The most underrated songwriters in modern rock

In a day and age where music is as frequent as the air that you breathe, there has never been a greater time for brand new music. We have radio stations supplying us with a new song after new song, streaming services creating dedicated playlists for brand new releases all at a touch of a button, leaving us spoilt for choice it might seem. The way that the music industry has evolved is remarkable, lending itself perfectly to the digital age with millions of songs waiting right there in your pocket. Though it’s never been easier to pick up a new soundtrack for your long day’s drive, there is a clear saturation. The mainstream tends to be promoting what’s popular and sticking to that automated format. There’s just not as much diversity in mainstream music: The arrangements are simplified, and the lyrics all tend to spin off some tale about booze and sex. The complex and beautiful arrangements that once topped the charts are a thing of the past.

The mainstream radio selections for our afternoon jams seem to all sound the same. Each station has strict guidelines for the music that they play and the ones they don’t, leaving even the worlds biggest artists not making the cut. There’s less and less individuality as each artist seems to copy the last, reusing some identical magic formula for a “hit” song. It’s a bit of a task these days if you have alternative taste in music, as there’s not a real dedicated hub for those sort of creations in the mainstream media.

That’s not to say that there’s less great music because, quite frankly, there has never been more -- it’s just hard to know where to look, making it quite a task to find something brilliant. On the other hand, you could see it as a positive shift in the music industry, as the days of bands taking their demo to the post office to send out mass copies is over. It’s clear, however, that each genre has its main players. The artists whose work rises high above the rest of the market, leaving great new music slipping through the cracks. But if we look deep enough there is tonnes and tonnes of great new bands and songwriters, just waiting there for you to get stuck in.

This is my list of 3 great songwriters from 3 top bands who just miss out on that mainstream appeal and can easily escape our radars.

Andy Hull - Manchester Orchestra

1. Starting off with Andy Hull, Singer-Songwriter and frontman of the Atlanta Indie Rock band Manchester Orchestra, who have earned their spot on this list through their raw and mesmerising sound, ranging from the gentlest acoustic heart warmer to a gritty gut-punching rock song. The honesty of Andy Hull’s lyrics speaks volumes, often dwelling on drug addictions as well as heartwarming references to his daughter. The bands intricate sound has been evolving since 2004 when they formed, with each album charting higher than the last, leading to their greatest work yet, “ A Black Mile To the surface”, the band's fifth studio album. The title refers to a lyric from “The Gold”, a beautifully tragic story of a man who journeys down the gold mines every day to work, each time losing a piece of himself to the earth as his life above the surface begins to break down. It’s these incredible works of art that make Manchester Orchestra stand out. The architectural structuring of their latest album is something I have never before come across, safe to say I was blown away. Though the band has seen appearances on Jimmy Kimmel, David Letterman, and have gained a very loyal and passionate fan base, they still don’t have the mass stature you might expect. You scroll through the comments on YouTube and the same phrase keeps coming up, “underrated”.

Dustin Kensrue - Thrice

2. Venturing off to the California based singer-songwriter Dustin Kensrue, who although has had success with his solo career is primarily known for fronting the rock group ‘Thrice’. Formed in 1998, the band have earned the backing of many, through Dustin’s deep cutting emotional lyrics which channel his anger towards societal issues, mixed with beautiful imagery and raw gritty guitars. Thrice’s 2016 album “To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere” became a fan favourite , after returning from a hiatus bigger and better than ever. The main single for the album “Black Honey” saw a powerful reimagining of the band. Beautifully blending dark melodies and a message of anger and confusion towards “the US’s narcissistic approach towards foreign policy”, giving a new lease of life for the powerful rock outfit. With no time to spare Thrice came back again In 2018  with their Tenth studio album ‘Palms’, expanding on this new energy and wowing fans once again. The pinochle moment of the album is found in “Beyond The Pines”, a hauntingly beautiful reflection that hits harder than anything I’ve heard in a very long time. Despite Thrice’s impressive longevity, the same theme comes up, ”underrated”. Without widespread coverage and still playing reasonably small venues, yet still managing to gain an extremely loyal fan base spanning the globe.

Johnny Stevens - Highly Suspect

3. An explosive rock powerhouse you may believe don’t belong on this list are Highly Suspect, a forceful three-piece who capture the very essence of rock and roll, venturing into the darker side of the human condition. Fronted by Johnny Stevens the singer and songwriter for the band, who dwells on drug addictions, broken relationships, childhood, and suicide. It’s these dark and powerful pieces of work that draw comparisons to the likes of Kurt Cobain, as they showcase new energy in the world of rock. The band's powerful wall of sound is expressed through immense guitar arrangements and crazy long solos, backed by the tightest rhythm section around, twin brothers Ryan and Rich Meyer. The band’s latest studio album “The Boy who Died Wolf” further showcased this immense futuristic sound, firmly placing them above their peers. The experimental side of the band is something I thoroughly enjoy as they are not seeking commercial success, as seen in their six and seven minute long tracks, but simply making the music they need to. The lead single from the album, “My Name Is Human” saw a utopian setting yet still with their much loved raw attitude, only with a more prominent modern sound. The song ponders on the isolation of being human, putting together a very real and unfiltered voice. Though the band has gone on to receive Grammy nominations and feature on numerous popular American talk shows, the band still don’t own the universal following you might have thought. Still playing reasonably small shows, though every single audience member knows exactly who they are and why they are so special.

As far as a list of exciting artists go this is definitely up there! All bands with a great fan base, though seem to be not what the mainstream is looking for. If you have any artists you believe belong on the list feel free to comment below. Let’s open a conversation to shed light on those whose work deserves to be heard.