HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF OUR 2018 ARTISTS

Featured

90’s alternative rockers Marcy Playground are celebrating their 20 year veterancy in the music industry. This year marks the anniversary of their 1997 self-titled debut album, which included the hit single “Sex and Candy”. In celebration of the anniversary, Slow Down Sounds will release the album on vinyl for the first time ever. The album went platinum back in 1997, selling 1.4 million copies, while the radio classic “Sex and Candy” spent a then record 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Learn More…

Elizabeth and the Catapult

Elizabeth Ziman, who performs as Elizabeth and the Catapult, is a critically acclaimed singer/songwriter from New York, living and working in Brooklyn. She's toured with the likes of Sara Bareilles and Kishi Bashi; collaborated with Esperanza Spalding, Gillian Welch, Blake Mills and Ben Folds; scored, with Paul Brill, a variety of international award-winning documentaries including Trapped, a Peabody winner; and won the 2015 Independent Music Award for Songwriting, Folk category. Her songs have been featured in national television campaigns for Google, Amazon, Sky TV, and "So You Think You Can Dance". Learn More…

Stephen Kellogg

Over the last decade Connecticut native Stephen Kellogg has performed more than 1500 concerts around the world, raised thousands of dollars for causes close to his heart, been named Armed Forces Entertainer of the Year, and penned singles for artists like "American Idol" winner Nick Fradiani and legendary guitarist Robert Randolph. He's also had his songs covered by international major label acts and released eight albums of his own that have yielded hundreds of thousands of ticket and album sales. Learn More…

Stew and the Negro Problem

(From Ted.com) "Singer/raconteur Stew combines elements of cabaret, soul and subversive pop to create a unique style he's dubbed "Afro-baroque." Frequently likened to Cole Porter and Burt Bacharach, Stew spins songs with hook-filled melodies and taut poetic narratives: 'Sophisticated songs that are not likely to be heard on the radio,' writes the New Yorker." Learn More…

Monks of Doom

From their humble beginnings as a surrealist spin-off “Imaginary Band,” through their hard working days as veteran DIY road warriors, on to their arrested state of suspended animation and later re-birth, Monks of Doom remain one of the classiest, heaviest and most strangely unclassifiable bands to emerge from the late 1980s independent music scene. When the band put themselves on ice in 1993, they left behind five virtuosic, rocking albums that somehow fused post-punk sensibilities with prog rock decadence and folk tradition elegance… Learn more..

Hawks and Doves (Kasey Anderson)

Kasey Anderson spent the first decade of the 21st century writing songs that drew praise from the likes of Paste, No Depression, The A/V Club and many others, and touring alongside Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, Counting Crows, Peter Case, BJ Barham/American Aquarium, Joe Pug and fellow songwriting luminaries. Known as a “songwriter’s songwriter,” Anderson counted the aforementioned greats among his fans - his songs covered on albums by Counting Crows and Star Anna - and carved out a niche for himself as one of Americana’s most revered, if underrated, songwriters. Then he disappeared. A relapse and personal and legal problems saw Anderson fade from view - no albums, no gigs, the only traces of him found in Counting Crows continued performance of the Anderson-penned “Like Teenage Gravity.” Had it all ended there, Anderson would have been just another name on a long list of songwriters whose careers ended in relative obscurity or, in Anderson’s case, infamy. Now five years sober and with a prison stint behind him, Anderson has re-emerged as the frontman and primary songwriter of the band Hawks and Doves, whose album, From a White Hotel, will be released August, 2018… Learn more…

Boy Bjorn

At SXSW 2015, aged just 25, Brian Holl was hit by a panic attack that would act as the catalyst for one of the most difficult periods of his young life. Brian had already achieved a great deal as one half of electronic-folk duo Foreign Fields - national tours, festival appearances, releasing a critically-acclaimed debut album - but an anxiety fueled by self-doubt, estimations, measuring up and counting trophies had finally reached tipping point. What happened next was bravely and honestly exposed in Foreign Fields sophomore record Take Cover which ended with the first glimmer of hope since that fateful night. Fast forward 18 months and Brian is ready to continue the story with his first solo release under the name Boy Bjorn. Learn more…

Boom Forest

Boom Forest is the spiritual incarnation of John Paul Roney, a Nashville-based songwriter and an evangelist for a contemporary folk tradition forwarding humanism in the face of our looming techno-apocalypse. Begin with the acoustic introspection of Bob Dylan, add artful electronic production cues a la Kid A, and layer in multi-part harmonies that would be at home in a Southern Baptist choir, and you’re on your way into the sound Boom Forest makes from the Automated Woods of Tomorrow. Learn more…

Mikaela Davis

“This record is kind of about writing a record,” Mikaela Davis says. The 26-year-old is home in her native Rochester, NY, reflecting on "Delivery", her highly anticipated full-length album, as well as the hard journey the classically trained, defiantly original harpist had to travel to become the writer and performer she was meant to be… Learn more…

Matt Sucich

Matt Sucich writes songs mostly with a pen, and sings them always with his mouth. His last name is pronounced Sue.Sitch and people often show how much they like his songs by comparing him to other popular artists. One time Jim James came to a show. Learn more…

Sean Barna

Seán Barna is a singer, songwriter, and drummer based in New York City. Employing a highly-visual lyrical panache and an atypically full-throated singing style, Barna’s newest record, Cissy, a gasping, rapid-fire deconstruction of what it means to be a man. If Bukowski had frequented queer spaces and written songs for Patti Smith, those songs might sound like this. Learn more…

Erica Blinn

"Nashville by way of Columbus, Ohio, rocker Blinn settles into a steady rock groove on her latest release. The hooks that have always anchored her songs are as strong as ever, bursting with an infectious spirit. She may be singing about tough times in songs like “Dreamer's Heart” and “A Little Rain,” but she reflects on the moments with an uplifting outlook. All the better that she and the band let loose on the choruses, singing them loud and proud. You should, too." - Mayer Danzig, Twangville Learn more…

Ryvoli

Jenn Whiteman and Samantha Howard are RYVOLI, an indie-folk band based in Lexington, KY. Paying homage to the place they met and first collaborated, they derive their name from Rue de Rivoli, one of the most well-travelled streets in Paris, France. Focusing on tight harmonies and candid lyrics, this duo makes music influenced by artists such as The Civil Wars, Bon Iver, and The Swell Season. Learn more…

Yellow House Orchestra

Yellow House Orchestra is a Latin Jazz and Salsa band based in San Francisco and New York City. The band’s debut record Orale Pues was released January 29, 2016. The band is led by bassist and songwriter Michael Cerda, formerly of El Desayuno, Big Breakfast and The Names. He’s also played a major role in the music-tech scene with his work on music at Facebook, Vevo and Myspace. His original melodies and hooks combined with Latin rhythms provide an original, catchy and toe-tapping sound. The band is graced by four Grammy winners from their work with Pacific Mambo Orchestra… Learn more…

Dave Godowsky

There are two albums. The first is called All You Love Is Need and the second is called Pregret. Dave is a man of few, but beautiful words. Learn more…

Those Nights

Those Nights is constructed of individual songwriters, leading to a diverse list of influences ranging in and out of nearly every genre. This, along with the non-traditional rock setup used to create high-energy tracks as well as deep soulful melodies, is what sets Those Nights apart from other bands. And it’s the haunting vocals, constructed harmonies, and hip-hop flavor that creates the formula for this unforgettable show. Learn more…

Brick Briscoe

Briscoe creates songs that paint a picture of restlessness and wonder, sprinkled liberally with a well matured angst. He’s a wanderer both physically and artistically. You’ll find him just as much obsessed with the open road as trying to get you into the metaphorical bed. The songs move between punk rock edge and a curious free form adventure, with Briscoe’s buzzsaw and angular guitar riffs cutting a trail for his lyrics to find an unsettling safe house. Learn more…

GALLERY

James Campion introducing Marcy Playground

Adam Duritz introducing Stew & the Negro Problem

Adam Duritz, Barbara Garrett and James Campion

Artwork by Frank Germano (Man on Fire Design)

GARDEN SESSIONS

Get ready, we’ll be featuring exclusive “Garden Session” performances from each of them - and some very special guests!

Read the Underwater ARTIST ESSAYS

Featured

Nov 4, 2019

Kid Sistr

Nov 4, 2019

Hey Underwater Sunshine Fest, it’s Charlie - I’ve got the high-stakes privilege of introducing the final band before the festival: Kid Sistr. The group, composed of bassist Sara Keden, drummer Rebecca Webster, and guitarist Sabel, is a dynamic trio of women who have each already begun to make names for themselves independently: Keden’s debut EP Everything came out in August, with Sabel on vocals, and Sabel’s debut Mirth Drive came out in April, both to a pretty spectacular degree of success on streaming services.

Nov 4, 2019

Nov 1, 2019

Stew & the Negro Problem

Nov 1, 2019

Hello friends! Katie here. I guess we’re all doing the same thing right now: we’re all choosing our favorite rock shirts, making sure we can find that seatbelt belt we just bought, getting ready to start standing in line in front of the Rockwood two or three days early like this is the ‘90s and Ticketmaster is the only place selling tickets, and they’re doing it through Kroger—

Nov 1, 2019

Oct 25, 2019

Maria Taylor

Oct 25, 2019

The opening track, “For Worse, For Better” starts off with Maria in her classic form, sonically placing her hand on your shoulder and whispering soothingly into your ear. She’s got pills that are tough to swallow in her other hand, but she reminds us first of the relief to come, the work that was done to create something beautiful and comfortable. Beginning with something resembling a nuptial organ call, it twists the traditional wedding vow around, and Maria’s version ends on the positive, high note. Instead of “for better, for worse,” it’s “for worse, for better.”

Oct 25, 2019

Oct 18, 2019

The Harmaleighs

Oct 18, 2019

Katie here, and I have the exciting job of introducing you to Haley Grant [lead vocals, guitar] and Kaylee Jasperson [bass, harmonies] of The Harmaleighs— which is partially fun because I’ve gotten to watch some of their growth and changes throughout the years as an early fan, courtesy of the Outlaw Roadshow, but partially because I don’t remember the last time I picked up a record and enjoyed the song titles so much. (That might seem like faint praise, but again, I’m a creative writing teacher: I look at every single word. This was one of those rare occasions where I wanted to download all ten tracks into my knowledge base immediately.)

Oct 18, 2019

Oct 11, 2019

Wildermiss

Oct 11, 2019

The band has an interesting line-up. In addition to Emma Cole, Wildermiss consists of Josh Hester on guitar, Seth Beamer on guitar, and Caleb Thoemke on drums. What’s missing here? Well, nothing. Which is strange because they do not have a bass player. Now I’m sort of a traditionalist when it comes to my rhythm sections. Drums and bass go together like chocolate and peanut butter but somehow I didn’t miss the bass at all (Sorry all my bass player friends. I really do love all you guys even if it’s not quite enough to help you haul that 8x12 Ampeg speaker cab up and down that huge flight of stairs at the venue.) Caleb is a capable and tasteful percussionist and he’s more than able enough to drive the music and hold down the rhythm while Seth and Josh manage to make use of the space left by the absent bass to weave guitar parts in and out and around the drums and the vocals to create this lovely symphony of beautiful atmosphere.

Oct 11, 2019

Oct 4, 2019

Sean Nelson

Oct 4, 2019

Before I ever knew I would write for a music festival— teach a class about music— meet my idols— write a blog— I was just a bookish kid in a back brace with a big Texas attitude and absolutely nothing in my 4’11” frame to back it up. I know TV and movies make being a nerd with prosthetics look really cool, but in my case, you’ll be shocked to hear I found those things to be slight impediments toward being “cool” and making “friends.” I never felt lonely or bored though, especially out on those bike rides, because I had too much to think about. I was already an obsessive reader and I memorized music and lyrics like it was a job (that’s just how I roll). The first record I remember knowing every single word to— from the first line of “Carlotta Valdez” to the last line of “Radio Silence”— was Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? And you know Merrymakers, too. Here. Let me remind you.

Oct 4, 2019

Sep 28, 2019

Van Goose

Sep 28, 2019

If the frontman looks familiar, he should: Van Goose is Marcy Playground drummer Shlomi Lavie’s other band, and it utilizes his ear for rhythm in ways that capitalize on both the sounds of New Wave, R&B, and even some eighties synth sounds. The lyrics and words are often used as percussive devices, too, which is just to say that they’re often stand-ins for something that feels like it hits just right.

Sep 28, 2019

Sep 20, 2019

Wild Pink

Sep 20, 2019

Hey friends, Katie here! It’s probably for the best, too. I have spent the week completely obsessed with three or four lines (depending on where you put the line break!) from a Built to Spill song, and though I have told literally everyone in my zip code, it remains a one person obsession. Better I be here, telling you about another band that plays— and when I say that, I mean they experiment, delight, enjoy— music. Today, I’m introducing you to Wild Pink, who we’ve been lucky enough to have before— but now that we know exactly how impressive they are live, we can’t wait to have an encore performance.

Sep 20, 2019