Spirit Assembly, Sunset Station, Homephone, Bliss Peak 

• @izzy.bells
• Homephone

The term "indie" can definitely be a pretty broad category to represent music. Generally, though, indie music is defined by creative freedom and DIY style on a budget. SLC is brimming with uber-talented indie artists from all across the musical spectrum. Here are a few to tickle the fancy of any of you poly-jamorous folks out there.

Spirit Assembly: The solo project of singer/songwriter Brandon Root, Spirit Assembly is an indie-rock project that Root describes as "spacious indie grit"—a perfect description for the music. Root's indie-rock sound is thoughtful, atmospheric and takes its time. His song "still can't" plays at a slow tempo, but is exciting nonetheless, and the excitement comes in the form of deliberate instrumentation and echoey effects. This is a perfect track for when you're sitting in contemplation of life and all its meaning. Or if you're going through a tough time, the emotionality of this song is touching and will make you feel less alone. "This is a song of personal loss, and how people involuntarily attach that type of grief to songs. Sometimes in a healing way, or sometimes that connection remains raw years later," Root said on Instagram upon the song's release. Root also teamed up recently with Portland, Ore.-based singer/songwriter Myranda Snyder on a new demo called "Recall Airbag." Because it's a demo, the new track is stripped-down, but still has a lovely introspective and meditative quality to it. Snyder's vocals are a treat, adding beautiful harmonies that give depth to the song. "Sometimes it's fun to throw something raw out there and see what people think," Root said in January. Find "still can't" on the usual places, but "Recall Airbag" is exclusively on BandCamp. Be sure to check them out!
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Sunset Station: Utah's beautiful landscape inspires in many ways. There's a ton of visual art that depicts the towering mountains, alluring foliage and sweeping desert vistas, but plenty of local musicians also take inspiration from the gorgeous scenery this state has to offer. Indie outfit Sunset Station categorizes themselves as "SLC desert indie," and their new single "Decoys" draws a lot from the surrounding landscape. "This song holds a piece of me—taking place in the heart of winter, when the surrounding Utah desert feels endless and the stillness acts as a decoy, hiding the quiet turbulence beneath," said singer/songwriter Jéan Castro of Sunset Station. "It's about what lingers in the cold and what we're left to face when everything is stripped away. I hope it finds you, wherever you are, and that you can find something in it too." "Decoys" is mellow with tons of reverb, and listening to it makes you feel like you're cruising down the road on a chilly Utah afternoon. This earnest track proves hard not to listen to a few times in a row. Check this one out wherever you stream music.
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Homephone: Indie-pop duo Homephone has been giving listeners dreamy, shoegazey style music since 2021, when they released their debut single "Idle Eyes." This delightfully floaty track was a great introduction for the duo, with plenty of trippy effects and bright vocals that cut through the slower pace of the music. Their first full-length album, Mellon Collie, had more of the same qualities, expanded to show the duo's talent and knack for this evocative musical form. Great tracks fill the album, but standouts include "Pistachio" and "Kaleidoscope Roses." "Pistachio" is upbeat, airy and perfect for dancing, whereas "Kaleidoscope Roses" slows things down and features atmospheric effects that would sound amazing if you were actually looking through a kaleidoscope with images of roses. Homephone has also released a few music videos that are a joy to watch, with retro-looking footage, shots of beautiful trees and even a cat on a leash! What more could you need? You can stream all of Homephone's library, including their 2024 EP Willow Tree, wherever you get your music, and you definitely should do that soon.
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Bliss Peak: Singer/songwriter JaCoby Newton described his Bliss Peak solo project back in 2021 as "my chance to explore uninhibited creativity with my music, a space separate from myself to explore new sounds and ideas freely. ... Always seeking to improve but bringing a loving awareness to the roadblocks I encounter on the path that each piece takes me through. I hope this space can provide the same for you." Newton experiments with many different sounds, including indie rock, synthwave/rock, dream pop and more. The first Bliss Peak release was a full album called The Mountain Sound, which is another awesome nod to Utah's lovely landscape. This album is full of airy, ethereal songs that feature plenty of synth effects mixed with live instruments. There were pretty consistent releases from Bliss Peak after that, leading up to another full-length album, 2023's The Grand Machine. Sonically you'll find the same vibes here, along with more Utah references in song titles like "Canyon" and "Uintah Trance." There's also a video for The Grand Machine track "In Line," which includes interesting locations and is complete with lyrics from the song. If you're in the mood for tons of ethereal effects, Bliss Peak's music is for you.
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