There’s a lot of good music floating around right now.
This week’s Radar jumps between indie, rock, pop, R&B, folk and a few strange corners in between.
Here are 14 artists and tracks we think are worth having on your radar.
B. Manic – ‘anywhere’
West Aucklander B. Manic delivers ‘Anywhere’, alongside the Bandcamp release of his complete discography, including three mixtapes that haven’t been available anywhere for several years. Worth digging into.
Trinity Bliss – ‘will they won’t they’
Trinity Bliss is making dreamy, cinematic pop about the messiness of growing up, and ‘will they won’t they’ fits neatly into that world of crushes, uncertainty and overthinking. She’s also known for her acting work in James Cameron’s Avatar films, but the music is increasingly becoming its own thing.
IZZY REBEL – ‘Dancing Through My Tears’
Newcastle artist IZZY REBEL makes the kind of big-hearted indie-pop that wears its emotions pretty openly. ‘Dancing Through My Tears’ pairs a darker lyrical streak with a properly catchy chorus, and was produced by Adrian Breakspear.
Cash O’Brien – ‘Don’t Stick Around’
Cash O’Brien has quietly built an impressive résumé as a songwriter and producer, including co-writing Frances Forever’s viral ‘Space Girl’. His own music is more intimate, bringing together alternative rock, folk, R&B and electronic influences around his tenor vocals. ‘Don’t Stick Around’ is the latest piece of that puzzle.
SKORTZ – ‘Ceiling Fan’
There isn’t a huge amount of information floating around about SKORTZ yet, but ‘Ceiling Fan’ gives us the important bit anyway: a track worth clicking on and a band we’ll be keeping an eye on.
Darjeeling Photo Club – ‘Woodfern’
Darjeeling Photo Club come from Ventura, California, bringing shimmering guitars, driving rhythms and shoegaze textures into their indie-rock. ‘Woodfern’ arrived in March as a taste of their next record, following their 2026 album Past Lives.
Kiara Castagna – ‘How Long Will It Take’
Kiara Castagna keeps things centred on the song with ‘How Long Will It Take’. It’s an understated intro to the artist, with the sort of title that immediately makes you wonder what exactly we’re waiting around for.
Calling From Pluto – ‘Womaneater’
Calling From Pluto are an eclectic group who actively reject the idea of sticking to one genre. Their 2026 album Reframed pulls together theatrical storytelling, classic rock, punk, gospel, R&B and jam-band influences, and ‘Womaneater’ is one of its more substantial tracks.
Sienna Smith – Body Back Down
Sienna Smith has been getting some love from triple j Unearthed lately, with ‘Body Back Down’ sitting somewhere between folk, indie and pop. One Unearthed reviewer summed it up rather nicely: the song “careens down the highway”, which feels about right.
Wild Eyed Empress – ‘Ivory’
Wild Eyed Empress have just released ‘Ivory’, a rock track that gives us a pretty good excuse to keep an eye on the Dunedin group. The song features Isaac Kappely on vocals and guitar alongside Jevon Hoebergen, Laura Read and Callum Thompson, with the band’s new release landing in late August.
Queen Bitch – ‘Even If I Pray’
Róisín Bohan’s Queen Bitch project is exactly the sort of rock music that benefits from being played loud. ‘Even If I Pray’ builds from brooding, distorted guitars into something much bigger, with Bohan’s voice carrying the track’s mix of vulnerability and defiance.
Madison – ‘YOUR GIRL’
Madison is a Byron Shire-based Australian pop artist with a taste for big, cinematic production. Her sound pulls from 80s rock, electronic art-pop and orchestral drama, and ‘YOUR GIRL’ gives us another glimpse of that glossy but emotionally charged side of the project.
Kaio – ‘Payments’
‘Payments’ is the latest drop from Kaio, an independent West Auckland-based recording artist and dancer of Samoan and Pākehā descent who blends hip hop, alternative, R&B and funk.
Clare – ‘Haley’
‘Haley’ is a small, intimate entry from Cebu singer-songwriter Clare. Blending indie-folk and soft indie, Clare draws on themes of longing and nostalgia, with ‘Haley’ capturing the bitter aftertaste of a friendship coming to an end.
Chuck New Indie Music: Happy’s Mixtape a follow. Updated every week with emerging indie, rock and alt artists picked by Happy Mag.
