Since its inception in 2007, HARD Summer transforms Hollywood Park into Southern California’s largest dance floor. Each August, the festival has built a reputation on curating a lineup that spotlights EDM all-stars, underground techno DJs, and boundary-pushing pop stars in the same night. Over the weekend, more than 70 artists are set to take over…
In honor of Pride Month, our team of writers set out to highlight the queer artists who have defined modern culture as we know it. For decades, these iconic figures have challenged societal norms to embrace unfiltered identity, unbridled love, and radiant joy. Through music, art, and film, queer artists have reshaped social boundaries and…
Photos by Lauren Kim Singer-songwriter Riya Mahesh, known onstage as Quiet Light, has an ear for sentimentality. The classically trained pianist’s sound shines in her careful arrangements, balancing electronica with eclectic samples and acoustic folk instruments. Mahesh’s soundscapes are constructed like a dream sequence. Pitchfork has described her sonic world as one with a “loose logic…
Photos by Lauren Kim No two projects from Water From Your Eyes sound the same. The only throughline in the two-piece band’s discography is their funky spirit and dedication to experimentation. The dance-pop/art rock band was formed by vocalist Rachel Brown and producer Nate Amos. The pair met in Chicago, were once lovers but are…
Photos by Lauren Kim Singer-songwriter Olivia Austin, known onstage as Operelly, makes music for the tenderhearted. Her eclectic lyricism and quirky arrangements have forged a pop sound that feels familiar yet experimental, a delicate balance that music platform Nina Protocol has referred to as “matured nursery rhymes.” Operelly’s sound is not to be siloed. Her…
Photos by Lauren Kim You’d probably drive past Zebulon without thinking twice. Just past a bridge and nestled between two freeways, Zebulon’s plain white facade houses a dimly lit bar. Inside, scattered conversations hum over the muffled sound of music. Enter the back room, and you’ll find a routine gathering spot for music lovers in…
Photos by Dylan Simmons Snail Mail handles human emotion with care. Hailing from Ellicott City, a suburb of Baltimore, singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan has been performing as Snail Mail since she was fifteen years old. The indie rock band’s third studio album, Ricochet, was released in March, over half a decade since the band’s last LP,…
Photos by Dylan Simmons It’s the third Saturday in July, in the middle of my three-week escapade in London. I’m walking through the streets of Hackney with an Australian girl I had met the week before. The weather was sunny and breezy, and the River Lea reflected a perfect image of the sky above us,…
Photos by Dylan Simmons The sea breeze bit our faces as Dylan and I sprinted past parked cars and docked sailboats. My feet, still asleep from spending the afternoon sitting in traffic, throbbed in protest — but the two of us had no time to think about our journey from Los Angeles to San Diego.…
Photos by Lauren Kim I was eighteen years old when I first learned about Blood Orange. I stood in the kitchen of a girl I was quite enamored by, waiting for water to boil. She played “Charcoal Baby” as we cooked dinner together. I slowly learned more about Blood Orange. Offstage, he’s known as Devonte…