For the past 3 years, our hometown has hosted one of the best music festivals local to the Pacific Northwest. From Mitski to JPEGMAFIA, Seattle’s Day In Day Out has been home to some of the forefront artists in the music industry. This year, Day in Day Out deep dives into the world of Indie-rock from the likes of Ethel Cain, Indigo De Souza, and Surf Curse, as well as post-rock bands like Enumclaw and Explosions in the Sky. Daydream State, which hosts Day In Day Out is a prominent force in Seattle’s music industry, running fellow Seattle-local music festival Capitol Hill Block Party, as well as Neumos, a legendary venue. Here are a handful of the most compelling artists set to play on August 12-13 at Fisher’s Pavillion.
Indigo de Souza
Indigo de Souza is one of the most prominent artists in the world of female indie rock, who is following the same path paved by artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. De Souza has been making original songs since her middle school days in Asheville, North Carolina, where she turned to music as a way to cope with her extreme social apprehension. Since then her music has been a deep analysis of loneliness but has transcended into worlds of heartbreak and the emptiness of human existence. With the release of her 3-song single entitled Boys, she had already established a clear sound that she then greatly expanded upon through her 2 albums I Love My Mom and Any Shape You Take. She just recently announced the release of her newest album All of this Will End which is set to be released on April 28.
Ethel Cain
Cannibalism, religious trauma, and the plains of Nebraska take the spots as the unique perspective that have caught the attention of listeners in Ethel Cain’s Preacher’s Daughter. Hayden Anhedönia, the underlying character behind the album describes her singer-songwriter persona as “the mirrored version of what my life would be like if I chose not to get better,” which is fully evident through the conceptual approach in her album, analyzing the life of a girl crushed by the religious and societal pressures of being a woman in conservative America. For any first-time listener of Ethel Cain, “American Teenager” is an excellent place to start as it plays into more traditional commonplace music while still expressing the thick, dynamic vocal and choral sound she is characterized for. Through songs like “Thoroughfare” and “Ptolemaea”, listeners are introduced to the more unique aspects Cain brings to the music industry, with haunting, almost angelic-sounding vocals. Cain is one of the most promising names in the indie music genre and one of the standouts of the lineup this year.
BADBADNOTGOOD
Although BADBADNOTGOOD might not initially strike one as something familiar, they seem to have a grasp on nearly every branch of the music industry. With their humble start reworking songs from the 
likes of Odd Future and MF Doom in the early 2010s, they quickly caught the attention of thousands of viewers, eventually reaching their peak when Tyler, the Creator himself reposted the video. They went on to release their first album in 2011, an instrumental jazz mix of original pieces and covers of a multitude of artists including Joy Division and Nas. Their third album, sensically titled III, gained traction and won the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. From performing alongside their early appreciator, Tyler, The Creator, working on a German-experimental inspired track with Earl Sweatshirt, and arranging pieces with Daniel Caesar, BBNG has continued their behind-the-scenes influence with their neo-jazz, timeless soul sound.
Bon Iver
Anyone who is familiar with the music scene has been destined to have stumbled upon Bon Iver. Justin Vernon, the leading man who is primarily known for his work under the moniker Bon Iver, hit the indie folk scene in 2007 and quickly became one of the defining artists of the genre. For Emma, Forever Ago was his debut onto the music scene as Bon Iver, born from an isolated winter in a cabin in Wisconsin, which is no surprise to anyone who has listened to it. From the rich acoustic guitar to the soulful, raw vocals, the album is emotionally evoking with stand-out songs “For Emma” and “Skinny Love.” The band has gone on to evolve through their next few albums, winning Best New Artist and Best Alternative Rock Album at the Grammys after the release of the self-titled album Bon Iver. Bon Iver has gone on to work with the greats like Taylor Swift on her album Folklore, and has even reached into the rap world, collaborating with Travis Scott.
