Vesperteen / DBMK / Sleeping Lion

Rigsby, who has been playing drums since the age of 12, took a stab at civilian life following more than a decade of writing, recording, and touring the world with his band House of Heroes, but it didn’t take very well. What started out as a remedy for restlessness, however, soon developed into a full-blown passion and the beginnings of Rigsby’s new solo project: Vesperteen. 

Vesperteen’s pop-rock sound, reminiscent of bands like the 1975 and Bleachers, has connected with a large audience. In just over a year, Rigsby has accrued more than 10,000 followers across social media platforms and generated 150,000 plays on Spotify as an independent artist.

Keeping things simple is probably one of the most complicated things that a musician could ever do. DBMK creates a really immersive and cinematic blend of sound, yet their indie pop is direct, deliberate, and extremely easy to relate to. In December 2014 they released The Abyss, their debut full-length album. The songs are introspective and intimate, but their sound is big, with reverberated guitar riffs, soulful vocals, and great arrangements that echo artists such as Twenty One Pilots and the Neighbourhood, but with an equally honest and less polished attitude.

Though the group is relatively new, they have completely changed the way many view independent and local music by professionally releasing a music video for their song, “Rich Girls,” performing at large music festivals such as FSC’s Southern Takeover, WMNF’s Tropical Heatwave, and Cox Media’s 97x Barbecue and NBT, all within one year of their first steps into the music scene. Much of the duo’s success can in fact be attributed to their constant professionalism, fan relationships, and electrifying stage performance. In July 2016 they released their highly anticipated sophomore studio album, Collapse, which was met with overwhelming fan support, and toured the southeast United States.

The Boston-based electronic duo Sleeping Lion was formed by roommates Nate Flaks and Noah Longworth McGuire in the spring of 2015. The first Sleeping Lion songs were written and produced remotely the following summer (via Skype) while Flaks was living in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and McGuire was living in Rome, Italy. In the fall, the two came together to record in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Their first single, “You Made Me,” was released in September 2015 and quickly generated hype around Boston. Their subsequent singles, “Rug” (premiered exclusively on Indie Shuffle) and “Generous” (premiered exclusively on the Line of Best Fit), were featured on various music blogs and Spotify playlists. In July 2016, they released their debut EP Patient Creature, which featured their unique combination of mellow alternative electronic vibes with elements of future-bass.