Are there any bands out there that you wish you could have seen in that 200 cap venue or had just heard of them before they got super popular? I feel like there's so many bands that I listen to that have already passed this certain mark and I find myself saying, “if only I knew about them then” all the time! One of my favorite things to do now is finding the smaller bands, watching them grow, and making a name for them selves. A few of my favorite bands on my radar right now are...
NDGO
NDGO (pronounced indigo) is a Pop/Rock group out of South Texas. This group combines influences from 90’s pop, R&B, and hard rock to create a really unique sound that I personally hadn’t heard before.
NDGO more or less found me back in 2021. This was back when I first really started diving into music and researching bands. I was super into bands like VRSTY and Slaves (at the time, now Rain City Drive). NDGO had sent me a message on Instagram one day, and I remember just being so excited over that because they were the first band to ever DM me. The first song of theirs I listened to was “Empty Room” and I just instantly fell in love with them. That one DM really started a chain reaction for me and got me into finding the smaller bands and wanting more bands to send me their music.
Earlier this week, They released their latest single, “Honey.” My interpretation of the song is that It’s a really “sweet” love song, looking back on the moment you met your partner for the first time and not wanting to change a thing about that. The song itself gives me the feeling of driving down the PCH with all the windows down in the summertime. It's one of those lighter, upbeat songs that just instantly puts you in a good mood.
As of now, NDGO doesn’t have any tours lined up but they will be playing Emo Nite Battle of The Bands in Corpus Christi, TX on April 15th! The winner of the battle gets to open for Craig Owen from Destroy Rebuild. If you’re in the area be sure to check them out! I definitely need these guys to come to the west coast sometime soon though!
Dark Divine
If you're the type of person that celebrates Halloween all year round, like me, then Dark Divine is your band. Whether it’s a horror movie, a haunted house, or something that captures its essence, darkness has a way of pulling us in and Dark Divine has mastered the art of capturing it.
I first heard of Dark Divine when I saw their TikTok for Motionless In White's open verse challenge for “Masterpiece.” The range and power behind lead singer Anthony Martinez’s voice in the video is what really got me hooked on them. The video has gained over 1.2m views and Anthony even got invited to be one of the live guest vocalists on Motionless In White “Slaughterhouse!”
With the release of their EP, Halloweentown, they have already gained early support from Sirius XM’s Octane and have had their songs regularly playing especially around their title track, “Halloweentown.”
With the success of last year's Trinity of Terror Tour (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless in White, and Black Veil Brides), the Horror/Gothic metalcore genre is making its comeback and coming back way bigger than it was. I’m personally a huge fan of horror movies and so this mix of horror and metal is my perfect combination.
Dark Divine just recently signed with Thriller records and has released their first single under the new label, “Drown.” They are currently on tour with Until I Wake and Catch Your Breath but there's only a few dates left so be sure to see these guys if they're coming to your town!
Catch Your Breath
Catch Your Breath is an alt-rock band based out of Austin, Texas that is rising up extremely quickly. Earlier this year, they had their single, "Dial Tone," blow up on TikTok. It’s since then gained over 18 million streams on Spotify while charting on iTunes and Billboard. “Dial Tone” is about that emotion you feel when someone you were close to, growing close to, or even in love with, walks out of your life without saying anything. You’re stuck in this space wondering what happened and are left with so many questions just wanting that “answer.” Catch your Breath has also just passed the 1 million monthly listener mark on Spotify!
They just released their latest single, “No Evil,” and are currently working on their debut album that is set to be released later this year via Thriller Records. “We see a lot of hate, bigotry and discrimination from a group of people who love to preach the opposite. They love to target our friends in different communities while simultaneously, turning a blind eye to their own who commit the worst offenses. We went back to our heavier side for a song like this and want to let all our friends and supporters know in these communities that always get targeted by hate, we see you and stand strong with you.” Says the band about the new single.
They are also currently on tour with Until I Wake and in just a couple months they’ll be heading out on tour with Falling in Reverse and Ice Nine Kills on select dates of “The Popular Monstour.” On that tour, they will already be playing one of the most iconic venues, Red Rocks! They will also be playing my favorite festival, Blue Ridge Rock Festival, later this year in September!
Stay tuned for more Lift Off artists next week!
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