Forstory – “Save Me”: After wiping all of their previous music from digital platforms and subsequently teaming with Absorb. Music, the same management firm that brought us fellow local favorites Dream Chief, JAC, and Bayem, Indianapolis’ best indie pop quintet Forstory is back with a sultry new song. While their past material was solid in its own right, there’s something about “Save Me” that feels more focused, and as a result far more formidable. It is this low-key, electro-tinged banger that in many ways feels like a saxophone-infused Dream Chief (go figure). Look out world, because if more new music like this is on the way, Forstory is bound to blow up soon.
Huckleberry Funk – “Stuck”: Their third single in less than six months, Huckleberry Funk’s latest tune, “Stuck,” is a gritty, groovy banger with a natural infectiousness to it that is both tight and smooth. It’s not just that though; there’s this recurring effect throughout that makes “Stuck” feel like it was plucked straight from the catalog of one of the many boy bands who ruled the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Both of these things together combine for a killer new song, one that will hopefully lead to a full Huck Funk album sometime soon.
81355 – “Capstone”: While the end of February brought the exciting announcement of Indy-based trio 81355’s signing to 37d03d music, along with the release of an inaugural track “Tidal Wave,” the end of March brought the even more exciting announcement that their debut album would be out May 28th. Not only that, but it saw the unveiling of the unsettling “Capstone.” As the record’s haunting yet hard-hitting lead single, “Capstone” does a mighty fine job of setting the tone for the forthcoming This Time I’ll Be of Use. So much so, in fact, that it landed the experimental hip-hop group two separate features on Consequence, the New York-based music publication formerly known as Consequence of Sound.
Skypp – “Fix Yo’ Crown”: Since releasing U 4 U at the tail end of 2019, Skypp has already dropped two more full projects, the latest of which being King of Indiana in mid-March. Much like its title would suggest, King of Indiana is an ode to the rapper’s home base, bolstered by the Hoosier natives who appear on the project as guests. One of the album’s strongest cuts, “Fix Yo’ Crown,” is a prime example of this, enlisting the help of well-known Indy-based singer-songwriter Allison Victoria, along with acclaimed saxophonist Jared Thompson, of both Premium Blend and Clint Breeze and the Groove. The appearance of famed Chicago writer and artist Rhymefest is simply icing on the cake for this smooth, jazzy hip-hop tune.
Public Universal Friend – “Lifted”: I would be remiss if I spent all of this time on March highlights and neglected to mention Public Universal Friend, whose brand new LP Perennials just released at the end of last month. Just like its opening track “Firestarter,” which I covered in January when it first dropped, Perennials boasts Friend’s vast sonic evolution with an 11-track collection of lush tunes that is both vibrant and organic. One of its highlights is actually “Lifted,” a softer song that serves almost as the album’s interlude. On “Lifted,” Friend deploys a spoken word-esque vocal delivery and a guitar line that likens to Incubus at certain points.
You can find all of my Hoosier picks in one place, whether you use SoundCloud or Spotify, each with its own set of exclusives, updated monthly. Be sure to go follow the playlist if you like what you hear, and feel free to let me know of any up-and-coming Hoosiers you think I should feature for the next month.
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