Behind every genre of music are hundreds of well-known artists to represent it, and behind them are countless others who aspire to do the same. Many artists are desperate for their claim to fame, and the chances of making it big are slim. However, here are some gems in the alternative acoustic scene everyone should know.
Ever heard of Shannon Saunders? Probably not, but its likely you have heard her song "I See the Light" on the popular soundtrack of "Tangled." This lesser-known singer and songwriter has been building her music since she was 14 years old, and it looks like her work is finally starting to pay off.
In recent years, Saunders is producing content on all of the major music platforms. The 20-year-old English musician is starting to create traffic with songs available on iTunes, several covers on SoundCloud and over 59,000 YouTube subscribers.
The best part about Saunders music is her creative and unique sound. Saunders dabbles between creating her own indie pop songs and putting a spin on popular mainstream songs. Saunders took her favorite pop songs from 2013, such as "Wrecking Ball," "Roar" and "Royals" creating an acoustic medley with them.
Her first single, "Heart of Blue," was released back in 2013, and the video was an instant hit, reaching over 800,000 views. Since then, Saunders has released several original songs, including "Sheets," "Colour Me Green" and "Silly Little Things".
Saunders newest song, "Silly Little Things," has a uniquely upbeat and complex sound. With each song she writes, her sound becomes more defined. Saunders has started doing small tours in the U.K. recently as well. Although she isn't coming to Phoenix any time soon, many fans are predicting an album release sometime in the near future which gives everyone something to look forward to.
Josh Record is another great alternative artist that recently broke into the music scene. He has several music videos, but is still lesser known. After signing to an indie label in 2012, his first release reached No. 2 on the singer songwriter charts in the U.K. Among the songs, one of the most popular is "For Your Love."
Record is very ambitious as well, and released his first EP, "The War," in 2013. Fans love that his music has meaningful lyrics to go along with truly rhythmic beats. Like Saunders, his success is growing in the U.K. but has yet to reach as many fans in U.S. Last year Record released his first album "Pillars," which is available to listen to on SoundCloud.
Check out these lesser-known artists, who deserve a little love after all their hard work over the past years. Both musicians are also on social media so you can keep up with the progress they are making in the alternative scene.
Reach the reporter Bryanna.Mundy@asu.edu or follow @bryannamundy on Twitter
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