Finding Indie Bands: You Just Need to Know Where to Look

The indie scene is quickly becoming the next big thing. All of your friends are raving about these bands that you’ve never even heard of. And you’re sitting there wondering, “where do they find these bands?” How do you build the vastness of your musical knowledge when many bands that people are into aren’t on the radio or MTV? It’s easy. The biggest thing to remember, other than to have an open mind, is “network.” No person is a fan of just one band. There are always multiple artists that each person is into. Use that to your advantage.

One way to find new, indie bands is through programs that allow you to search for others. If your program allows you to look through files of other users, pick a person who has an indie song, and browse their files. It’s likely that you’ll find a multitude of other indie songs that you’ve never heard of. Check out a few. You may be surprised at your finds. If your program gives you a list of artists similar to the one your downloading, check out the ones you haven’t heard of.

Another way is to ask your friends. Sure, you may not be the first to discover them, but that’s not really the point, is it? Ask them who their favorites are, and check them out. And while you’re at it, find artists similar to them.

Fan sites are another great way. Suppose you heard some raving about a band called Waking Ashland. Google their name and see if you can find sites where their fans talk about them. Scan the page and see if they talk about any other artists. Chances are, if you like one band, you’ll like other bands that that particular fans like. Myspace is also a great way to do this. Browse through people’s profiles until you find someone who has a similar taste in music as you, and check out some of the bands they like that you’ve never heard of.