These LITM Rock Picks show us all indie rock can be – coming from artists like A While After, Laji George, Prem Byrne, and more!
1. A While After – Mope
Mope by A While After is a vibrant and energetic pop-punk-rock track that immediately makes its mark with clear, precise presentation. Heavy drums and distorted guitar take over the song’s sonic landscape, while the vocals are interwoven throughout: this is one of few tracks that treat the vocals as another instrument in production as well as performance, and is one of fewer to succeed in creating a cohesive sound this way. With lyrics like “back to the top, why would I even bother when I could take this time to mope!” creating an emotional mood that contrasts well with the energy of the track, this is a must-listen!
2. Laji George – Sittin Here Thinkin
Some songs leave an impression because of over-the-top grandeur or unexpected choices that force themselves into your memory; on Sittin Here Thinkin, Laji George does the opposite. The song keeps things simple and introspective while featuring exceptionally strong vocals that look out into the world – an instrument to channel all the emotions churning within. The track seems to be situated in the contemplative space between a hard day’s work and the peaceful rest that comes between the next: a moment that makes it clear that the best things in life are those earned by you. Listen to Sittin Here Thinkin here!
3. Prem Byrne – How Life Is
On his previous work, Prem Byrne, an independent artist based in California, has established a sound that’s calm yet powerful. How Life Is is his latest single, and it continues this trajectory with an identity that keeps things grounded and secure while still lively and impactful. His vocals stay the centrepiece of the track, surrounded by delightfully mellow elements that fill in the gaps without drawing attention to themselves. A funny yet astute reflection on how ageing has consequences beyond what you can imagine in the heat of youth, it weaves a tale that’ll have you cracking a smile while you sit with the message he’s conveying. Listen here!
4. Litvar – It Takes Magic
It Takes Magic by Litvar opens the band’s latest album, Being Here, with a soft, almost melancholic sound that reflects on what genuine healing and transformation need. The song is based on vulnerability and intimacy: from the vocals, which feel like they’re being delivered by a friend sitting right next to you on a quiet night, to the instrumental layers that take great care not to break the fragility of the track, It Takes Magic is a masterclass in restraint and the art fo using space to convey what words sometimes cannot say. This is a reminder that life isn’t fixed, and anything can change; cherish what you hold. Give it a listen here.
5. Magenta Ray – A Kiss Like This
There’s a very specific feeling when you realise the crush you thought was unattainable could actually work out, and this feeling isn’t as wholesome as some might ask you to think. That’s the mood that Magenta Ray channels on A Kiss Like This: seductive, electrifying, and all-consuming. On this track, Magenta Ray perfectly captures the way you go in circles in your own head after that kiss – replaying it over and over, analysing it from every angle. There’s the weight in the song that classic rock guitars typically bring, and when combined with the dark, disorienting energy, they create a headspace that’s hard to shake off – check it out here!
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