Dora Jar / Sam Austins

Dora Jar is an artist who refuses to be defined. Despite having only shared a handful of songs, each track the 24-year-old has released has been distinctive, endlessly fascinating, and, quite frankly, brilliant. From the hammering guitars on “Multiply” to the ominous “Did I Get It Wrong,” they exemplify an artist with a clear artistic vision: to be as expansive, honest, and unequivocally herself as is humanly possible.

Born in New York and raised in California, Dora’s life has always been linked intrinsically with music. Some of her earliest memories are being with her mother, who is an actress, while she worked. “She was in the Titanic show on Broadway,” the singer recalls, “and I can remember the very high ceilings backstage.” Likewise, Dora remembers singing along to Stephen Sondheim musicals. “There are a lot of thunderstorms in New York, and I can remember playing the original Broadway recording of Into the Woods as lightning was outlining the buildings. I loved that feeling of spooky darkness.”

Sometimes art is nothing more than creating your own world when the one around you says you don’t belong. It’s hard not to see that in the world that alternative artist Sam Austins is creating—a world that somehow fuses the energy of ’90s alternative with the R&B melodies of Frank Ocean, and the aspirational aesthetics of high fashion with the authentic storytelling of Detroit culture. Released in October 2021 via Atlantic Records, Austins’ debut project, HOMELESS STAR, is a coming-of-age album that tells the story of a young man finding his place in a world he’s never fit.

The Los Angeles-based native of Detroit sold out his debut hometown headlining show, and has done supporting dates in LA, Chicago, and New York, sharing stages with the likes of Post Malone, Vince Staples, and Sir Chloe. He is a platinum-selling songwriter whose music has been featured in places like HBO’s Euphoria, Pigeons & Planes, and Billboard, and he’s been featured in magazines like Rolling Stone and Vogue.