Keep an eye on these new artists joining the best of indie rock scene in 2021.

At the moment it feels like guitar bands are emerging onto the main music scene from a long hibernation since the indie glory days of the mid-noughties.

Here are eight indie rock bands set for big things in 2021.


Squid

Squid make confident, intriguing art-rock with chugging basslines reminiscent of Talking Heads. The band spent the past year holed up working on their debut album, which may well surface in 2021 and is set to take them in a different direction.


Billy Nomates

After releasing her self-titled debut album last year, Billy Nomates storms into 2021 with new EP Emergency Telephone due out in March. Sleaford Mods and Iggy Pop are huge fans of the artists’ social commentary. New release “Heels” is a determinedly furious electronic punk track with rousing harmonies.


KennyHoopla

The LA-based singer writes big, earnest songs that fit perfectly in with the best of early-noughties indie rock. Last year’s EP how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway? invites comparisons to Foals and Bloc Party. He’s recently dabbled in pop punk with a collaboration with Travis Barker. 2021 will surely hold big things.


Blanketman

Manchester band Blanketman have been racking up views on Spotify with their bright, catchy Joy Division-esque indie rock and are primed for a mass audience. Their debut EP National Trust is out in March.


Chappaqua Wrestling

The London-based band touch on Americana, grunge and shoegaze. “The Rift” mixes yearning guitars with Oasis-style vocals. Keep an eye out for more records in the pipeline.


Spyres

Since forming in 2019 these Glaswegian teenagers have been putting out riff-heavy rock anthems with sing-along choruses. Still a young band, they’re super-talented and primed for big things.


TV Priest

Grouchy, politically-pointed post-punk that feels fresh. TV Priest are newly signed to Sub Pop, and debut album Uppers is out at the beginning of May.


Oscar Lang

Britpop lives on in Oscar Lang. His latest EP Antidote to Being Bored mixes grizzly psychedelic rock with sunny pop melodies. Having spent 2020 releasing tracks that travel through genres and sounds, this year will hopefully see Lang released onto a stage.


Whether they’re discovering new bands who are setting out with debut records, or watching eagerly as their favourite rising artists head in fresh new directions, indie rock fans have much to look forward to in 2021.


If you’re in an indie band yourself, let RouteNote know and we’ll get to work distributing your tracks, for free.