The Bellwether

Founded by vocalist A/J Jackson and guitarist Aaron Sharp—film-school classmates with a shared appreciation of obscurist cinema—and later rounded out by bassist Dak Lerdamornpong and drummer Greg Erwin, Saint Motel first revealed their imaginative take on alt-pop with their 2009 debut EP ForPlay. The band soon amassed a devoted underground following, thanks in part to a series of “experiential concerts” with such themes as Zombie Prom and Judgment Day, then found breakout success with their critically acclaimed 2012 debut album Voyeur. After signing to Elektra Records, Saint Motel saw their fanbase grow exponentially with the release of My Type EP, a 2014 effort whose platinum-certified title track became a top 10 alternative radio hit. In 2016, they flipped the script once again with saintmotelevision—a first-of-its-kind full-length accompanied by virtual music videos for all ten of its tracks, making it the world’s first-ever virtual-reality album. In addition to touring with acts like Arctic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, Band of Skulls, and Weezer, Saint Motel have also spent much of the last half-decade bringing their captivating live show to leading festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo.

Multi-platinum alt-pop trio Echosmith — siblings Sydney (vocals, keys), Noah (bass, vocals, production), and Graham Sierota (drums) — share vulnerable and vibrant alternative pop anthems that immediately brighten the heart.

More than 10 years aPer first releasing music, the choice to self-title their album Echosmith is deeply meaningful to the band as it represents a fresh perspective and a very intentional, liberating approach to their artistry. After starting their careers so young and absorbing the influences of the industry, Echosmith began to ask themselves what kind of music they truly wanted to make. They embarked on a new independent era with total creative freedom and began songwriting and producing alone (a first for the band) as a form of therapy and a way to have fun, to see what would organically transpire. The result is both a sonic shift and a return to their roots as they strip back the pop polish, embrace their true indie spirit, and take an alt-pop direction that best represents the original musical heart of the band.

Echosmith’s latest output makes for a fascinating document of growth and self-discovery, graced with the kind of raw sincerity that in turn invites listeners to have their own honest experience with the music. The band has garnered over 1 billion streams, captivated crowds worldwide, toured with twenty one pilots, Pentatonix, and Owl City, collaborated with Steve Aoki, Zedd, For King & Country, Audien, Hunter Hayes, and Mat Kearney, earned major media praise, and performed on numerous national TV shows.