NEW INDIE MUSIC: 10 SPOOKTACULAR SONGS

Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

The countdown to Halloween is on and I’m still deciding on my costume for my Zoom party! Carole Baskin? She’s too obvious! Mike Pence’s fly? Old news! The Fleetwood Mac skateboarder? Now he’s got potential! While I go and stock up on some Ocean Spray and tube socks, then, it’s time for you to check out this week’s edition of We Are: The Guard’s New Indie Music! Just don’t forget to save me some candy corn in return for compiling the following songs from Jean Dawson, Omar Apollo, Nilüfer Yanya, and more!

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JEAN DAWSON – DEVILISH

With Halloween almost upon us, Jean Dewson is turning to face his demons on the bombastic “Devilish.” Featured on his recent album Pixel Bath, it’s an adrenaline-inducing rager that hears the 25-year-old deconstructing privileged power structures and toxic masculinity, with Jean bringing a vibe that’s nothing short of thrilling.

OMAR APOLLO – USELESS

Omar Apollo gets in touch with his inner Julian Casablancas on the gleaming “Useless.” Featured on his recent album Apolonio, it’s a Strokes-esque groover that includes guitar and songwriting contributions from none other than Albert Hammond Jr., with the sing-speaking verses moving into a boogie chorus replete with Omar’s falsetto shimmer.

NILÜFER YANYA – CRASH

Nilüfer Yanya is back, baby. Just over a year on from the release of Miss Universe, the British act returns today with “Crash.” Produced alongside Nick Hakim, it’s a gnarly soul cruncher riddled with anxiety and confusion, with big guitars and even bigger drums backing Nilüfer as she sings: “If you ask me one more question, I’m about to crash.”

ARLO PARKS – GREEN EYES

Coinciding with the announcement of Collapsed in Sunbeams, Arlo Parks has shared the comforting “Green Eyes.” “This is a song about self-discovery, self-acceptance, and adolescence,” writes the British poet of the song – which studies the societal struggles of a same-sex couple – with Arlo’s tender murmur coming backed by the brilliant Clairo.

SAMIA – IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE MOVIES? (FULL BAND VERSION)

Back in May, Samia debuted on We Are: The Guard with the crushing “Is There Something in the Movies?,” and today, the New York City act returns with the full band version. Listen as guitars and drums lend an overwhelming cathartic heft to the ode to broken promises and shattered dreams, with the song all but taking off in the latter half.

MORMOR – DON’T CRY

It’s been a while since we last heard from MorMor, but the We Are: The Guard favorite returns today with “Don’t Cry.” Clocking in at four minutes, it’s a brooding swirl of existential dread written in the wake of both the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, with a propulsive base allowing MorMor’s dreamlike ruminations to take flight.

JULIA JACKLIN – TO PERTH, BEFORE THE BORDER CLOSES

Every time I need comfort, I turn to Julia Jacklin. Case in point: “to Perth, before the border closes.” The follow-up to 2019’s Crushing is a lilting piece of country-tinged indie-pop that dapples in all of the right places, with the lyrics about coming to terms with a fast-changing world making for a much-needed embrace in this era of tumult.

POST ANIMAL – YOU KNOW BETTER

Just in time for Halloween, Post Animal are immersing us in the gothic sounds of “You Know Better.” Featured on their recent EP Worried About You, it’s a dark, inky swirl that fits nicely into the Chicago outfit’s psychedelic discography, with 80s-esque guitars shattering the cut’s shadowy cloak of a vocal. FFO: Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure.

KENNYHOOPLA (FEAT. JESSE) – LOST CAUSE//

Having recently hinted he was working with blink-182’s Travis Barker, KennyHoopla continues his meteoric rise today with a remix of “lost cause//” featuring The Neighbourhood’s Jesse Rutherford. Listen as Kenny and Jesse put a deeply vibey spin on the cut, with the calls of “Don’t shoot, hands up” lending a further weight to the lyrics.

JULIEN BAKER – FAITH HEALER

Julien Baker goes in search of healing on her latest single. “I think that ‘Faith Healer’ is a song about vices, both the obvious and the more insidious ways that they show up in the human experience,” writes the boygenius member of the sweepingly uplifting hymn, with Julien singing about how we turn to everything from religion to politics for escape.

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Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.