ANCHR'S Artist of the Week: Alice Phoebe Lou

This week’s artist of the week goes to Alice Phoebe Lou, a singer-songwriter hailing from South Africa but now based in Berlin.

Photo by Andrea Arie

Lou started performing at the age of 18, and over the span of her career, she has released four albums. Her first album Orbit was released in 2016, with her sophomore not following up until 2019, entitled Paper Castles. While fans waited a few years for the second record, they didn’t have to wait long for the third and fourth albums—both of which were released in 2021 and titled Glow and Child’s Play respectively.

My first listen of Alice Phoebe Lou didn’t happen until this year (I know, I’m late to the party!) when she released the single “Shelter” from a forthcoming album in March. The song lured me in with its breezy, easygoing melody that melds beautifully with Lou’s celestial vocals— it makes for the the perfect summer vacation soundtrack by conjuring sunny beach-day vibes. “Shelter” contrasts with Lou’s most recent single called “Open My Door,” which was just released last week. This track abruptly cuts to Lou singing the phrase “I used to open my door” as a jazzy piano melody kicks in on the second beat. In this second single, listeners get to experience a richer, velvety texture from Alice Phoebe Lou.

Much of Lou’s earlier catalog, like the 2020 single “Witches” or the 2021 album’s title track “Glow,” have a distinct yet versatile sound that I’d describe as mythically quirky. With Lou’s newer material, there’s still a sense of her unique artistry in the music, but there’s also a sense of maturity and exploring new territory.

If you’re a fan of Faye Webster, La Luz, and Hand Habits, you should add Alice Phoebe Lou to your playlists, and be sure to catch her on the road soon. She’ll be performing at Thalia Hall on May 13th if you’re in Chicago.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Wallice

Photo by Nicole Busch

This week’s artist of the week goes to the LA-based singer-songwriter Wallice Hana Watanabe, better known simply as Wallice.

I had the chance to see Wallice at Thalia Hall last week, when she was touring in support of Jawny. This particular show was sold out like many that I’ve been to at Thalia Hall, but the energy seemed next level that night—and the fans were just as enthusiastic for Wallice as they were for Jawny.

Wallice’s lyricism reads effortlessly cool and honest, and her sound overall gave me hints of nods to Alvvays, Japanese Breakfast and Snail Mail.

In the song “Punching Bag,” which was a single released back in 2020, Wallice describes modern-day reminders of a breakup with lines like “I still got your number saved in my phone, I only every think of it when I’m alone/ I’ve still got your place saved in my maps, I’ll keep it for a rainy day when I relapse/Left my Hydro Flask in the back of your car, I’d like to have it back, but you live so far,” showing off her clever ability to take a timeless subject and add a refreshing spin to it. I also have a personal affinity to her song “Hey Michael” (which starts the chorus with lines “Hey Michael, you American psycho”) because I too, have had a less-than-positive experience with someone named Michael.

Wallice has been playing music since the age of six, and she’s said she’s inspired by “the lyricism of Thom Yorke, Lana Del Rey and the punky irreverence of Weezer and No Doubt,” which definitely comes across in her work. Creative and witty lyrics aside, Wallice put on a great live show that featured the perfect mix of banter, while letting the music do most of the talking.

She has yet to release a full-length album, but Wallice has released a couple of EPs and several singles, including her most recent, “Japan.” Talking about the backstory of this single, Wallice says, “My father was born and raised in Tokyo and lived there until he was 27, and my mother lived there for a couple years in the 90s, so Japanese culture has heavily influenced my identity. I don’t know my father’s family in Japan at all. I’ve only met them once when I was little at my grandfather’s funeral, and since then my grandmother has passed. Recently my mother moved across the country from California to Georgia which has left me without that familial sense of home. This song explores where home is and why I am so drawn to Japan.”

Tune into the video for Japan below, and keep up with Wallice on Instagram and Tik Tok.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: IBEYI

Photo by Melody Berkery

This week’s Artist of the Week goes to Ibeyi, a French duo composed of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz.

The Diaz sisters have woven in multiple languages into their songwriting, including English, French, Spanish and Yoruba—so it’s fitting that their band name means “twins” in Yoruba. I was first introduced to the duo with their single “River",” which was included both on their 2014 “Oya” EP and their 2015 self-titled album. The track includes a hypnotic percussive beat and spotlights the twins’ silky harmonies.

The entirety of Ibeyi’s catalog contains unique features and a variety of textures, meaning they are always keeping listeners on our toes. Besides highlighting their multilingual lyrics, the Diaz sisters weave in elements of R&B, Afro-Cuban, electronic and experimental influences. The pair currently live and have spent most of their life in Paris, but they also lived in Havana for their first couple fo years, as their dad was a Grammy-winning Cuban percussionist. With their mom also being French-Venezuelan singer Maya Dagnino, it’s obvious that music and creativity run in their blood, and their upbringing certainly shapes the characteristics of their sound.

If you’re a fan of FKA Twigs, Perfume Genius, and James Blake, you should immediately add Ibeyi to your musical rotations. In addition to their self-titled debut album, Ibeyi has put out 2017’s Ash and 2022’s Spell 31, which contains collaborations with Jorja Smith, BERWYN, and Pa Salieu. Make sure to also catch Ibeyi on the road this year, including a stop at Thalia Hall on March 19th.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Fenne Lily

Photo by Michael Tyrone Delaney

This week’s artist of the week goes to Fenne Lily, a singer-songwriter hailing from Bristol, UK.

The first time I heard one of Fenne Lily’s songs, I was both taken aback by her gentle, ethereal vocals and instantly comforted by the sense of coziness that’s threaded throughout her melodies.

Fenne Lily started playing some major UK festivals in 2016, including the BBC Music Introducing stage at T in the Park, which is a Scottish festival I was lucky enough to attend once. From there, Fenne Lily released her debut album entitled On Hold in 2018, and she has continued to deliver more music. Her sophomore album, BREACH, came out in 2020, and Lily recently announced her third album Big Picture will be released on April 14th.

Ahead of the album release, Fenne Lily listeners have been blessed with two singles; “Dawncolored Horse” and “Lights Light Up.” The second single to be released, “Dawncolored Horse,” is inspired by the Richard Brautigan poem “The Horse That Had A Flat Tire.” Lily details the inspiration saying, “[Brautigan] talks about the woman he loves as being a ‘breathing castle.’ I truly don’t know what that means, but for me he’s distilled a feeling of absolute closeness. When you know someone so well it feels like you’re almost living inside them. That can be claustrophobic, but before it’s too much, it’s incredible.”

The entirety of Big Picture was tracked live in Brad Cook’s North Carolina recording studio, and Cook co-produced the record. Just based on the glimpse of the album through these two singles, I can feel the life that Fenne Lily and her bandmates breathed into these songs during the recording process, and I know we’re in for something special. Lily further describes the album and its juxtaposition between theme and tone, adding, “These songs explore worry and doubt and letting go, but those themes are framed brightly.”

In honor of the new music, Fenne Lily will also be hitting the road this spring/summer. Be sure to catch her May 25th at Thalia Hall if you’re in Chicago, and see the rest of her tour dates here.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Otoboke Beaver

Photo by Mayumi Hirata

You know those bands that you just know by looking at them that you’re in for a treat? Well upon my first listen of Otoboke Beaver, I was able to confirm my hunch that they rock just as hard as I’d suspected at first glance.

Otoboke Beaver has earned this week’s artist of the week title thanks to their fun and playful spin on Riot grrrl/punk influences. Their sound is like if Bikini Kill, CHAI and The Linda Lindas had a lovechild.

Formed in 2009 in Kyoto, Japan, the four-piece group is composed of Accorinrin (Lead Vocal & Guitar), Yoyoyoshie (Guitar & Vocals), Hirochan (Bass & Vocals) and Kahokiss (Drums & Vocals). The band members all met at their university’s music club, and their band name stems from a local “love hotel” (wink wink).

Since their inception, Otoboke Beaver has released several EPs and three albums, the most recent being Super Champon, which was just released in May 2022. The newest record is a whopping 18 tracks long, but it speeds by in under 22 minutes, thanks to fast-paced and fleeting nature of the songs. The majority of the songs are under 2 minutes, but some are as brief as 12 seconds-long! The journey through these tracks with humorous titles like “Dirty old fart is waiting for my reaction” and “Do you want me to send a DM” flies by in such a flash, it’s a challenge not to get whiplash.

Based on the intensity of their records, I just know Otoboke Beaver will put on a phenomenal live show, but don’t just take my word for it! The legendary Dave Grohl has described their performances as “It’s the most fucking intense shit you’ve ever seen.” To experience the whirlwind for yourself, be sure the catch the band on tour this year. They’ll be a SXSW festival, and stopping in Chicago for a show at Thalia Hall on February 26th. See all of the tour dates here, and warm up for one of their gigs by catching their KEXP set below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: MUNA

Photo By Isaac Schneider

MUNA’s music will not only make you want to dance, it will make you feel safe to be yourself—what more could you ask for?! If you’re a long-time ANCHR reader, you’re likely already well familiar with MUNA, but the trio just released their third album so they deserve another shout out as this week’s artist of the week.

Composed of Katie Gavin (she/they), Naomi McPherson (they/them), and Josette Maskin (she/they), the three members of the band have been friends for about ten years, and they started making music during their time in college at USC. MUNA released their first album About U in 2017, which features bops like the inclusive anthem “I Know A Place” and “Loudspeaker.” The group’s self-titled third album follows up their 2019 album Saves The World and is their first release on Phoebe Bridgers’ record label Saddest Factory Records. Despite the record label name, most of MUNA conjures up feel-good vibes, especially the first track “Silk Chiffon,” which is the ultimate summer road-trip soundtrack and features Bridgers as a collaborator.

The members of MUNA have said this record brings them out of a period of uncertainty that they faced due to everything going on in the world and other factors surrounding their career, but as I listen to these songs, I mostly hear confidence and an elevated level of maturity in the songwriting and artistry. The third album is essentially the result of MUNA acting as a phoenix rising from its ashes—Talking about this peculiar time, Gavin says, “You have to let things fall apart. And it was only possible because of this tremendous trust. I have so few relationships in my life where I have the kind of trust that I do with Naomi and Jo — where I can trust that there’s a higher purpose, that we can work through all the boundaries and compromises and mess that comes with long-term relationships, and then return to form.” 

If you’re ready to rejoice with MUNA in their latest era, be sure to listen to the new record in full, and catch them on tour soon. They’ll be in Chicago this month playing Lollapalooza, including an aftershow at Thalia Hall.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Indigo De Souza

Photo by Charlie Boss

I recently saw this week’s ANCHR Artist of the Week, Indigo De Souza, play a support set with Lucy Dacus at Thalia Hall. These days, it’s so easy to be distracted by literally everything, even when you’re at a concert, but Indigo just has this magnetic ability to her music and stage presence that grabbed and held my undivided attention throughout her performance.

Indigo De Souza grew up in a small town in the North Carolina mountains and has been playing guitar since she was nine. Since then, she’s relocated to Asheville, NC and put out several singles and two full-length records.

Indigo released her sophomore album, entitled Any Shape You Take, in August of 2021, which features singles like “Real Pain” and “Hold U.” The record really expands upon Indigo’s multifaceted creativity, with every track embracing a different tone and mood—it’s like a sonic (dare I say) shapeshifter of a project. Indigo talks about the broad scope of the album saying, “I wanted this album to give a feeling of shifting with and embracing change. These songs came from a turbulent time when I was coming to self-love through many existential crises and shifts in perspective.” As listeners can experience as they travel through Any Shape You Take, Indigo says she never embodies one particular genre and that “all of the music just comes from the universe that is my ever-shifting brain/heart/world.”

The shifting nature and adaptability in Indigo’s style feels especially fitting with all the change going on in the world today, and these songs make a perfect soundtrack for anyone going through their own evolutions. On top of her incredible songwriting, Indigo also produced Any Shape You Take, alongside Brad Cook, Alex Farrar and Adam McDaniel.

Indigo De Souza will be on the road all across the country this summer, and if you’re in Chicago like ANCHR, you have not one, but TWO chances to catch a show in July. First, she’ll be performing in support of My Morning Jacket at Northerly Island, and she’ll also be playing Pitchfork Music Festival. She her full tour schedule here, and tune into the “Hold U” music video below.

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: Annie DiRusso

This week’s Artist of the Week goes to Annie DiRusso, a singer-songwriter based between NYC and Nashville. I had my first chance to hear DiRusso’s earnest and upbeat music live in action recently, when she and her band opened for the sold out SAMIA show at Thalia Hall. The devoted SAMIA fans were just as eager and enthusiastic to soak in all of DiRusso’s vulnerable musings—many of the audience members joined in to sing along to songs like “20” and “Judgment From The World’s Greatest Band.” DiRusso’s knack for enveloping intricate stories in catchy hooks speaks for itself, but her live stage presence was that much more powerful. She and her band radiated feel-good energy and showcased their positive intentions during their Thalia Hall set, allowing for us all to seek some escape from reality that evening.

DiRusso has released several singles to date, including a fun rendition of the classic “I Think We’re Alone Now” and her most recent “Coming Soon.” To make sure you’re in the know on all new music from her, follow DiRusso on Tik Tok, where she has a growing platform that begin when she posted a clip of her singing “20.” You can also catch her out on the road this Spring— check out the upcoming tour dates here. 

ANCHR's Artist of the Week: SUSU

Photo from SUSU’s Thalia Hall performance

Sometimes I prefer going to a concert having done the homework and having listened to all of the bands on the bill ahead of the show. Other times, I like the thrill of surprising myself and going into the show blind to the support acts’ music.

Last week I chose the latter, and I went in blind to the second band on the line up for Low Cut Connie’s show at Thalia Hall, and the unknown blew me away much more than if I had prepared myself for.

The aforementioned group is SUSU, a project based in New York City and fronted by vocalists and songwriters Liza Colby and Kia Warren. The pair met while working on separate projects, but as soon as they started collaborating, they realized the potential of their power together. At SUSU’s Thalia Hall performance, Colby and Warren burst onto the stage in matching, brightly colored uniforms, and they kept entertaining the packed house for the entirety of their set. On top of delivering stellar, harmonized vocals, the duo wowed with coordinated dance moves, gravity-defying jumps, and the splits. Their performance packed a punch of swagger and rock and roll all at once.

In their bio, Colby says that she and Warren hadn’t realized how much they needed one another until they began working together. “We aren’t shy about being black women in Rock and Roll. There is an aliveness, an awareness, and a spirituality to SUSU that are both timely and timeless,” she says. The project’s name comes from the Patois term, which loosely translates to the act of creating “a chatter around something,” and it’s a tribute to Warren’s Jamaican roots and Colby’s West Indian heritage, and directly inspired the movement of SUSU; a tribal sense that SUSU is USUS.

To experience the magic of SUSU yourself, tune into their EP Panther City, but also make sure to catch them performing live as soon as possible. You can see their upcoming tour dates here. Be sure to also take a look at our photo recap of SUSU’s Thalia Hall show here.