Buried Treasure, August 15

Queer Country/Americana Artists That Should Be On Your Radar

By Adeem Bingham, Editor

Rowan Simmons 

Rowan Simmons is a 22 year old bi-gender folk-punk artist from Louisville, Kentucky who refers to themselves, caustically, as “literally the most famous musician in the entire galaxy.” Their songs are angsty leftist numbers propped up by a sharp cynicism and accompanied with quirky & biting folk-art like my personal favorite, “The Pig Says,” which features a caricatured performance of a police officer defending inexcusable behaviors. You can browse their singles on Bandcamp or listen to their new EP Kentucky Coal wherever you stream.

Jessye Desilva 

Jessye is another enby artist who performs piano-driven folk / Americana. My introduction to them is through the first song on their new EP entitled Quarantine Sessions which could’ve been on a Dawes album. The songwriting is emotional and inviting, familiar structurally and tonally but Jessye’s voice is wholly unique. It has a frailty that makes the songs feel more sincere. I was especially struck by the lyric, “I didn’t fly here – I was thrown.” Check out the new EP on your preferred digital streaming platform and their cover of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.”

Merce Lemon 

Merce Lemon is a singer-songwriter based out of Pittsburgh with a distinctly north-eastern blend of indie-pop and anti-folk. “The leaves are jumping to their death. Have you thought of doing that?” Her new album is poppy, upbeat, eccentric and fun while wastefully lobbing stand-out lyrics for your AIM away message. Listen to her debut full-length album Moonth out today on Bandcamp or wherever music is streaming. RIYL Kimya Dawson, Daniel Johnston.

Izzy Heltai 

Izzy is a 23 year old trans songwriter with an affinity and aptitude for sad songs. His new EP, Only Yesterday, is a lo-fi collection of sparsely produced tracks; a warm & haunting introduction to the spacious, heartbroken worlds he creates. His writing style straddles the line between the pillars of Americana and the underbelly of gothic folk music. He has the emotional brutality of David Bazan or Simon Joyner and lacks none of their lyrical power. Stream his EP Only Yesterday now on Bandcamp or your preferred streaming platform and look out for his debut album coming October 9th.