2023 was a great year for music ranging from trending viral reels to smashing hits from popular movies. Among the crowd of commercial music our team handpicked 20 artists with a unique and amazing discography whose music is sure to leave you craving for more. These genre-bending artists have created a niche for themselves and have amassed thousands of fans across the globe whose Spotify wrapped topped with their music. Here’s 20 artists you should watch out for in 2024:
1. Aaryan Banthia
Aaryan Banthia is an Indian Singer-Guitarist, Songwriter, Composer, Record producer and a Live Performer. He sings, composes and writes both in Hindi and English and connects instantly with the youth of India like no one else. A complete and rare package who’s own songs are big hits and inspiring to the youth; Yaadein, Tere Bin, Yeh Naina, Paar, Best Day of my life, Waqt, Hey Betty and many others. They have all garnered him listeners from around the world. Not to forget how versatile his covers are and have all been loved by people worldwide. He has covered songs of the likes of Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sonu Nigam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Arijit Singh, Kailash Kher to even Bryan Adams and ED Sheeran. His magical voice streams across major tv channels like MTV and FM channels like Red FM, Radio City, Indigo FM, Radio One, Friends FM and many others.
2. Spinner Sunny
Sourabh Adhya aka. Spinner Sunny, a 23-year-old Music Producer and DJ hailing from the city of Mumbai in India is a dreamer. He has seen a steady rise in the dance music scene since he released the track “Crashing Down” in March of 2020. Since then, he has released 17 originals with 10+ million streams across all platforms. One of his releases, ‘Somebody New’ was used by the Croatian TV Actor: Kristina Kuzmie. He is also supported by Nicky Romero, MAKJ, JAUZ, Ookay, Sikdope, and many more artists. His latest release I’ll Be Gone with Solven & Lena Luisa is out now on LoudKult. His unique style of fusing a chill vibe with popular EDM trends has made top charts repeatedly
3. Nawazishein
Formed in 2017, Nawazishein is an indie rock band hailing from Pune, India, that seamlessly blends Hindi and Urdu lyrics to create a captivating musical experience. Through their music, they strive to convey a fusion of ideas and emotions that resonate with their audience. In September 2020, Nawazishein made their debut with their first single, ‘Saajan,’ which received widespread acclaim, Renowned music publication Rolling Stone described their sound as “playful, story-centric, and emphatic,” while global music radio station Rukus Avenue ranked ‘Saajan’ at #4 in their prestigious Best of 2023 India list. As a touring band, they have performed extensively across diverse musical spaces be it intimate or major music festival.
4. APRICOT
APRICOT is a Modern Rock band based in Bhopal blending different sub-genres of Rock music. The band released their Debut album named MATLABI JAHAAN in 2019, with its opening song RAAT hitting 100K views on Youtube. Soon after their first release the band started covering music festivals and Headlining acts. The core members of APRICOT- Ujjwal Singh (Vocalist/Guitarist/Songwriter), Villy Michael (Bassist/Backing vocals /Songwriter) and Hansraj Shankushal (Drummer/Keys/Backings/Songwriter/Production) Shatarchi Hundet (Lead Guitars, Backings, Production) Wilson Lakra (Keys, Guitars, Production) come from different tastes in music and hence have different approach towards creating music. Their vision is to promote the growth of rock music in India and hope to be one of the top trending rock bands of India and that would just be the beginning of the journey
5. Nausikhiye
Nausikhiye is a Hindi Rock Band from Odisha. They generally play their own originals and cover some old Bollywood classics. The highlight of their band was when they opened for “Darshan Raval” & “Raftaar” at “McDowells No.1 Yaari Concert, 2022” and performed in the launch for “Samsung ECafe and Product Launch, at Forum Mall, Rourkela”. They are currently working on their first EP “Talaash”. “Saajna”, their Indie-Pop single, was released in 2022 and is currently streaming on all major streaming platforms
6. Ishaan Nigam
Ishaan Nigam, a versatile singer, songwriter and composer hailing from Mumbai. With a master’s degree in Indian Classical Music and a notable alumnus of KMMC (AR Rahman Music College) in Chennai, Ishaan has been making waves in the music scene. Since 2019, he has independently released 10 captivating singles, with ‘Woh Raaz Ho (feat. Brite Roy)’ amassing an impressive 6 million streams on Wynk Music, and ‘O Raahi’ achieving over 100,000 streams on Spotify. Ishaan recently ventured into the world of films, lending his melodious voice to ‘Paya Maine Khudko (From “Lost & Found in Singapore”)’, ‘Liqa Dey Dey Maula’ from the movie ‘FIR’ and ‘Nagaram’ from ‘Peace.’ His talent has also graced the esteemed Coke Studio Bharat with the enchanting song ‘Geejaga Hakki’. Currently, Ishaan Nigam is crafting his first EP, along with a collection of exciting single tracks.
7. Rolland
Rolland’s journey from Andaman’s Serenity to Bangalore’s Melodic World is a gradual rise as an Indie-Pop artist, originally hailing from the beautiful Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. He is a singer, songwriter, composer, and music producer. His musical journey began with the release of “I’m Not Okay” in 2020, drawing inspiration from artists like Lauv and Cavetown. Growing up in the tranquil Andaman Islands, Rolland discovered his love for music, which eventually led him to create heartfelt Indie melodies. His song “Hopeless” gained recognition propelling him on a path of musical exploration.
8. Shreyas Bhartiya
Shreyas Bhartiya is a contemporary singer/songwriter and finger-style guitarist based out of Pune. As a passionate musician his composition process involves coming up with a song melody first which then connects within and gives rise to the idea about the song as well as its lyrics. The music that he composes has an acoustic rhythmic vibe that tugs at the heart and lyrics that are inspired by the conscience of love and life with its intricate mysteries and complexities. He strives to compose music that is true to himself and is an expression of what’s within!
9. Chris Benis
Chris Benis is a young singer, songwriter, musician and actor from Los Angeles. In 2009, at age eight, Chris formed the “Benis Brothers Band” with his two younger brothers, becoming a local facebook phenomenon in the Greater Seattle area and performing in elementary schools, private parties, and music recitals until 2014. As a young boy, Chris was introduced to classic rock artists such as The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Doors. He fell in love with the genre and has blended it with alternative rock, indie, and pop influences to form his unique musical style. Chris competed in American Idol: Season 18 in Fall 2020, and advanced to third round, performing in front of the likes of Katy Perry and Lionel Richie as part of the show’s format. His most recent EP, “The Notion,” was released on September 17,2021 with Earwig Studios under acclaimed producer, Don Farwell. He returned to Earwig Studios in July 2022 to put together a new project, tentatively titled “Tunnel Vision” His most recent single, “Kaleidoscopes,” is a punchy rock anthem that combines baroque pop elements with moody and reflective lyrics and pulls at a few heartstrings for good measure.
10. Turnback Cave
Turnback Cave is a rock collective from Calcutta, India. They possess the rare ability to engulf the listener into a tender-aggressive & cathartic trance with each and every song. Formed in 2021, the band consists of Bassist – Pradyut Naha, Guitarist – Diptopaul Chatterjee, led by Arsh Das, their front man, who is also the lyricist and composer for the band. Their second single, “Voices / Words” helped them break through, and was featured in the March 2022 edition of Rolling Stone India. After months of anticipation, the band released their debut EP, ‘Letters to Another Life’, with the help of mixing and mastering engineer – Akash Singha, from Calcutta-based metal band Deathlore. Their EP, “Letters to Another Life” features an eclectic collection of songs, ranging from the mellow depths of “NOX” to the epic riff-driven conclusion of the title track.
11. Jatin Sharma
Jatin Sharma is a singer/songwriter/musician who emerges from the vibrant city of Lucknow, India. A true maestro of artistic expression, whose creative journey is an inspiring testament. With an illustrious journey punctuated by multiple aweinspiring releases, Jatin Sharma has now unveiled his latest magnum opus. This newest album title ‘MATSYA NYAYA’, now available on all major online platforms. Jatin’s distinctive ability to seamlessly blend genres reflects an artist unafraid to experiment his songs which aren’t just tunes but also thought-provoking catalysts that spark conversations, inspire action, and provoke introspection. Jatin’s music is an oasis of rock music originality and ingenuity. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Rock or a connoisseur of experimental sounds, his compositions will undoubtedly find a home in your heart.
12. Unluv
Unluv, a music artist born in India with childhood spent in Nepal, is a desi-alt-pop music producer, songwriter & singer. Formally studied music in London, his whole life has been an experience of different cultures and you can hear it in his music. When asked about his artist’s name, he says “loving is easy, it is unloving that is difficult.” Just like this chaos inducing statement, his music is a collision of the chaos in his mind. unluv, is a dream in existence of a 14-year-old and to make it a complete reality his EPs are always an exploration of a new sound mixed with his own storytelling flair in the music. For him EP is a storyboard which requires a certain flow, structure & the urge to explore the ordinary for something new. When asked about why he makes different music every 6 months, he says, “I get bored of things really easily. It is exactly why I give myself one EP to completely immerse myself in a soundscape. Once I do that, it’s always the next new idea for me.” He has extensively worked with his longtime friend & collaborator, Anurag Vashisht to create a pop-duo project called ‘boys from marsss’. His other collaborative 7-track lush-alt-pop EP called “khwab.” with jeevana., is a whirlwind of emotions that showcases long lost love & nostalgia. This is to be succeeded with a 4-track desi-space-trap EP called ‘heartbroken spaceboi’ which is a narrative on one of his previous shenanigans.
13. Preemal Serrao
Preemal Serrao is a singer-songwriter from Mangalore (a city in coastal Karnataka, India). Her musical journey started with choirs at the age of 7 and since then, music has been an important part of her life. She enjoys listening to and is heavily inspired by artists like Laufey Taylor Swift, The Beatles, John Denver etc. She honestly believes inspiration can come from anywhere. She’s weirdly fascinated by art (music, paintings, in whatever form they come), and hopes to create something memorable.
14. Saksham Daksh
What started out as a jamming venture soon turned out to be thriving camaraderie of music. The duo first came together to work on a Bollywood-Pop fusion project, since then Saksham and Daksh have collaborated on various euphonic ventures, exploring and experimenting with different genres and creating unique fusions. The duo’s mutual love for each other’s art forms a catalyst in their flourishing partnership. Debuting with “Behaal Dil”, Saksham and Daksh are all set to breathe new dimension into the grandeur of ghazals.
15. Peferd Da Costa
Peferd Da Costa is an Indie singer-songwriter from Goa. Breaking through the stereotypical norm of being ‘Susegad’ (laidback), he aims to be the first indie singer songwriter from Goa to be known globally. He wants to find his purpose in life and hopefully help his listeners find their, through his music. Kinare, Tum Mile, Raahain and Love Is True are some of his songs. His upcoming releases are titled With You & Yeh Daastan, Safe & Close, Hey You
16. Autoplay
Autoplay, a duo based out of Delhi, fairly new in the independent music scene, but they have been around music all their lives. They’ll make you play our music on repeat! Hence, the name. Being a multi-faceted act, they play with different styles of music and a bunch of instruments. They collaborated with MG Motors and were the producers who created the music and sound design for the last couple of MG Motors ZS EV Ads done by Red Comet Films! They have recently begun their journey of releasing their own music and are already receiving an overwhelming response. They released their first song ‘Kho Gaya’ with an animated video, which they made themselves! It even got playlisted in Spotify’s Fresh Finds India. The song was made in 2020, for a Contest called “Flip the Beat” by Tunecore in association with Ritviz. They won out of 3,000 entries across the country. They released their second single “KHAFA” which was written during Covid, when things weren’t going too well. They have a lot more music in store. With a little bit of support, they believe they can make a big name for themselves.
17. Harish Budhwani
Harish Budhwani is an Indie pop singer-songwriter based out of Pune, India. His music reiterates the simple joys in life, which he believes is lost in this fast-paced world. For his debut single Saari Umar, he won the SMA Award, Best Pop Artist of the Year 2020. He has been interviewed by BIG FM, Red FM, The Hindu, Times of India, The DailyHunt and the list goes on. With more than 100+ shows under his belt (including Zomaland 2022, Music festivals, Flea festivals etc), he has done two national tours with Motojojo in 2022 and 2019, which were a huge success.
18. Hitesh Rikki Madan
Hitesh Rikki Madan is a Delhi based guitar playing singer, songwriter, multi award winning artist, composer, performer , music producer, music educator and the founder/frontman of EKA (Delhi based Award Winning Swatantra Rock Band), his solo venture- HRM. Hitesh started his career in music at the age of 17 as lead guitarist for Euphoria, contributing significantly towards all their albums between 1998-2010 (Dhoom, Phir Dhoom, Gully, Mehfuz and Redhoom) and even engineered many recordings for Euphoria at his recording studio, ARIA The Studio (previously known as Rikki’s Workstation). Now, the musical genius is joined by his very own sons in a series of sensational hits.
19. Ehsaas band
Best known as a local Ahmedabad Indie Rock Band, Ehsaas Band and their sound have developed and grown in popularity since 2015. Influenced by the community, culture, and sounds of their hometown, they perform music that speaks to fans across the musical spectrum. Their signature style has become synonymous with a diverse collection of melodies and compositions. This Indie Rock Band is on the rise, and nothing can stop them from achieving the success they work so hard for.
20. TwoChills
TwoChills is a duo consisting of DJs and Producers from different corners of the world. Spinner Sunny & No ExpressioN team up to make their ‘TwoChills’ dream come true. Their signature style of lo-fi and chill beats are something you can vibe to any day and play whenever you need to unwind and relax. The dynamic duo of these chart-topping artists produces unique and relaxing melodies that you will have on repeat!
