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Photo by Aidan Cullen Few artists embody the cross-pollination of Los Angeles' independent music scene quite like Kiefer. A pianist, producer and composer whose work draws equally from jazz, R&B, hip-hop and electronic music, he has spent the last decade carving out a sound that feels impossible to place within a single genre. Instead, his music exists in the space where these traditions overlap, blending improvisation, groove and beat culture into something entirely his own.

Photo by Tatiana Pozuelo Formed from the remnants of Brighton’s thriving DIY music scene, alphabet are a London-based shoegaze and indie rock band built on friendship, collaboration and a shared desire to create something new. Comprised of Lena Pilshofer (vocals, bass), George Miles (drums), Tom Sullivan (guitar) and Milo Mcnulty (vocals, guitar), the four-piece first crossed paths while playing in separate bands in Brighton before eventually relocating to London, where alpha

Photo Courtesy of Capricorn Management Popular for her catchy melodies and unique vocal tone, Sofiia Tarasova is a contemporary R&B singer, popular for her soulful music. Throughout her life, she was surrounded by music and began her journey as a child. Dedicated to her craft, she represented her home country Ukraine at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest and participated in New Wave Junior in 2013. In 2022, Tarasova left Ukraine and went on a journey of self-discovery. She m

Lakecia Benjamin sits down with Strand Magazine to talk about her latest album, We Dream, as well as her creative processes, inspirations, and the future of jazz.

Image Courtesy of semiwestern For a band that began with two childhood tennis rivals crossing paths on the junior tournament circuit, semiwestern have always existed somewhere between worlds. Led by Texas-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ty Bohrnstedt, the indie-rock project has spent more than a decade evolving from its early days as The Vliets. Alongside co-founder Daniel Gonzalez, longtime collaborator Jeff Morisano and a rotating cast of close friends, semiweste

Photo by Fabrice Bourgelle Responding to a lack of South Asians represented in creative industries, Dialled In advocates for the opposite. Through festivals and events, a record label (Dialled In Records), and a not-for-profit (Dialled Industry), alternative South Asian music and culture is given the space to be celebrated and invested in. On the 30th of May, amidst the infamous heatwave, I was lucky enough to attend the fifth-anniversary edition of Dialled In’s festival, whe

Photo by Daria Slikker There is something unmistakably cinematic about wing!'s music. Whether it's the restless momentum of his latest single, 'GET UP AND GO OUT', or the introspective pull of earlier releases like 'Pack It In' – which has since amassed over 80,000 Spotify streams – his songs feel like the soundtrack to life unfolding across sprawling city streets. It's fitting, then, that his music has found listeners everywhere from London and New York to Los Angeles and Me

Photo by Josh Sabini Over a few years, Adelaide indie rock band Swapmeet have gone from self-recording music with friends to culminating multiple South Australian Music Awards wins. Formed in 2022 by longtime friends Venus O'Broin, Maxwell Elphick, Jack Medlyn and Joshua Doherty, the group first built a following through the local Adelaide scene before releasing their debut EP, Oxalis, in 2024. The project's blend of folk-inspired songwriting, expansive arrangements and metic

Photo by Josh Nai In just two years, Melbourne post-punk band sleepazoid have gone from a new project born out of a relocation to one of Australia's most promising emerging bands. Formed in 2024, the five-piece quickly found momentum after an early writing session produced their debut single, ‘RATS’. What followed was a rapid rise: a self-recorded debut EP, running with the dogs, support slots with Faye Webster across Australia, appearances at Bigsound, and a growing audience

Photo by Jordan Matyka Chiminyo, the London-based drummer, producer, and performer, does not limit his interpretation of jazz to the traditional expectations of the genre. While jazz figureheads John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, and Miles Davis, formed Chiminyo's earliest musical influences, other inspirations span from Flying Lotus to Jorge Ben Jor. Chiminyo and his collaborators’ take on jazz is subtle. Instead of centering saxophones and solos, jazz influences how they i