The Umbrellas
The Umbrellas are one of the most exciting bands to come from the indiepop underground in ages. Bursting out of the San Francisco Bay Area’s fertile indie scene, The Umbrellas come correct with a sound that fits snugly into a long line of classic pop, from The Byrds to Orange Juice, The Pastels, Comet Gain, Veronica Falls and Belle & Sebastian, along with a noticeable garage-pop/Paisley Underground flavour that is a hallmark of San Francisco’s best bands. Their self-titled 2021 debut album dazzled with a dozen perfect pop tunes, charming the indiepop faithful but also winning fans outside the scene, leading to sold-out tours with bands as disparate as Ceremony and Destroy Boys (writes Mike Schulman). Their latest release, seven-inch Write it in the Sky, was released in June via Slumberland, Meritorio, Tear Jerk, and Fastcut records.

Seablite
Seablite are a four-piece pop band from San Francisco inspired by 80s/90s indie and shoegaze. In June 2019, Seablite’s LP debut Grass Stains and Novocaine was released by Emotional Response, garnering domestic and international praise. They’ve since released a 10-inch EP, High-Rise Mannequins (2020), and most recently their new single, Breadcrumbs c/w Ink Bleeds (2022). Seablite are back in the studio recording their sophomore LP and looking forward to what the upcoming year will bring.