The land of indie music is infinite (which I have reiterated time and time again), allowing record labels like Winspear to find some absolute gems. Started by founders Jared Jones and Ben Wittkugel dating back all the way to 2015, they now have a catalog of 15 artists/bands that are all extremely unique.
Cultivating records out of Bloomington, Indiana, Winspear has said in an interview with Rough Trade that they “gravitate towards consistently strong songwriters”, and that definitely holds water. The artists highlighted in this article have some astounding songwriting chops, whether it is simple indie rock or volume-heavy psych-pop, they all amaze thanks to the help of Winspear.
Jahnah Camille
Based out of Birmingham, Alabama, Jahnah Camille stands out as an amazing indie singer/songwriter. Her debut project came out recently this year, “i tried to freeze light, but only remember a girl”, and it truly delivers as an amazing indie rock record. At an astounding 19-year-old, Camille’s soft vocals with a mix of synths, guitars, and drums showcase her willingness to be tied down to a specific indie sound or mix, always wanting to experiment.
With some of the songs being recorded when she was still in high school (insane), she traveled back and forth from Birmingham to Atlanta to record the record. She has two tours on the way this fall, one opening for the emerging and amazing Luna Li, with the other opening for blooming TOPS. I would highly recommend you check out some of her love-filled, sonically blissful indie rock this fall.
Teethe
Teethe is living proof that college bands can go on to do great things and their sleazy-lofi-shoegaze is music so many bands want to be able to create. The Texas-based five-piece band got their start with core members Boone Patrello, Grahm Robinson, Madeline Dowd, and Jordan Garret all meeting under their own acts at the University of North Texas, before moving in together and officially starting Teethe.
The slow and head-bob-inducing mix reminds me a lot of Duster, a true slowcore giant. They released their self-titled debut in 2020, which garnered positive reviews across the music world. They have released this year with a single “Thanks” that is short and sweeter, sweeter than their more gloomy tracks. Teethe just concluded a tour with illusive Ethel Cain, but now have their eyes set on shows with Horse Jumper of Love this fall, which I highly recommend attending.
Majetic
Diving into the world of electronic, techno, vaporwave, and dream pop, Majetic’s sound is truly otherworldly. Justin Majetich is the mastermind of the artist project and has been releasing his unique brand of spacey synth-wave since 2015. Of course synths run wild, but this does not take away from his strong vocals and experimental songwriting.
Majetic has a couple of projects released, with their two albums “Club Dread” and “LUV IN THE RUINS” being more electronically forward and challenging compared to the most recently released EP, “As I Once Transformed Myself For You, So I Must Now Transform Myself For Heaven”. The most current single, an energetic and pulsating instrumental track called “Can’t Sleep” may be foreshadowing a shift into the electronic instrumental world. And if that is the case, I am very intrigued.
Divine Niño
The psychedelic dream band of Divine Niño has truly idealized themselves as a unique act with an equally unique young history. Originating from Bogotá, Colombia, members Camilo Medina and Javier Forero eventually recruited other members Guillermo Rodriguez, Pierce Cordina, and Justin Vittori to form a strong unit. Divine Niño’s sound is vibrant in energy, whether it is flowing synths, jittery drums, or soft yet resonant vocals, it always seems like a vibe with them.
They have actually been releasing music for 10 years now, with a solid four albums within their discography. Through this career, their collaboration list is also vast, including fellow luscious-synth-loving artist Triathalon, the talented Slow Pulp, and smooth Inner Wave. Their artful discography, both visually (especially the album cover for “Last Spa on Earth”, done by Medina himself) and sonically, deserves to be listened to, by those who what to get lost in a soundscape.
ghost orchard
Ending with some simple but intimate sounds from ghost orchard. Sam Hall is once again a more experienced artist, releasing his first music all the way back in 2015. For me, his sound is very nostalgic, reminding me of a forgotten summer that was once adored. His sound is filled with vocal distortion, some electronic elements, and his reassuring voice.
His most well-known record is the 2022 release of “rainbows”. It does stand out as some of his best work, but do not sleep on his other albums like “bunny” and “bliss”. His electronic influences are apparent, rereleasing “rainbows” as “re: rainbow music” featuring all remixes of the original album. I hope he releases music again soon, to be reminded of something that I am unsure of.
Winspear Spearheading Artistic Independent Music Labels
What Winspear does amazingly across all of these artists and more is something that may not seem important for music: have art be a focus. The album covers of all the releases are truly mesmerizing, and it adds to the music. Art direction for an album is no surprise, but a true art direction for a record label is next level.
Of course, Winspear themselves are not detailing every single album cover produced by them, but it does add this whimsical nature to their status. Winspear wants to create art, let alone music, and independent record labels across the globe would be better if they had Winspear as an example.
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