and Paul and they're based in Manchester. They've not been together as a band for very long but wow, can they come up with a tune!

Home is a real powerhouse of a song. It's dramatic, it's beautiful and it's got shades of Axl Rose, Coldplay and 3 Doors Down.

3

Best Not Broken

Nobody here can remember how we crossed paths with Best Not Broken. However, their super catchy song Brain was one of the very first to be featured on our blog and we've been big fans of the band ever since (mainly because I think they are still locked in the cellars here at It's Indie Towers)

They're an indie pop/rock band from Boston and they have mastered the art of writing songs that stick in your brain. They've opened for some huge names (Pat Benatar, Gin Blossoms, Jason Derulo, to name but a few) and the perfect antidote to all the doom and gloom in the world these days!

2

METHODS

Those of you who are avid readers of our posts will be familiar with METHODS. We jumped on the METHODS bus very early in our reviews journey and have been big fans of their music ever since.

If you've never discovered METHODS before... they're from Wolverhampton and Manchester and are a dark electro pop 5 piece. They draw inspiration from some of my favourite bands, Depeche Mode and New Order but whilst you can hear those elements, METHODS have forged a sound of their own.

Their debut EP Anything seemed to take forever to be released, but when it finally arrived, it was definitely worth the wait. It's only 6 tracks (4 songs plus 2 interludes) but the band have demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with and we're following the progress of METHODS very closely.

*1*

IAMWARFACE

It's mid 2018 and I'm searching for new music to listen to. I stumble upon the video for You Don't Love Me Anymore and suddenly I have become a fan of the Brighton-based Nu-Rock band IAMWARFACE.

My first thought was "blimey, these guys are good!" That was quickly followed by "hang on, why aren't these guys huge right now?" and finally "what can I do to help?

And that, dear friends, is why It's Indie was created. Our very first post was one that promoted some upcoming shows for the band and that, as they say, was that.

IAMWARFACE have had a very busy time since mid 2018. They've released a slew of incredible singles, including their current collaboration with Crossflow Take The Shot. Last year saw the release of their debut album Year of the Dragon and this year has seen the release of their live album Live At Chalk.

I'm not sure how much help IAMWARFACE need from It's Indie these days. But It's Indie thank IAMWARFACE (and every other artist who we have featured) for helping to build us into what we are today!

We hope you've enjoyed our nostalgic look back... and we hope that you'll enjoy the next 500 artists and beyond!