by Lily Potter
As someone who listens to a variety to music that isn’t on the top trending charts, I know that there are plenty of musicians who don’t get the credit they deserve. Here are five artists who are not well known, but definitely should be:
Though his name sounds like a fancy type of coffee, dePresno has a story behind the name he goes by: “My great-great-grandfather is from Spain. And he and his family came to Norway to buy fish and sell wine. But then he got really seasick. So they just left him in Bergen, which is the city where I’m from and they never came to pick him up again. (laughs) So he kind of just stayed behind and got married and somewhere down the line I was born with the name dePresno as my middle name,” dePresno told the music blog herszynapsen. Recommended to me by the Norsk Spotify Daily Mix that changes almost everyday, his name caught my eye when scrolling in the list of music. dePresno’s music is soft, clear, and chilled, and highly recommended to anyone who loves music for rainy days.
The 21-year-old born as Sigrid Solbakk Raabe, or simply Sigrid, gained fame with her single “Sun” in 2013. In 2016, she signed with Island Records. Her debut song “Don’t Kill My Vibe” charted in Norway, Australia, Scotland, and the UK. She also released “Fake Friends”, “Dynamite”, “Plot Twist”, and “Don’t Be Sorry”. She continues to grow in fan across the globe. Sigrid’s music is soft, vibrant, and ethereal. She’s recommended to anyone who likes the girl power pop scene.
THEY. – Los Angeles, California
THEY. is an R&B duo made up of Dante Jones and Drew Love. Jones was born in Denver, Colorado, and Love was born in Washington, D.C. The duo released “Nü Religion” back in 2015. In an interview with The Fader, Love expressed his thoughts on the album: ‘Drew said; “Nü Religion is a new way of thinking. As individuals the way we have approached life and the art of music has always been left of center; even from youth. It’s been all about finding a way to incorporate that into a cohesive musical project that we are proud of and that people enjoy. We think we’ve done that.”
Johnny Yukon – Los Angeles, California
Johnny Yukon, a Philadelphia native singer-songwriter, made his way to fame through popular app Soundcloud. He has been described as beat-heavy and sounding of urban pop. In the midst of 2015, Yukon signed with Atlantic Records. In 2017, he released a trio of singles that infamously bred the infectious “Laptop” which was co-produced with Drake. His success was followed by singles “Paper” and “Malibu” along with a collaboration with G-Eazy titled “Eyes Closed.”
WATSKY – San Francisco, California
George Watsky, known just by Watsky, is a California native with a different kind of trifecta: He’s a rapper, poet, and author. Those three usually don’t go together. Watsky’s fame was brought to attention with a video on YouTube called “Pale kid raps fast” back in 2011. He has also been featured on Season 6 of “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” on HBO. His book, “How To Ruin Everything,” came out alongside the first mention of a tour in 2016 called X Infinity. His style can be described as a mix of hip hop, poetry, real life, and comedy. If that sounds interesting or even weird to you, check out his music.
