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Independent Music

9 stories

Performer in a dark wide-brimmed hat and black shirt gestures at a microphone under purple stage lights.

FeaturesIf You Build It: That 1 Guy on Making an Instrument and Setting Songs FreeMike Silverman – AKA That 1 Guy – knew what it would take to make it. Only his band wasn’t willing to live that hard life. So he did it himself. “I was working so hard to fill this cosmic space,” Silverman said of the bass, “and I was playing on this thing that wasn’t meant to do that.” So he built an instrument that would help him create a big sound. “It was very hard,” he said. “Some instrument builders study their whole lives to do this.”Dan England · Sep 3, 2021

The Burroughs pose on stage in matching blue tracksuits, a man in a navy hat crouching center under bright lights.

105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured ArtistsColorado Sound Spotlight Artist: The BurroughsStarting now, 105.5 The Colorado Sound and BandWagon will bring you a Colorado Spotlight Artist of the Month!Kevin Johnston · Aug 4, 2021

Four smiling people with dyed hair lean together and look up at the camera beside a pink concrete wall.

MusicSingle Review: People In General – “icicic”Fort Collins indie poppers People In General find themselves aptly named for the theme of their upcoming single “icicic.” Seeking universality in songwriting is usually a great idea.Kevin Johnston · Jun 4, 2021

Two young men in sunglasses and pink shirts sit in grass beside a stack of books and a pink rose under string lights.

Single & Video Review: Modern Leisure – “Rita”Modern Leisure has, once again, harnessed millennial malaise and channeled it into an achingly beautiful 3-minute track.Gabe Allen · Dec 22, 2020

Man in sunglasses and a floral shirt holds an electric guitar and leans on a concrete wall by a lake at sunset.

FeaturesFor Once In My Life: John March Remembers Ted Greene.During the 2013 Colorado Floods, John March broke both of his elbows and then continued trying to make a living as a gigging guitarist despite crippling pain. “Two weeks later, I was playing at a fundraiser for people whose homes had been destroyed in the floods,” March said. MusiCares was the first organization to provide financial assistance to March, who is now donating a portion of the proceeds from his new album For Once In My Life to three charities, including MusiCares. The album is March’s second tribute to his former mentor and jazz guitar legend Ted Greene.Gabe Allen · Dec 9, 2020

Two men pose outside a white wooden house, one in a red shirt and glasses, the other in a leather jacket.

MusicVideo Premiere: The Sickly Hecks – “Four Years”Good music waits for no man, and pandemics make shit times for everyone, so what better time to release a sad-boy pop punk album?!Laura Giagos · Dec 4, 2020

Black-and-white portrait of a long-haired man in a dark shirt, arms wrapped around his knee against a gray backdrop.

FeaturesCover Story: Kyle Emerson – Coming Down and Into His OwnAt the end of every show on his first tour as a solo artist, Kyle Emerson found himself exhausted.Dan England · Feb 7, 2020

Built To Spill performing on a green stage before leafy plants, with guitarists, a drummer, and amplifiers.

FeaturesDon’t Keep It Like A Secret: Built To Spill Comes To The MishBuilt To Spill was ultimately grouped in with the “Northwest sound” from the outset, a result of being signed to Up Records. Although they left and signed with Warner Bros., they managed to retain their independence. After eight albums, the Doug Martsch-led group are still a mainstay in the indie rock world. “The main key is, of course, luck. But there’s also the fact that I am so simple, I don’t get bored playing these songs over and over again,” Martsch jokes. Built To Spill play The Mishawaka Amphitheatre July 26.Kyle Eustice · Jul 10, 2019

A woman with a short brown bob and red lipstick holds a cello and bow in a field of sunflowers.

FeaturesNeyla Pekarek: Watch Her Rattle, Hear Her RoarBefore Neyla Pekarek became a third of The Lumineers, she saw Rattlesnake Kate’s famous dress and read the story while she attended the University of Northern Colorado. The story stuck with her. “She spoke her mind and lived completely outside of what was expected of women.” Pekarek says. “Western stories are so dominated by men. The tales of women have yet to be told.” Her debut solo record Rattlesnake premieres at The Moxi Theater January 25.Dan England · Jan 10, 2019