Under the radar - 5 artists to lstn. to this week.
CLAIRE BROOKS - Courtesy of Romy Reiner & Achilleas Ambatzidis
Week 27 of the Under the radar series with five brand new artists that definitely deserve your attention.
Girl Scout (Sweden).
Girl Scout is a four-piece indie/alternative band from Stockholm whose members met studying jazz, then swapped standards for fuzzy guitars and restless energy. Their sound, rooted in garage rock, 90s-inspired alt-rock and jangly guitar pop, mixes raw emotion with catchy hooks. Since their 2023 debut with the EPs Real Life Human Garbage and Granny Music, they’ve gained buzz for songs like Monster, Boy In Blue or I Just Needed You To Know. Their upcoming first full-length album Brink (2026) promises a bigger, more vibrant canvas. Girl Scout is precisely the kind of bright, unpolished indie voice that feels fresh and urgent in today’s rock scene.
Sol ChYld (USA).
Sol ChYld, born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, is a dynamic rapper and singer whose work blends sharp lyricism, soulful grooves and razor-sharp honesty. Since her 2019 debut For the Sol, she has carved her path independently, mixing jazz-inflected beats, conscious storytelling and emotional depth. Her 2025 album ReBirth. Theory marks a turning point, with mature reflections on growth, identity and resilience, delivered over lush, genre-blurring production. Whether she’s rhyming about struggle or singing about healing, Sol ChYld always sounds real, a powerful voice in today’s underground hip-hop/neo-soul scene.
Jalen Chords (USA).
Jalen Chords is a rising R&B artist from Hampton, Virginia, now based in LA, mixing smooth melodies, soulful vocals and emotional storytelling. With his 2025 project The Playlist, he delivers intimate, heartfelt tracks like signs (sportmode) and good denim (which sounds straight out of the 2000s) that explore love, longing and self-reflection with a modern vibe. His voice glides between warm falsetto and gentle croon, grounding contemporary beats in genuine sentiment. Jalen’s music feels like late-night drives under neon lights, personal, immersive, and honest. Keep an ear on him: this is just the beginning of a promising journey in today’s R&B scene.
Claire Brooks (USA).
Claire Brooks is a Los Angeles–born singer, songwriter, and producer blending psychedelic indie-pop, R&B vocals and jazzy flair into immersive, genre-bending soundscapes. With singles like Oxygen, Body Language or Millionaire, she offers tracks that oscillate between dreamy atmospheres and raw emotional grooves. Her 2023 EP project The Human Experience and recent releases showcase her talent to fuse soulful singing, minimal production and experimental production choices. A recent graduate in mechanical engineering turned full-time artist, Claire builds music with both analytical precision and artistic freedom, a fresh, fearless voice in today’s indie landscape.
Laney Tripp (USA).
Laney Tripp is a Florida-born, LA-based singer-songwriter crafting intimate, dream-like folk that feels both underwater and weightless. Blending acoustic warmth with ambient textures, her music drifts between bedroom-pop vulnerability and slow-core serenity. With projects like Cedar Island Songs and Angel, she explores themes of memory, longing, and self-reflection through soft vocals and immersive production. A rising independent voice with a deeply personal universe, Laney Tripp is perfect for listeners who crave emotion, atmosphere, and authenticity. A true hidden gem in today’s indie landscape.