Rock - Walk the Moon
Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Walk the Moon was formed in 2006 by Nicholas Pettricca while he was still a student in college. They independently produced and released their first album, I want! I want! in 2010. The only single on this album was “Anna Sun”, which topped charts in the US, Mexico, Belgium, and the UK. Their sophomore album, Walk the Moon, was released in 2012. The self-titled album had 1 new single, “Tightrope”, however “Quesadilla” was featured in FIFA 13. Talking Is Hard, the bands 3rd album was released in 2014. WTM had 3 new singles on this album: “Shut Up and Dance”, “Different Colors”, and “Work This Body”. Talking Is Hard topped charts in 7 countries including the US, Canada, and Scotland. Their most recent album, What If Nothing (2017) featured 3 new singles as well: “One Foot”, “Kamikaze”, and “Tiger Teeth”. Since 2015, WTM has been nominated for 14 awards. They have won 4: Vanguard Award (2016), Top Radio Song (2016), Top Rock Song (2016), and the TOP40 New Group of the Year (2018).
Folk - Daughter
Hailing from London, Daughter was founded by Elena Tonra in 2010. After adding members Igor Haefeli and Remi Aguilella, Daughter was able to self-release their first 2 EPs, Demos (2010) and His Young Heart (2011). In 2012, the band signed with 4AD and released their first studio album, If You Leave, in 2013. If You Leave included the singles: “Smother”, “Human”, and “Youth”. “Youth” has been featured in a wide variety of shows and movies, including: Teen Wolf, Grey’s Anatomy, and Altered Carbon. The band has released 2 additional albums, Not to Disappear (2016) and Music from Before the Storm (2017). Music from Before the Storm was written as a soundtrack for the video game Life Is Strange: Before the Storm. In November 2018, Elena Tonra announce her debut solo album, Ex:Re. There has not been any news of new music from Daughter.
Pop - COIN
COIN was formed in 2012 by classmates Chase Lawrence (lead vocals, synths), Ryan Winnen (drums), Joe Memmel (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Zach Dyke (bass guitar, left to focus on production and engineering). They released their first studio album, COIN, in 2015. The album featured their 2 singles “Atlas” and “Time Machine”. In 2016, they released their most popular single “Talk Too Much”, which topped charts in the US and Canada. “Talk Too Much”, “Boyfriend”, and “Don’t Cry, 2020” were the 3 singles on their next album, How Will You Know If You Never Try (2017). COIN has released a single, “I Want It All” for their new album, which will be released in Spring 2019.
R&B - KING
Twin sisters Amber and Paris Strother and friend Anita Bias began their music career in 2011 when they released their first EP, The Story. The Story grabbed the attention of Prince, who became their manager until 2013. KING created their own company, KING Creative, in 2013 and released their new single “In the Meantime” shortly after. “Mister Chameleon” was released the following year, and in 2016 KING released their debut studio album We Are King. We Are KING was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2017. Their second studio album, Legacy, was released in September 2018.
Electronic - La Roux
Originating from London, Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid formed the band La Roux in 2006. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2009. It featured their 4 singles: “Quicksand”, “In for the Kill”, “Bulletproof”, and I’m Not Your Toy”. La Roux won a Grammy Award in 2011 for their self-titled album. In 2012, Langmaid left La Roux, and Jackson completed their 2nd studio album, Trouble in Paradise. The new album was released in June 2014 and featured 2 new singles, “Uptight Downtown” and “Kiss and Not Tell”. La Roux has been nominated for 40 awards and won 8 of them.