Quite a heading isn’t it? The state of indie in 2025. As if I have any idea what the state of indie is going to be. I mean, we’re barely two weeks into the new year as I sit here and write. But I thought, the hell with it. Throw down the gauntlet. Ruffle some feathers.
The state of indie in 2025 seems, to be honest, doing quite a lot better than the state of many other aspects of the world. Quite apart from the fact that (at least here in the northern hemisphere) it’s bleedin’ cold. January in the northern hemisphere: rainy, grey. Intermittent snow that doesn’t stay.
Still, no point complaining. As I said, indie is doing reasonably well, all things considered.
While the US turns down its dark path of eager autocracy, while desert winds push the flames across Los Angeles, while Palestinians and Israelis pause for a moment and wonder if this might finally be over, while the Russians keep on pushing west metre by metre…
Indie is coming up for air.
When you need music to say something to you, mainstream pop just doesn’t really cut it. It’s fine, probably, when your head is bouncy and full of air and you can just hum bubblegum verses while sauntering along not caring about anything, but when the chips are down, it’s indie that has the words, the sounds and the vibe that you need.
In the spirit of this article which only just avoided being called Reasons to be Cheerful part 25, these are some of the artists that shone in 2024 and I can’t wait to hear what they do in 2025:
Kat Koan: just getting better and better
Kat Koan, the bubbling-under louche lady of indie surprises released what was arguably the best thing she’d done yet in 2024 with the single Boom! – with brass by Kelly O’Donohue and a choir made up of independent luminaries of the Berlin scene including Mone, Koka, Teika and Poppy Smallwood. All mixed by the man himself, Cameron James Laing of Gold Watch studios.
Polar Noir has followed up her debut album
The underrated Polar Noir followed up her brilliant indie rock debut album with a solid second album and is looking like she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
3. The Wombats are bringing out a new album.
4. Rum Jungle are bringing out a new album.
5. German indie band Blond ain’t goin nowhere.
6. Lola Young is playing in Berlin soon.
7. Scott & Lila are going from strength to strength.
8. Bookie Baker will probably come back and play Berlin again.
9. Kitty Solaris’ latest single James Bond is STILL on heavy rotation in Berlin.
10. Noga Erez is still brilliant.
….there are more of course, but as you may have noticed, I started getting bored with writing everything down about halfway down the list 🙂
Let’s shake off the mood of doom and gloom shall we, and celebrate just how indie our world still is…and the fact that the days are (slowly) getting longer again…
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