Photos by Dylan Simmons of Brennan Wedl at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (5/6/26). UCLA Radio’s Rising Artist Spotlight aims to highlight upcoming artists who have demonstrated unique creativity and talent through their music. Through interviews and features, we delve into their journey, influences, and aspirations, giving listeners a glimpse into the future of music.…
Photos courtesy of Richie Valdez Seattle-born Johnny Whitney is widely known as a lead vocalist of The Blood Brothers. Before their initial disbandment in 2007, the band left a remarkable footprint on the post-hardcore scene of the late ‘90s and 2000s as a result of their eclectic instrumentation and Whitney’s distinct vocal style. That same…
Photos courtesy of Matine Kazemi (@queenmatine / @tripletakecreativeco on Instagram ; @queen.matine on Tik Tok) Last month, I had the pleasure of virtually meeting with Jasmine Rodgers, lead singer of the alternative rock group, bôa. While I was in sunny Los Angeles, she was on the other side of the pond in London. Despite this…
Photos provided by Ashley Osborn/Kia Forum There’s nothing quite like watching an artist embark on their first arena tour. They don’t always sell the best and they require tons of trial and error to nail, but the glint in an artist’s eye as they finally bring to life their creative fantasies at the level of…
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 Sofia Cardenas On a warm June evening, indie bands Broken Social Scene and Metric, supported by Stars, stopped at Los Angeles’ iconic Greek Theatre en route to their co-headlining All the Feelings summer tour. Throughout the show, there was a repeated message highlighting the significance of closeness between the three bands. Hailing from…
Photos by Dylan Simmons. Words by Sylvia Ansley & Dylan Simmons. Founded in 2024 by Nicky Palermo of Nothing, annual shoegaze festival Slide Away continues its reputation of bringing back bands from the dead. This year, English shoegaze pioneers Chapterhouse headlined alongside American ‘90s alt legends Hum, both of which reunited in honor of Slide…
Cover Photo Courtesy of Olivia Ezechukwu — Last Wednesday, Atlantic Records showcased their exciting new signee, Charlotte MacInnes, to celebrate the upcoming release of her debut EP, HIGHWATER, which comes out June 26. The five-track EP reflects themes of nature, transformation, and self-discovery. Blending mythical elements with vulnerable lyrics, HIGHWATER embodies MacInnes’ raw talent 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 courtesy of Rob Blackman While growing up just outside of London, Jasmine Rodgers fell in love with creating music. As the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band bôa, also composed of Lee Sullivan and Alex Caird, Rodgers has performed across the world, connecting global audiences with heartfelt lyrics and a hypnotic sound. On…
Cover photo by Kimberly Ruiz Alvarez (SCA) On a cold Thursday evening, hundreds of students formed a line spanning the surface area between Royce Hall and Powell Library in anticipation of watching the next musical act to grace the UCLA campus –the trip pop duo After. Since finding recent fame kudos to their uniquely accurate…
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…
In early March, I embarked on a bumper-to-bumper drive from LA to OC and decided to turn on War Child Records’ brand new HELP(2) album, a sequel charity project raising funds for children in war. The project is stacked with my favorites — The Last Dinner Party, beabadoobee, Big Thief, Wet Leg and Olivia Rodrigo…
Photos by Rebecca King Sean Solomon Born and raised in Los Angeles, Solomon has curated his dynamic sound while playing solo with only his voice, his guitar, a TV, a tape, and a projector. Both his music and past animation collaborations with Unknown Mortal Orchestra were unknown to me before this performance. Now on his…
Photos by Dylan Simmons It seems that on the internet, the classic riff from American Football’s “Never Meant” is inescapable. But to alternative rock fans, the riff alone is the anthem for the midwest emo subgenre. In case you’re unfamiliar with their emo impact, American Football is a four-piece rock group that formed in Urbana,…
Purple lights filled the Wiltern as the crowd slowly grew in size and cramped together. As the opener of American Football’s tour, Mei Semones’ role that evening was to warm up the crowd for what was to come, and I can assure you she did just that. Opening with “Itsumo,” released in 2025, the stand-alone…
Photos by Kiara Mack It was just days after my fifteenth birthday when Lorde released “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All),” a sentimental song reminiscing on when she “couldn’t wait to turn fifteen.” I blinked, it’s been five years, and it feels like my entire adolescence has led up to my 19-year-old self…
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 Georgie Ampudia For years, Panchiko existed more like an internet rumor than an actual band. In 2016, a user on 4chan uploaded a heavily distorted CD they had found in an Oxfam charity shop, asking if anyone recognized it. The album, D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L, contained almost no identifying information beyond a few first names buried…
Photos Provided by Grandstand Media With over 500 artists, 475 shows, and 45 venues, Netflix is a Joke Festival took over Los Angeles from May 4th to May 10th. UCLA Radio was lucky enough to meet the lovely staff behind it all, who source the talent, publicize the event, and overall bring this historically large…
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,…