Women On Vox is our series highlighting talented ladies in music by tipping over 100 brilliant bands where women take centre stage.
In the three installments so far we’ve profiled 75 artists, including some of our guitar-driven favourites and top tips in Part 1, glossier alt-pop in Part 2 and riotous punk and grunge in yesterday’s Part 3, plus many other diverse picks along the way.
For Part 4 we’ve shifted our attentions again, this time stepping into more melancholy territory with 25 artists from eclectic and filmy genres including dream pop, shoegaze, psychedelia and darkwave.
It’s possibly our most wonderfully cohesive playlist to date, celebrating a worldly group of artists that produce lush pop, misty-eyed indie and ethereal rock, be it with spangly guitars or moody synthesizers.
We’ve again included profiles for all of our choices by FEISTY editor and Women On Vox curator Katy, vital statistics on every band, and discographies listing all of the releases you’d need to collect their essential output.
Read on for the full fourth installment. Alternatively, click play below and revel in our Part 4 playlist. (Note that three of our picks aren’t available on Spotify, so our playlist only runs to 22 songs. All three, however, are on SoundCloud.)
The final installment of Women On Vox is published tomorrow.
Amber Arcades
In a sentence: Former human rights lawyer turned dream pop standout, Amber Arcades’ music is characterised by ethereal vocals, gauzy reverb and jangly instrumental breaks.
We’ve picked: Which Will, the opening track from last year’s Cannonball EP.
Hometown: Utrecht, NL
Vocalist: Annelotte de Graaf
Spotify followers: 5,944
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Fading Lines (2016); EPs – Cannonball (2017), Patiently (2015)
Pale Honey
In a sentence: Sumptuous indie rock with lush vocals and affecting, deeply introspective songwriting from Swedish duo Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey.
We’ve picked: Replace Me, the opener from their glorious second album Devotion. It was additionally released as a two-track single in January.
Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Tuva Lodmark
Spotify followers: 7,780
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Devotion (2017), Pale Honey (2015); EPs – Fiction (2014); Singles – Replace Me / Why Do I Always Feel This Way (Stripped) (2018), Lay All Your Love On Me (2017), Tease (2016), Over Your Head (2015), Youth (2015)
Chastity Belt
In a sentence: U.S. critical favourites inspired by riot grrl and ’90s indie rock and excelling across three albums to date, including their mellower 2017 full-length I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone.
We’ve picked: Different Now, taken from their aforementioned third album.
Hometown: Walla Walla, WA, USA
Vocalist: Julia Shapiro
Spotify followers: 38,701
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone (2017), Time To Go Home (2015), No Regerts (2013); Singles – Dull (2017)
Misty Coast
In a sentence: Psych-tinged dream pop with sharp, reverb-drenched vocals from Linn Frøkedal, sister of the solo artist that uses the family name (herself featured in Part 1 of Women On Vox).
We’ve picked: Leap Year, one of the highlights of their debut album Misty Coast.
Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Linn Frøkedal
Spotify followers: 470
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Misty Coast (2017)
Dama Scout
In a sentence: Jangly gazers combining Eva Liu’s plush vocals with atypical, sometimes discordant progressions to make their eclectic sounds pleasingly unique.
We’ve picked: Toothache, the standout single from their self-titled EP. It was afforded a music video in January.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Eva Liu
Spotify followers: 744
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Dama Scout (2017); Singles – Paper Boy (2017), All In Too (2016), Forget It’s Good (2016)
School ’94
In a sentence: Misty guitars, celestial vocals and unmistakable Nordic flair from one of the flagship bands of cult indie label Luxury Records.
We’ve picked: 2017’s Off To Live, one of a number of tracks we could have picked from their strikingly consistent catalogue.
Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Alice Botéus
Spotify followers: 1,351
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Bound (2016), Like You (a.k.a. School ’94) (2014); Singles – Off To Live / Sway (2017), Bound (2016), Common Sense (2016)
Seapony
In a sentence: Fanciful indie pop with drum machines from a U.S. band that sublimely returned with new material last year following their initial split in 2015.
We’ve picked: Be Here Again, the title cut from last year’s six-track EP.
Hometown: Seattle, WA, USA
Vocalist: Jan Weidl
Spotify followers: 13,592
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – A Vision (2015), Falling (2012), Go With Me (2011); EPs – Be Here Again (2017); Singles – Dreaming +2 (2011), Sailing / I Saw You (2011)
Agent blå
In a sentence: Post-punk with a wistful spin from a Swedish five-piece whose moniker translates into English as “Agent Blue”.
We’ve picked: (Don’t) Talk To Strangers, included on last year’s self-titled debut album.
Hometown: Gothenburg, SE
Vocalist: Emelie Alatalo
Spotify followers: 1,614
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Agent blå (2017); Singles – Frustrerad (2016), Strand (2016)
Yumi and the Weather
In a sentence: Yumi – a.k.a. Ruby Taylor – produces otherworldly, synth-saturated electronica as well as heading up her own label MIOHMI Records.
We’ve picked: The wonderful Long Before, an uncharacteristically guitar-driven single released last November.
Hometown: Brighton, UK
Vocalist: Ruby Taylor
Spotify followers: 1,082
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Something Tells Me (2015), All We Can (2013); Singles – Long Before / Callum (2017), Distant Days / In The Night (2017)
Pumarosa
In a sentence: Simply mesmerising at their best, Pumarosa are an arresting British band that craft varied, artistic pop music with beautiful aesthetics.
We’ve picked: Honey, from their debut album The Witch. It’s also available, along with their two other essential cuts – Cecile and Priestess – on the earlier Pumarosa EP.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Isabel Munoz-Newsome
Spotify followers: 16,498
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – The Witch (2017); EPs – Pumarosa (2016); Singles – Sacerdotisa (2017), La Guarida Del Leon (2017), Priestess (Mr Dan Edit) (2017), Priestess (original, 2015)
The Machiavellis
In a sentence: A neo-psychedelic mix-up of shoegaze, experimental rock and grunge by a scarcely known but nonetheless fantastic trio from Kent.
We’ve picked: She, released as part of a AA-side single with Grey Day Machine.
Hometown: Canterbury, UK
Vocalist: Megg Rorison
Spotify followers: –
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Selected discography: Singles – She / Grey Day Machine (2017), Melancholia / Pathos (2017); Demos – Prewired (2016)
Dream Rimmy
In a sentence: Ali Flintoff’s sparse vocals provide the soft finishing touch to propulsing soundscapes influenced by the worlds of shoegaze, ambient and even post-rock.
We’ve picked: Soul, from 2017’s Heavy EP.
Hometown: Perth, AU
Vocalist: Ali Flintoff
Spotify followers: 643
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Heavy (2017), Dream Rimmy (2015); Singles – Landslide (2016), Waves (2016); Demos – Demo #1 (2014)
Sin Kitty
In a sentence: Gloomy underground psychedelia, conjuring up a bleak mood through disaffected guitars and Annie Eodice’s sorrowful vocals.
We’ve picked: Don’t Be Crazy, from the Softer full-length. It’s their only album to date, released in 2016 but initially completed some three years earlier.
Hometown: Asheville, NC, USA
Vocalist: Annie Eodice
Spotify followers: –
Links: Facebook
Selected discography: Albums – Softer (2016); EPs – Wonder When (2011); Singles – Not Today Again / Octöber (2012), Vanity Daze (2012)
Blushing
In a sentence: Graceful shoegaze with airy dual vocals from two women ably backed on instrumentation by their spouses.
We’ve picked: The title track from their January 2018 EP Weak.
Hometown: Austin, TX, USA
Vocalists: Michelle Soto, Christina Carmona
Spotify followers: 417
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Weak (2018), Tether (2017)
Strange Hellos
In a sentence: Spangly indie pop from Norway’s fittingly titled Brilliance Records, often weaving a dreamy scene through the insatiable medium of Birgitta Alida Hole’s voice.
We’ve picked: Summer, one of a number of highlights. We’ve picked the album version, but for a less polished cut, try the standalone single released a year earlier.
Hometown: Bergen, NO
Vocalist: Birgitta Alida Hole
Spotify followers: 481
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Chromatic (2017); Singles – We Are Trouble (2016), Summer (2016), Broken Teenage Heart (2016)
Saltwater Sun
In a sentence: Having spent 18 months quietly working on new material, Saltwater Sun returned this week to once again impress with their formidable brand of breezy guitar pop.
We’ve picked: The Wire, the new single released on Tuesday. It’s their first since 2016.
Hometown: London, UK
Vocalist: Jen Stearnes
Spotify followers: 1,155
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Flawed (2016), Wild (2015); Singles – The Wire (2018)
Steve Buscemi’s Dreamy Eyes
In a sentence: Beautifully-formed, poetic dream pop from a quartet who, beyond their memetic name, are one of Sweden’s brightest indie talents.
We’ve picked: Call Out. It’s one of a number of strong singles released prior to, but not included on, last November’s Four Waters EP.
Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Tilde Hansen
Spotify followers: 1,094
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Four Waters (2017); Singles – Dreaming Of You (2017), Closer (with Matilda Wiezell, 2017), Call Out (2016), Desire (2016)
San Mei
In a sentence: Frizzy dream pop from hidden gem Emily Hamilton, who uses her multi-instrumental talents to create delicious compositions that compliment her feathery vocals.
We’ve picked: The wispy Until You Feel Good, from her 2017 Necessary EP. Her typically fuzzy sound is more plainly on show on Necessary and Rewind from the same release.
Hometown: Gold Coast, AU
Vocalist: Emily Hamilton
Spotify followers: 823
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Necessary (2017), Wars (2014); Singles – Revel (2016)
St. South
In a sentence: Easygoing, expertly stripped electropop from the west coast of Australia, featuring Olivia Gavranich’s combination of chilled beats and pastel vocals.
We’ve picked: Got Me, the opening track of her self-produced Nervous Energy EP. Her more recent Inure EP takes a folksier turn.
Hometown: Fremantle, AU
Vocalist: Olivia Gavranich
Spotify followers: 34,626
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: EPs – Inure (2017), Nervous Energy (2016); Singles – Better Still (2015), Cadence (2015), Hold (2014), Slacks (2014)
Overcoats
In a sentence: Highly harmonious duo that intertwine elements of folk, electronica and modern pop music as well as their own bewitching voices.
We’ve picked: Hold Me Close from last year’s debut album YOUNG.
Hometown: New York City, NY, USA
Vocalists: Hana Rose Elion, JJ Mitchell
Spotify followers: 19,133
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Young (2017); EPs – Overcoats (2015); Singles – I Don’t Believe In Us (2017), Cherry Wine (2016)
Fiordmoss
In a sentence: Eerie pop with dark synths, stirring vocals and offbeat touches from a cinematic Czech-Norwegian band based in Germany.
We’ve picked: Madstone, our absolute favourite from the long-awaited debut album Kingdom Come.
Hometown: Berlin, DE
Vocalist: Petra Hermanová
Spotify followers: 562
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Kingdom Come (2017); EPs – Ink Bitten (2012), Gliese (2010); Singles – Siberia (2013)
The Hanged Man
In a sentence: The guitarist from 2000s indie girl group Those Dancing Days creating wonderfully compelling music with a dark experimental touch.
We’ve picked: First Time Dreaming, taken from her First Quarter Moon EP. Last year’s Of Blood Is Full album is an underheard gem, but it’s not been widely released and only opening track Blåkulla is available on streaming services.
Hometown: Stockholm, SE
Vocalist: Rebecka Rolfart
Spotify followers: 618
Links: Facebook • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Of Blood Is Full (2017); EPs – Lord Have Mercy (2016), First Quarter Moon (2014)
Vök
In a sentence: Icelandic giants that have developed a vast international profile through their chilled, The xx-style electronica.
We’ve picked: Floating, one of the highlights of their 2017 debut album. For something less polished and more eclectic, check out their incredible Tension EP.
Hometown: Reykjavik, IS
Vocalist: Margrét Rán Magnúsdóttir
Spotify followers: 32,904
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Figure (2017); EPs – Circles (2015), Tension (2013); Singles – Waiting (2016)
Raindear
In a sentence: Solemn electronic pop artist Rebecca Bergcrantz blends downbeat synths and drum patterns to, in tandem with her desperate vocals, paint a gloomy picture.
We’ve picked: Diamonds In My Chest, her 2017 single. A new track, SKY, was released last week.
Hometown: Malmö, SE
Vocalist: Rebecca Bergcrantz
Spotify followers: 467
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Spotify
Selected discography: Albums – Embers (2016); EPs – The Game (2014); Singles – SKY (2018), Diamonds In My Chest (2017), Human Kind (2015), Veins (2014)
La Rissa
In a sentence: Glossy goth producing broody synthpop that, while unpolished, reveals her promise through its dark waves, piercing electronics and murky vocal haunts.
We’ve picked: A Man’s World, the second track on her debut Control EP.
Hometown: Leeds, UK
Vocalist: Larissa Drozd
Spotify followers: –
Links: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Selected discography: EPs – Control (2016); Demos – 2017 Demo (2017)
Part 5 of FEISTY’s Women On Vox will be published on Friday 16 March 2018. Like what you’ve heard? Let us know, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest sounds, features and more.
