Meet the Talented Emerging Artists PEOPLE Will Be Listening to All Summer 2023

This summer, check out rising artists including COBRAH, Destroy Lonely, Rowan Drake, Saleka and more

Ramon Vega

Looking for something refreshing in Latin music? Ramon Vega's charm and catchy tunes are the way to go.

The rising star — whose uncle is the legendary “El Shaka” Vega and whose brother and father led Conelio Vega y su Dinastia — is making waves with his unique sounds.

“When I make music I always try to be honest with myself, and I feel that in every song I make,” Vega, who grew up in the desert outpost of Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, tells PEOPLE.

“In my childhood I was a very restless child, and then I learned to play the accordion, then the guitar, the piano, etc., and I feel that you can hear those sounds in my music,” he adds. “I grew up with Mexican music, and you can hear that sound in my music too, but if it makes me happy to do a reggaetón, you will hear me in do reggaetón, or funk or trap or house or a corrido. But always being honest with myself, always doing everything with love and respect for the art is my goal."

His love for music started out as just a hobby when he asked his mom for an accordion as a gift for Children’s Day (El Día del Niño) at 5 years old.

"At 8 years old I started playing the sixth bass, and that's where I started doing regional Mexican music covers for YouTube and Facebook,” he says.

He adds, “For me at that time it was still just a hobby, a hobby that made me fall more in love with music, and with all the love I received doing what I loved the most, without a doubt that has been the driving force behind what I am today.”

Earlier this month, Vega released “mE vALe maDRE,” where he used an irresistible tune and his sense of humor to essentially say “I don’t care" over and over. Now, he’s working on his next body of work.

When he’s creating music, inspiration “comes from the place, the context of that moment or that day in which I am creating, because just as there are good days, there are also bad ones.”

He adds, “Most of the time the inspiration begins to come from my memories. I really like composing with my guitar and my friends.”

Listen to “mE vALe maDRE” here.

Alicia Creti

Despite her lifelong musicianship, Alicia Creti could’ve been working in finance right now if things went differently.

“When I was about 7 years old, I wrote my first song and was so eager to show it to my mom, she quickly put me in piano lessons,” the Montreal native, 24, tells PEOPLE. “It’s been me, the piano and the pen ever since.”

However, Creti didn’t always think a music career was realistic and decided to study finance in college. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she found herself “miserable” and heeded a friend’s advice to start posting songs on TikTok. Her videos went viral with over 13 million total likes to date, she was contacted by a manager who “believed” in her — and the rest is history. (She still completed her degree, by the way.)

With a few singles now out in the world, the R&B/pop singer-songwriter is currently “putting the finishing touches” on her debut EP Self/Less, due this fall, which will explore themes of “love, guilt, heartbreak and healing.” Inspired by fellow musicians like Brandy, Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Beyoncé, Creti’s vocal quality is warm and powerful with the essence of an old soul.

“I have always written music about anything and everything I was going through, it’s what got me through life’s obstacles, whether it was pain, grief, love or joy,” says Creti. “I tend to think in song, as if my life has a soundtrack, I’ve always been wired this way.”

Check out Creti’s latest single “Strange,” and you’ll be belting out its chorus in no time.

Rowan Drake

Making music is a part of who Rowan Drake is — and he hopes to provide a sense of escape for his listeners, even if it’s just for a moment.

Hailing from Ithaca, New York, this rising star grew up surrounded by music. From his first music festival at 5 years old to watching his parents dance to Zydeco and listening to his community tell stories through music — it was always in the cards.

“It was a natural and essential way to release emotions when they could not be expressed otherwise,” he tells PEOPLE.

Following the release of his EP Dear Ella, Drake took a trip to upstate New York for the summer, and he’s “trying to live for love.”

“It’s the place where all my songs have unfolded and a place where my life feels as if it resumes. I think that while being here I will inevitably boil over emotionally in some way. This will lead, as it always does, to creation,” he says. “Some creations are just my own and others find their way to the world and become everyone’s.”

Drake finds inspiration in the “small, subtle things” like “sitting by a creek in a thunderstorm” and “watching old friends interact in such familiar ways.” He also loves watching movies and reading books by greats like Dostoevsky and Patti Smith.

Reflecting on the one thing he would like people to know about him, Drake says that most people who listen to his music “only see me in moments when I feel broken” but not his joyful moments.

“Most of the time the same people who see and listen to my darkest moments are responsible for bringing me great joy and I regret that they don’t know this side of me," he says.

Listen to Drake’s Dear Ella.

Destroy Lonely

Rap music is in Destroy Lonely’s blood, but he’s paving his own path.

The 21-year-old musician (whose real name is Bobby Sandimanie III) was raised in Atlanta by his father, fellow rapper I-40 — who was discovered and signed by Ludacris. However, after dropping five buzzy mixtapes and earning a top-20 Billboard 200 debut with his first album If Looks Could Kill, there’s no doubt he’s made a singular name for himself.

“I started with music in a studio at my school and a studio at my close friend's house. From there, I recorded myself often until I finally got into a professional studio,” Destroy Lonely tells PEOPLE. Eventually, he got signed to Playboi Carti’s Opium label and has since toured with the “Miss the Rage” hitmaker as well as performed his own headlining shows. “Honestly, I just wanted to inspire and do more, and I knew I had a story to tell.”

Destroy Lonely describes his melodic and moody style of hip-hop as “a sonic lifestyle or an audio painting.” Less than two months after releasing the 26-track If Looks Could Kill, he’s already working on new music. “I’m just trying to expand my world [and] allow different places for all my fans to go,” says the rapper.

Take a listen to Destroy Lonely’s guitar-laced single, “If Looks Could Kill.”

Towa Bird

Towa Bird is a forced to be reckoned with.

The Hong Kong-born rising star started playing guitar at 12 years old and formed her first band at the age of 14. She went on to study at Goldsmiths, University of London and dropped out after two years to pursue her love of music.

“I never really thought [music] was going to be my job — and that I’d actually be able to support myself,” she tells PEOPLE. “I assumed that I would be juggling a full-time job and music would be my side hustle. I only found that those things could intersect as it was happening. Lucky me.”

The singer-songwriter finished her forthcoming debut album American Hero last year — and now she’s gearing up for upcoming live performances where she’ll open for Reneé Rapp.

“I’ve been excitedly putting together my live show. Performing live is really the first place where I found my adoration for music,” she says. “Opening for Reneé Rapp this autumn makes me very proud. I’m honored to be able to perform for her audience.”

Her upcoming album is expected to be an “exploration of queerness, identity, and the complexities of love,” per a press release, and largely documents her relationship. Her girlfriend, along with her friends and her home are her main inspirations in her music.

Her sound, she says, is “if '70s classic rock and '90s Britpop had a baby, and the baby was queer, Asian and a woman.”

Watch the music videos for singles “Wild Heart” and “Boomerang.”

COBRAH

With provocative bangers like “Good Puss” and “Brand New Bitch,” COBRAH’s done a complete 180 since her days as an elementary school teacher.

Hailing from Sweden, the 26-year-old electronic performer released her debut single in 2018 while she was still teaching. In 2020, she left her job to pursue musicianship full-time and follow the buzz she was receiving online.

“I’ve always had this passion since I could remember that I wanted to be an artist and perform, so from a very young age I started playing music and trying different instruments,” COBRAH tells PEOPLE. “It wasn’t until I was 20 I really started getting into the music I do now and [becoming] more of a sound design and production nerd.”

It’s clearly paying off, as she’s since taken her bombastic sound, self-described as “bass heavy beats with dirty hooks,” around the world on tour both solo and with Charli XCX. Two years after dropping a self-titled EP, she’s in the midst of crafting new music — but she won’t be rushed.

“I’ve been trying to do things to get me inspired, but it never works,” explains COBRAH. “I think creation comes from within, and so nowadays things come to me when I do the most mundane things like taking a shower.”

Next time you’re at a house party, queue up COBRAH’s latest single, “SUCK.”

Elevator Boys

Elevator Boys are taking music to the next level this summer.

The 5-part boy band is a friend group from Berlin including Jacob Rott, Bene Schulz, Tim Schaecker,  Julien Brown and Luis Freitag, who got their start on social media.

“We work really hard for everything. What many people don't know is that we founded our own company a year ago with our own team,” Brown tells PEOPLE. “We manage ourselves, create products, invest in new businesses, and are always reaching for new goals. If you are an influencer and you try to branch into different areas like music or acting, you have to work twice as hard to achieve it because people will judge you.”

He adds, “When we started with our TikToks in elevators, people made jokes about it and thought that we would be gone in a second. We didn't listen to them and just proved them wrong. Now we will do the same with music.”

The group's debut single “Runway” will drop on July 21, and they’re currently hard at work in the studio.

“We are working non-stop and always aiming for the next goal. Sometimes it all gets too much and we need a break. Mental health is a very important topic for us. Our song should be an anthem for everyone who can relate to that,” says Schaecker, with Freitag adding, “It’s also a great tune for the summer. We all love it so much and can't wait to listen to it on the radio!”

As for their introduction to music, Rott says the band was enjoying their time together and waiting for the right moment to enter the scene — now they’re full speed ahead.

“We received some music opportunities a while ago, but it never felt right. We wanted to focus more on our friendships and other projects. However, people always called us the boy band that doesn't sing,” he says.

“So, after some time, we decided to go into the studio in Los Angeles to write and produce some songs. There was no pressure or real goal behind it; we just hung out and experimented. After three days in the studio, all of us were so excited and hyped about the results that we knew we had to become a real boy band!”

He concludes, “That was 8 months ago, and since then, we have been working non-stop on it: taking weekly vocal lessons, writing songs, learning how to produce, and talking to music executives. We are involved in everything. It’s our highest priority now, and we love it.”

Look out for their debut single on July 21.

Sizzy Rocket

Nothing has ever come more naturally to Sizzy Rocket than music.

“When I was 4, I had a debilitating stutter and couldn't speak — but miraculously I could communicate by singing,” the Los Angeles native, 31, tells PEOPLE. “Since then, I never really stopped.”

The eclectic pop singer-songwriter, born Sabrina Bernstein, got her start performing locally as a child and eventually “found the power of my voice.” She’s since collaborated with the likes of Run the Jewels and toured the world with high-energy concerts that would convince attendees she’s a full-on punk artist.

Despite her rowdy energy, however, she’s more reserved IRL than one might expect. “Yes, I'm a crazy rockstar but in my daily life I'm more of a poet, introverted and quiet. I love to read and my favorite thing to do is go to this cute French spot in my neighborhood and just scribble down poetry and sit there with a glass of wine or a coffee,” Rocket says. “It's so powerful to be able to tap into this extreme confidence through my persona and going all out on stage will always be part of who I am — but Sabrina, without the persona, is more of a writer.”

A true sonic anomaly, she’s created within pop, rock and alternative genres in the past. But right now, she’s working on “feral club rat bangers” that might just blow up your speakers. “I’m working on an EP, and the whole thing is a completely new sound for me,” says Rocket. “For me, it’s all about making a statement — like, I want to get into your subconscious.”

Put on your loudest headphones and blast Rocket’s latest single, “MOMMY.”

Saleka

Saleka is that soothing soul you'll need on your playlist this summer.

The Philadelphia native started playing piano at 4 years old: “My piano teacher was very passionate, and her belief in me made me take it very seriously at a young age,” she tells PEOPLE.

She continues, “As I got older, I started falling in love with composition, singing, and other genres of music, so classical music turned into song writing and production.”

The rising star released her debut album Séance in May — and she previously released music for the TV show Servant and the 2021 movie Old. Currently, she’s working on a project with her dad that she can’t wait to share.

Family is “everything” to Saleka: “Even more than just being my support system and collaborators, I am surrounded by parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who were the first of their communities to break boundaries and follow difficult paths to their passions.”

“My grandma — who is the coolest lady, I hang out with her everyday — was supposed to finish a high school level education in India and have an arranged marriage. Instead, she fought her way to college at 14, med school at 16, then married for love, moved across the world with no money and quickly rose to the top of her field despite being one of very few female doctors."

She adds, "There are many stories like this in my family. Their bravery and lifelong work are what created the safety and security for my sisters and I to pursue careers in what we love. I owe everything to them.”

Her writing process happens as she follows the sounds and melodies that make her “feel something.” In her lyricism, she’s inspired by poetry, books and paintings

Listen to her debut album here.

BAYLI

BAYLI might have multiple careers’ worth of music under her belt, but she’s still just getting started.

Born and raised in New York City, the singer-songwriter launched into musicianship as a backup singer for indie bands when she was a teen and later played in an alternative band called The Skins that toured with the likes of DNCE.

“The professional aspect happened quickly and felt happenstance,” BAYLI tells PEOPLE. “My early band members and I started receiving major, national tour offers and a record deal after being a band for just one year.”

After the group disbanded, she went solo and has since released two EPs and worked with artists like Gia Woods, iLoveMakonnen and the late SOPHIE. Along the way, she’s established herself as one of the first openly lesbian pop stars — though her music surpasses genre. “The best way to describe my sound is that it’s simply BAYLI,” she notes.

The performer’s gearing up to release a new single later this summer called “BOTH!,” and she’s also in the midst of working on her next project, which she hopes is her “most meaningful yet.” But it’s in the beginning stages.

“I’m mostly in the studio, collecting inspiration and looking for opportunities to work with the most elite collaborators, including many artists I’ve looked up to for years, to help make this project the best my fans have ever seen from me,” teases BAYLI.

While you await BAYLI’s next single, get yourself hyped with her recent one, “Telly Bag.”

Sammy Wilk

Sammy Wilk’s music will get the vibes going this summer.

Wilk grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was introduced to reggae and his guitar — giving him a foundation to create a unique sound that’s perfect for the summer.

“I find a lot of my inspiration from just experiencing life,” Wilk, who started out as a rapper, tells PEOPLE.

He adds, “Most of the songs I write are based off my personal experiences and feelings, whether that’s about girls or partying, but I can also take inspiration from other people’s perspectives on situations and the angle that they’re coming from.”

His talent caught the attention of Ky-Mani Marley and they collaborated to release the song “Light Up.”

Currently working on an EP, Wilk says he’s “really excited” about it and has “found” his sound — which he describes as “indie surfer music.”

“In Between” his life as a musician, Wilk wants readers to know that he’s also just a regular guy.

“I go through life, try to enjoy myself and not take myself too seriously. I also really try to keep a good balance in my life between working out and eating healthy, to indulging in a few drinks with friends and having fun on the weekends.”

Listen to his latest single “Red & Gold.”

Trevor Daniel

Trevor Daniel has scored hits and collaborated with stars like Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha and Julia Michaels — but he’s not merely chasing fame.

“I feel like a lot of people make music because they think it’s a cool thing to do or to chase some subjective level of fame but that’s not why I’m in this,” Daniel, 28, tells PEOPLE. “I just want to make songs that I think are sick and that invite people to discover a universe of music where they can connect to what they’re feeling about their life and have a good time.”

The Houston-born singer-songwriter debuted in 2018 and earned a massive hit shortly afterward with “Falling,” which was remixed by Summer Walker and Blackbear. He’s since released two albums, Nicotine and That Was Then. Often categorized as a pop artist, he looks to create with “a mix of sounds that represent what I’m personally enjoying at any given time.”

At the moment, Daniel’s crafting his next album, Sad Now Doesn’t Mean Sad Forever. “The overall vibe is to recognize that whatever feels overwhelming that you’re going through, it doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck in these feelings forever,” he teases of the upcoming project, for which he’ll soon reveal the release date. “There’s so much goodness to be found if we all learn to keep going.”

Take a drive and play Daniel’s new single “Heartstrings” through your speakers.

Micky James

Micky James makes “glamourous, dirty pop music” that David Bowie fans will eat up!

The rising star was born and raised in Philadelphia and New York City, where he developed an affinity for theatrical performances and knew that’s what he wanted to do with his life.

“I grew up in a very musical family which led me to picking up the guitar at a very young age,” James tells PEOPLE. “My dad introduced me to The Beatles first, and my cousins and uncle introduced me to a variety of different artists — such as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, etc.”

Adding, “From my teenage years on I performed in many bands, which led me to drop out of school and pursue music professionally. From there it was a whirlwind — I started my first band as a frontman and got signed to a major label. Eventually, that group disbanded, leading me to my current project as a solo artist.”

He recently released “Loner Year,” which is the title track from his forthcoming EP: “I want this EP to sound like a party record for the loners.”

“This EP that I’ve put together feels like a byproduct of the past two and a half years and how that has impacted me today, exploring concepts of loss, longing and mental health.”

From his eccentric fashion to his exuberant demeanor, James has a knack for embracing what makes him unique.

“I want people to know that it’s important to embrace all of the things that make each and everyone of us unique. It can be frightening sometimes to free our most authentic selves, only by carving our own path can we feel truly liberated.”

Listen to “Loner of the Year” here.

Delacey

You’ve already heard Delacey’s lyrics. Now, get ready to hear them directly from her.

After co-writing smash hits like Halsey’s “Without Me” and Dove Cameron’s “Boyfriend,” the California native has released her second album, The Girl Has a Dream — her latest product from a lifelong love of songwriting and performing.

“I always knew I would pursue [musicianship], which was kind of a problem for me because it made me super distracted and bad at putting an effort into school growing up. I barely showed up to high school ever,” Delacey admits to PEOPLE, noting that she started out with “no actual connections” in the music industry.

Little did the singer-songwriter know, she’d go on to write massive, diamond-certified songs. “I was definitely naive, but there is something beautiful about that,” says Delacey. “Once you really get into the music industry, you lose that and become kind of jaded.”

On the new album, her vulnerability is displayed through serene, crisp vocals over pristine lyricism, for which she draws inspiration from “sadness, love, seeing the world, living experiences and not just being in the studio 24/7.”

Beyond this project, she’s currently working on music “with other super talented artists” and crafting another body of work written “in Paris with my husband on our honeymoon.” She also might just make up for her high school absences by enrolling in film school.

Go on a journey with Delacey by streaming her new album, The Girl Has a Dream.

Bruno Major

Bruno Major is making his dad proud.

“I started in music because my dad played guitar and I think everybody wants to be like their dad, don't they? And he always had guitars lying around the house and I used to pick them up but they were way too big for me,” Major tells PEOPLE. “So for Christmas when I was 6 years old, they bought me a tiny guitar and that was that.”

At the age of 16, he decided that he would give guitar his all and started playing every day — the rest was history.

The rising star is gearing up for the release of his forthcoming and most ambitious album to date titled Columbo on July 21.

“I feel that it is the culmination of everything I've been working towards artistically achieving my whole life really. The way I viewed becoming an artist was, I’d learn to play my instruments and then I’d learn to write the songs and then I’d learn how to make the records,” he says.

Adding, “I figured if I had all three legs of the tripod, then making an album would be really easy. But it turns out that making an album is actually a skill in itself. And I think that making my third album, I feel more complete as an artist and more comfortable saying my own truth and more comfortable in my own skin. It really came together more naturally.”

With a gold-certified single under his belt, Major says he finds inspiration in the world around him and what her obtains from listening to his friends.

As for his sound, there’s no better way to describe it than “chicken soup.”

“My sound is sort of relevant to the last question, it's all of the things that you are inspired by going into a big melting pot,” he says. “For example, let's say D’Angelo is a carrot, Chet Baker is a potato and Carole King is chopped onions. It all goes in the pot and it boils away, and at the end you get a soup which is your things, your ingredients. But it's really just a product of everything that's in the soup.”

Listen to his latest single “Tell Her.”

Softee

Softee wants you to know three things about her: “I have a bangin’ personality, a sick body and I’m gay as all hell.”

Hailing from Minnesota, the singer-songwriter (whose real name is Nina Grollman) has acted in musical theater productions off-Broadway in addition to her pop career. “I started singing really young,” Softee tells PEOPLE. “I would sing Lion King karaoke all day and make my dad grade me on the songs when he came home from work.”

She began producing her own cover songs in middle school using a “primitive free software” and found libration in taking “control” of her sound. “I didn’t pursue music professionally until after college, and even then it was not necessarily with the intention of being a professional musician,” says Softee. “I just needed a creative outlet, and music was that avenue for me.”

Last month, she released her second album Natural, a collection of funky, danceable DIY pop songs largely about finding love with her current fiancée after a rough breakup. “I’d say it’s queer pop fantasia with a sprinkle of existential angst,” she describes her sound.

Put Softee’s song “Isn’t Enough” on the playlist for your next dance party.

John Summit

Looking for that perfect summertime movie montage song to drive to? John Summit is your guy.

Summit earned his Master’s degree in accounting and worked as a CPA at a big-four accounting firm — but his love was always in the music.

“Not wanting to be a CPA for the rest of my life was all of the motivation I needed and I ultimately worked my ass off to make music my full-time job,” says Summit, who would DJ at bars in college.

Now, Summit finds inspiration for his music while he’s driving on tour.

“I find inspiration from traveling and seeing the world while on the road touring, and those experiences can bring the biggest inspiration for producing,” he says. “I’m actually currently in Zagreb, Croatia for the first time ever playing a show tonight, and getting to experience new styles of music and cultures from across is certainly inspiring!”

His studio setup, however, is as simple as can be: “[I use] just a laptop and monitors or headphones. I don’t have an elaborate studio set up and honestly gain the majority of my inspiration by writing music on the road with just my laptop and headphones.”

Up next, the rising star is gearing up to release a remix of one of his “all-time favorite songs” and a collaboration.

For Summit, no one sound defines him besides “killer drums” and a “great baseline.”

Listen to “Where Are You” now.

Anna Shoemaker

Anna Shoemaker’s music is “alt-pop to scream-sing and play air guitar to in the car.”

The Philadelphia native, 27, has been making music since she was a child, using the art form to express feelings too tough to say out loud. “I was really emotional and painfully shy as a kid — everything sort of felt like the end of the world,” Shoemaker tells PEOPLE. “Writing was the one thing that really felt like a release and even as I’ve grown up, I still feel that way.”

She just released a new EP titled Hey Anna and describes her writing process as oscillating between reflective and reactive. “It’s hard to have perspective in the heat of the moment,” says Shoemaker. “I’m realizing there’s a lot to be learned by looking back — just don’t stay looking back too long.”

Next in the works is her sophomore album, which she’s in the beginning stages of writing, as she lets her feelings develop enough to put them down on paper. “As we speak, I'm actually on my way back from LA. I dove back into writing with my friend there, and it felt so good,” says Shoemaker. “I know it’s probably good practice to write everyday, but I feel better when I sort of let everything collect in my head. The album is going to be whatever collects, I guess.”

Before the album comes to fruition, get into Shoemaker’s angsty banger, "666."

Hannah Dasher

Dash — don’t walk to listen to Hannah Dasher’s music!

Before the rising country star could speak, she started to sing.

“‘90s country radio, particularly. Alan Jackson’s 'Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow' inspired me to make that dream a reality,” she tells PEOPLE.

Dasher is gearing up to release her new album The Other Damn Half in August. Currently, she’s working on a music video for her song “I’m Gonna Whoop Your Redneck A--,” which she teases as a “hoot” and will feature “lots of celebrity cameos.”

The singer-songwriter would also let to set the record straight on one thing: “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not actually dating the Cornbread Cowboi, though he is one of my best friends.”

She labels her sound as “'90s-infused country rock” and finds inspiration from “great music”: “from being fresh in love to being fresh out of it.”

Listen to “Cryin’ All the Way to the Bank."

Levi Evans

Levi Evans is paving his own way in music.

Evans — who is the son of U2’s The Edge — started playing instruments at a young age and hopes that his authenticity will shine through his music.

“Authenticity is important to me and I hope my audience can gather that from my work,” he tells PEOPLE.

Currently working on his first body of work, an EP titled Head Chatter, the rising star says fans can expect exactly what the title describes.

“[It’s about] all the chatter in my head making its way into music. It is scheduled to come out in the fall of this year.”

Though he comes from a musical family, Evans developed his passion for creating music in an after school music production class in high school.

“Initially I was making weird electronic instrumentals but that changed when I switched high schools,” he says.

He adds, “At Santa Monica High, I started making hip-hop style beats and writing lyrics with my new friends there. That's when I got really passionate about it. In college, I dove deeper into music and decided that’s what I really wanted to do professionally. I wanted — or more had to — follow that passion."

As for his inspiration, Evans finds it in “live performance”: “New to the live realm, I am learning very quickly how my music translates to a live audience. A song connects or it doesn’t."

Listen to his latest single “Chronic.”

Girl Scout

Girl Scout is the perfect addition to your European summer vacation playlist.

“We’ve all dabbled from an early age, the biggest catalyst for me was probably entering the jazz scene and discovering how limitlessly creative music could be,” lead singer Emma tells PEOPLE of the 4-piece band, which also includes Evelina Arvidsson Eklind, Per Lindberg and Viktor Spasov.

She continues, “Not to say that creativity is limited to any one genre but jazz and improvisation really opened up a whole new world for me. I tried being a realist for a long time and thought I would become a music teacher or vocal coach at some point; we didn’t really think playing in a band was an option. We genuinely fell into making this our main job when we landed a record deal like six months into starting the band. I am so happy we did though!”

The band’s second EP, titled Granny Music, is set for an October release. They’re also gearing up for a series of show in the fall as they record new music in their “tiny” recording studio in Stockholm.

As a group, they just “a bunch of music nerds that are really into what we do.”

“A lot of what we write is influenced by all sorts of genres, we don’t really limit our sound to anything in particular, we just enjoy the process of taking a song wherever it needs to go,” says Emma. “We’ve written and recorded acoustic evergreen-sounding ballads and also some weird atonal stuff. There are no rules and I think all songs deserve to be finished!”

Soak in that Girl Scout spirit with their latest single ”Boy in Blue.”

Kanii

Kanii is a creative in every way.

The rising star decided at the age of 12 that he would chase his dreams and pursue music as a career.

“I’ve been singing since childhood, and I grew up listening to a lot of Motown and a lot of 2000s pop and r&b like Beyoncé and Keisha Cole,” Kanii tells PEOPLE.

He’s currently working on his second EP, which he says is going to be a “sonic step up” from his debut EP.

“I am constantly changing and evolving as an artist, so this next work of art should encapsulate the musical growth from the first,” he explains.

Meanwhile, his sound is a combination of everything he enjoys: “I generally don’t conform to one style or genre; I like creating things that I would personally enjoy; I don’t want people to have an expectation of the same sound from me. I want people always leave satisfied when they do hear something new from me, no matter what the sound or genre is.”

You may also recognize Kanii from his viral song “I Know” on TikTok — which also landed him on the Billboard Hot 100.

Listen to his debut EP exiit.

Palehound

El Kempner of Palehound finds strength in songwriting.

“My dad is a great musician, and I grew up always hearing him play guitar. He started giving me lessons when I was 7 and I immediately became obsessed. It felt so powerful to be able to learn and play songs I loved and make them my own,” the musician, 29, tells PEOPLE. “It just always felt like the only path that would make me happy.”

Palehound’s been releasing alternative rock music for a decade, with four albums under their belt, featuring songs often inspired by everyday interactions. “If I hear someone say something funny on the train I’ll write it down, or if I see some kind of weird scene happening I’ll quickly jot down what I’m witnessing,” says Kempner. “I really am most inspired by other people, how we all connect, and the little things that tie us all together.”

The band’s next album, Eye on the Bat, is set to drop on July 14, and Kempner’s been busy planning out their next set of concerts. “I’ve had these songs written since 2020 and have been dying to get a chance to bring them to life at a show,” they say. “We just started rehearsals and it feels incredible to get to play them for the first time with my bandmates.”

Before you check Palehound out on tour, listen to the band’s recent single, “My Evil.”

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Read the original article on People.