Keep an eye out for the band Mt. Joy and their folk-inspired song “Highway Queen“. The song was self-funded and independently released through the band’s own label, Bloom Field Records, in collaboration with Neon Gold Records (known for acts such as Matt Maeson, HAIM, Charli XCX, and others). This summer, Mt. Joy will be opening up for Noah Kahan.

Matt Quinn talks about ‘Highway Queen’, “The song is about being in love with someone you see a bit of yourself in. My wife is from Brazil but left home when she was 15 to chase a dream and had success that has kept her away from home and moved her all over the world ever since. Living away from home corrals your demons in a specific way, you feel like the only way to out run them is to keep moving, and it makes being home torturous. It’s something I personally struggle with so I know it when I see it in someone else, especially someone I love. Now we share a home together and I hope this song can represent a reminder that we have each other to work through it all and hopefully the rest of our lives to figure it out at whatever pace we need.”

Looking for a calming and vibey track that connects? Check out Payson Lewis’ latest release, “Slowly“.

“We all have a tendency to protect ourselves, especially in matters of the heart (and art),” says Lewis about the song. “But this song is about being brave enough to let someone in, letting them come behind my defenses and take my fragile depths into their care.”

Payson, a performer residing between Los Angeles and New York, engages in both singing and acting. His presence has been noted on prominent television programs such as How I Met Your Mother, Revenge, The People vs. OJ Simpson, and the inaugural season of The Sing-Off.

In the latter part of 2014, he initiated a channel, debuting with a rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Out Of The Woods” alongside Rumer Willis. This collaboration garnered attention from outlets like Perez Hilton, Just Jared, and The Huffington Post.

Additionally, Payson is a fixture in the Los Angeles theater circuit, participating in numerous productions, culminating in receiving the “Best Leading Actor in a Musical” accolade for his portrayal of Peter in Bare.

Check out Gabe Lopez’s “High 4 U” – an addictive track that blends the vibes of The Weeknd and The Kid LAROI’s “Stay”.

He recently toured with Belinda Carlisle in the US and UK, hitting major venues like the Indigo at the O2 and B.B. King’s NYC. His music is on heavy rotation on Sirius XM Radio, iHeart Radio, and FM stations, including his recent tracks “End of the Lost Summer,” “Lasso,” “Vivian & Valerie,” and “California Blues” featuring Belinda Carlisle. His album “God Bless the Queens” made waves on iTunes, debuting in the Top 100 New Releases. Lopez’s pop-rock tunes have also been featured by artists like RuPaul’s Drag Race, New Kids on the Block, Joey McIntyre, and more

Check out the sad pop track “Distract Myself” by Sophia Angeles. The song reflects on the feelings of trying to distract oneself with people and things to avoid the pain of a breakup. It’s an interesting track in the sense that you can either cry to it or dance to it.

Sophia Angeles is a rising pop singer and songwriter, who draws inspiration from Selena Gomez and Julia Michaels. With over 50 million views on YouTube and more than 5 million streams on Spotify, she is an artist to keep an eye on. Her latest single, “OUCH!”, made its debut on Spotify’s editorial playlist “Fresh Finds,” while her song “Miss You More” has already surpassed 4,000,000 streams on Spotify this year.

Give it a stream on KOAR’s indie invaders playlist.

Check out Virginia-based Karina and her self-empowering track “Chains.” “The only thing that’s holding me back is the chains connected to my past,” sings Karina as she addresses childhood trauma. Fans of Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish will embrace this song.

Karina says, “This song addresses childhood trauma and how we deal with it as we grow into adults. There are moments during depression where you’ll hate yourself and constantly put yourself down, but I recently came to the realization that it’s not my fault I am the way I am. I can only try to do better for myself, but the more you wallow in the past, the more guilty you’ll feel for being you. Trauma sort of feels like these chains connected to your arms constantly pulling you back as you’re trying to get better.”

Give it a stream on KOAR’s indie invaders Playlist.