These Days is dedicated to keeping tabs on the amazing music being made in and around Chicago, some of which is from new artists you may not have heard of just yet. Each year, we sit down as a group and discuss artists that are new to the scene or show promising momentum going into the new year. This year, we came across 10 new voices we have no interest in getting out of our heads anytime soon. Whether it’s new albums, festival appearances, tours or the like, we think this group is up to good things and worth a follow on your streaming service of choice. Get to know them below. - Brent Butcher

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Brittney Carter

Fluttering boom bap melodies spark lucid narrative delivery

An avid reader and student of the game, Brittney Carter's pen game is already hailed as one of the best in the city by locals and observant outsiders. Over the past year, Brittney's career has made inroads thanks to various compelling short freestyle clips that flex her distinct voice and reflective bars. These videos have had minor viral success and garnered praise from legends like Ill Camille to new stars such as TDE's Reason. Under the tutelage of Loop Theory, a local artist development agency, the Chicago emcee has continued to nurture her work in an environment that pushes growth and camaraderie. Her official releases show that she can make captivating full songs while guest appearances, such as Add-2's "Back In The Day" (which also features Little Brother's Phonte), make a case for her place next to underground greats. Looking ahead, Brittney has big aspirations in diverse facets across the entertainment industry, but for 2020 she's focusing on continuing to create sizable breakthrough moments with each release. - Pedro Gonzalez

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What's the biggest venue you've played in so far?

It's between the Concord joint when I opened for Jay Rock and, coincidentally, at a school with like 1,300 kids [laughs]. I forgot what school it was, but it was somewhere over West. One of my mentors at the time, FM Supreme, she got me to do this program, and everybody showed up.

Your videos have a tendency to blow-up on social media and you'll have these legendary artists retweet them. Are you used to it now?

I be tripping out [laughs]. Hell no. One of the people that I tripped out over was Ill Camille —because I love Ill Camille. Also, Reason and Bone Crusher [...] Bone Crusher was so random [laughs]. People have been super nice and cool.

If we were to catch-up in five years, where do you think your career will be at the moment?

Oh, man. I'd probably have a few albums out. I would love to get into different realms of art, so like acting, and I'd probably also have a book out. I would like to touch on all the avenues of arts that I can.

Listen to Brittney Carter on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Brittney Carter on Twitter & Instagram

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Dre Izaya

Exuberant spirit & poised cadence exudes imminent glory

Dre Izaya carries himself in the modest and lowkey fashion you'd expect from any 18-year-old. However when it's time to talk about his music and career, his zeal for life jumps out. There's a youthful exuberance to him that's contagious and also present in his nascent catalog. With just an EP and a couple of videos out, the Back of the Yards native is one of our biggest bets on this year's list. His enthusiasm, honest lyrics, and contemporary sound make him one of the most promising new talents in a city brimming with heavy competition. Last year's Mary's Color saw him playing with melodies and themes that underlined his versatility. Pair that up with a very solid team behind him (again, the Loop Theory folks) and you have boundless potential for an artist we're excited to see grow into himself. - Pedro Gonzalez

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Where do you draw inspiration from when you’re writing?

In my head, I flip through random experiences, emotions, and any new information I've soaked up until I grab onto a subject that resonates well. That's the usual approach I take. It keeps me open-minded and curious.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

The best advice I’ve received was probably from Gary Vee. Basically, he was expressing how a person shouldn’t be living life for someone else. I use that advice to make decisions that are best for me instead of being pushed through someone else’s path.

Do you have any big goals set for 2020?

This year I'm trying to be known for the music, just making sure my face is in front of everybody, and whenever I drop a song, it's quality. Whenever someone mentions my name, I want it to be of high standards. That's my goal. I want to impress everybody.

Listen to Dre Izaya on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Dre Izaya on Twitter & Instagram

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Eleeza Silva

Prowess, personality & confidence that effortlessly melts genre away

In the years preceding 2020, you may have stumbled across Eleeza Silva's YouTube covers of modern and "throwback" hits. Her renditions of Childish Gambino's "Redbone" and The Black Eyed Peas' "Meet Me Halfway" have each racked up thousands of views, and plenty of supportive comments. Or, maybe you caught one of her many live performances at house parties around the University of Illinois. Whichever it may be, hearing Eleeza's vocal prowess will strike enough curiosity out of you to delve into the now 20-year-old artists' catalog. There, you'll find a handful of releases where Eleeza experiments with the same attribute of her artistry that first intrigued us: her charming vocals. While we're only a few weeks into 2020, she's already released a single ("PALETERA") and rocked a show at Wicker Park's Emporium. Eleeza doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon. This year, she's most excited to focus on her stage presence, alluding to the fact that she'll soon start to perform with a live band, incorporate some degree of choreography, and of course, do it all in her signature outfits. - Carlos Castillo

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How did you get started out in music?

I've been doing music since I was little, I kind of grew into it. My dad always had music around […], but he wasn't a musician [at the time]. I was just always singing, so he got me into music school, but it wasn't anything fancy. It was just something that was more intimate, smaller and family-owned. We went to that school and I actually put my dad on some music, and he then became a singer. He started bringing me around to all of his band practices. He was always playing Mexican music in his band. I was always listening, paying really close attention. Three years passed by, and I learned how to play the drums and piano just by watching them. My dad was like, "WTF, let's put your ass into actual (music) school!"

What do you feel sets you apart from other artists that could have somewhat of a similar style as you?

I think I’m just always 100% me, I do my all with everything. I always stay true to myself. It’s not just about me, it’s about everyone. I just care a lot about this shit, I’m just passionate about it —I’ve been wanting to do this since I was little. All these years of planning and actually doing it and putting it into fruition and it’s actually working. It’s working and I’m not gonna stop!

What message do you want to give to your audience?

I can do so many things, and I never want to be tied down to “she’s this kind of artist” or “she’s this type of genre." I like a lot of shit, I like a lot of stuff. I appreciate a lot of different forms of art and music, and people are just gonna really see what I’m capable of. I’m excited to get connected with more people. We’re gonna do sets, we’re gonna do crazier fits. I want to incorporate choreography in videos and performances, we’re gonna do hella stuff!

Listen to Eleeza Silva on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Eleeza Silva on Twitter & Instagram

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Free Snacks

Wild-eyed joy laced with old soul as satisfying as the munchies

Free Snacks, a hyper-energetic hip hop twosome made up of Joshua Virtue and Ruby Watson (who themselves are part of the burgeoning Why? Records collective), recently dropped their latest album, Fast Food, this past November. As the follow-up to 2018’s well-received EAT GOOD, the project finds the duo digging deeper into their bags to serve listeners with snack-sized auditory sustenance. - Geoff Heano

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What was the most important thing you discovered in between projects this past year?

Joshua Virtue: Two things: First of all, dynamics. During Eat Good, we had a very similar sound as far as lyricism went. It was definitely varied, but on some rapper shit. When we got to Fast Food, the idea with the album when we first started was like let’s just make all bangers. We had the same idea going in, but as more time went on, it just became far more dynamic, and we would trade up our sound a lot.

Ruby Watson: For me, a lot of it was finding my voice. There’s a very noticeable difference in confidence, dexterity, technicality, and the way I rap between the two tapes. Especially since we do it all in-house (mix, master, make all the beats), there’s a very noticeable difference in technicality and quality in a lot of ways. But it’s not shiny-type quality, it’s intentional and there’s a level of being genuine.

When you’re making music together, it comes together fast. Does that pace come to you organically?

Ruby Watson: A lot of it comes from being really good friends. We’re always making music together, even if it’s not Free Snacks. Every time we hang out, it’s like, “Yo, let me show you this thing, it’s for XYZ’.” We’re in Why? Records, which is us, Davis, and Malci, and we all make music together all the time. It’s always happening, whether or not it’s Free Snacks or UDABABY or our solo projects. We put out two Free Snacks records in a year, but we also each put out solo records, and a UDABABY record. There was so much other shit going on, so there were like four or five albums that got put out in the year.

Joshua Virtue: The best part about me and Ruby together is we create at about the same pace. I think that’s the main thing that’s kept us together this whole time. We met each other last year, not that long ago. We bonded really quick because we create at the same rate. I think that has gone a long way. I’m in like eight projects, and with all that, nothing comes together as quickly as Free Snacks. I think that’s part of the energy, it’s inherent in the sound, even.

What does DIY mean to you?

Joshua Virtue: I'm from the South Suburbs, like Crete, and I moved up here for college and stuff. I would go to these noise shows because I didn't know where stuff was […] I would do that, get to know more and more people, and I'd go to more and more shows. There was one show in particular where I met Erin Delaney from Daymaker —DIY can be cliquey, very gatekeep-y—but she was one of the first people who was kind to me and wanted me to do well off the bat. As time has sort of gone on, I make shit in my own closet. Most of the stuff Why? Records has released at this point is made in a fucking closet. There's something really beautiful about that because, at that moment, you're making it for yourself. Even if later you share it, and if everyone hears it, or if only six people in a basement hear it, that shit can touch them so deeply. It's a community, it's art de-monetized, it's art as spiritual reflection and expression rather than product, and I think that's what makes it DIY in a lot of ways, even though we're all trying to get the bag still.

Ruby Watson: Shit, that was good. For me, I’m not from here either, I grew up in Kansas City, MO, and I’ve been in the area for four years. DIY was something I was always longing for. I made music my whole life, but in Kansas City, I wasn’t ever really in their DIY scene. I know it exists, but it’s different than what I’m into. I didn’t have a strong community in Kansas City. I had a decent friend group, but it can be a conservative, the belt is really tight. Coming here and finding that community so fast, especially through Joshua —because he was one of the first people I met—Lowerlipdrip and Frances. They just take you in, and it's everything I ever wanted trying to find that community because it's the ideal place to create when it's coming from the spiritual catharsis of creating to create, and it's for you, but it's for everyone at the same time. It's for everything and everyone. DIY is everything. That's something I don't think you can lose unless you try to lose it, and a lot of people try to lose it or make that decision to step away from it, but I don't ever want to do that. Why would you ever say no to rapping in a basement for twenty minutes? What do you have to lose? Even if you grow beyond it, why do you have to stop doing it? Why can't you pull up to the cut and rap for twenty minutes because you have a homie who wants you to pull through? It's doing it for the same reasons you do it.

Listen to Free Snacks on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Free Snacks on Twitter & Instagram

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HateSonny

Woozy adrenaline raps turn danger & defiance into dark fun

Feeding his fans with a consistent diet of new releases and raw raps, HateSonny has earned himself a cult-like following in Chicago's underground. Still, this year he hopes to establish himself among the city's pantheon of greats. Contrasting his fellow HighLife cohort, Kari, and his reserved and thoughtful nature, HateSonny is unfiltered and abrasive in the nicest and funniest way possible. He speaks what's on his mind both personally and musically. As a result, his music is filled with energy and emotion, exploring dark topics with a level of maturity that even the most veteran of artists could appreciate. The 19-year-old rapper's signature sound can be described as in-your-face, bass-heavy trap records. But diving into his deep cuts, one can see he is just as capable of exploring vulnerability and in-depth storytelling. - Alejandro Hernandez

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Why did you start making music?

It just felt right for me to make music. Prior to making music, I didn’t really have an outlet to express any sort of emotion as thoroughly as I can through music. My pops is a DJ, so it just felt right that I continue doing this music shit.

What’s one thing you want listeners to know about you?

I like cereal. I like Frosted Flakes a lot. I like to eat Frosted Flakes, smoke dope, and make music. That’s about it. In terms of what I want my listeners to take away from my music is that everyone should be comfortable in their own skin. Be as authentic as possible in their own shit.

What's one lesson you've learned so far in your career that you think other new artists should know?

Don’t burn yourself out. You can definitely get burnt out and exhaust your creative mind. That’s how you get writer’s block. Don't try to force shit out and let that shit be terrible. Definitely take your time. Another thing I’ve noticed, you can’t be more or less than what you are. A lot of people, they’ll put themselves through certain things just so they can make music about and that’s the purest form of inauthenticity. You just gotta be authentic in your shit. Reflect who you really are and keep it 100.

Listen to HateSonny on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow HateSonny on Twitter & Instagram

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Kari

Charismatic stylings take listeners on a wild joyride

As a member of Chicago's young HighLife crew, Kari's ability to make any type of music has made him stand out as an artist to watch in the sea of Chicago's underground scene with his debut mixtape set to release this year. Even at just 19-years-old, it's clear he is a true student of music, absorbing as much as he can from hip-hop past and present. This fact reflects in his music, as he crosses genres quite commonly. One song can be a traditional boom-bap record with bars, the next can be an R&B-style track with prominent melodies, and the next can be a freestyle over Gucci Mane's "Lemonade" beat. - Alejandro Hernandez

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Why did you start making music & what’s one thing you want listeners to know about you?

I started making music because it offered me a sense of freedom that I ultimately enjoy. I want people to know that anything that I create is a direct reflection of my experiences and of the human experience in general. I want to provide work that uplifts, upholds and supports the general welfare of mankind.

You’ve done a lot of traveling back and forth between here and New York this past year. How has that experience left an impact on you?

I was in a little bit of a culture shock my first time going out there. Just understanding how different things meld together and can transpire from being so interconnected. It definitely inspired me, and I had the chance to meet some people and shift my outlook on the world and music business.

What's one lesson you've learned so far in your career that you think other new artists should know?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that your music and art can never be more or less than who you are as a human being. I say that’s an important lesson for me because when you’re in the arts, you get wrapped in a lot of things. You get wrapped up in the quality of your work, your being as a person and how your image affects how people perceive your work. I think just knowing that helped me stay grounded and true. Just being honest about myself and how it translates.

Listen to Kari on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Kari on Twitter & Instagram

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Lane Beckstrom

A reliable collaborator readies colorful solo effort as playful as a kaleidoscope

From working on music with friends (most notably in the early 2010s with Kids These Days and, as of late, Knox Fortune and Resavoir) to touring across the country —Lane Beckstrom's role in Chicago's arts community has been immensely rewarding. While he admits his relationship with music has also had its fair share of low moments —where feelings of disenchantment arise—for Lane, this is only an indicator that there is more to understand and discover. "Whenever that happens," he explains, "it's always because there's something that I'm not doing or some genre I haven't explored." With that mindset Lane is preparing for his solo debut, hopeful of releasing his ten-track album this spring under Fresh Selects, a record label out of Portland. It's been a long time coming for Lane, but he lends a cheerful attitude about all his past experiences assuring us that his current work is an evolution of previous projects and his overall curiosity with music. - Carlos Castillo

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You have a long history in the Chicago music scene, can you share a little about that with our audience?

Definitely, I started off playing in a bunch of different bands when I was younger —started off drums and then bass. Eventually I joined a band called Kids These Days. That band started touring a bunch, through that I met a lot of people and made some great friendships. In the years since, I’ve been actively playing, recording, and touring with a lot of different artists and projects from around the city. Now I’m breaking off on my own —doing the solo thing. I’m incorporating singing into my music, working on writing songs but I’m still keeping my roots, playing bass. Just trying to make some dope music.

How was the transition from primarily playing bass, to working on your own project?

The reason I started doing it was because [...] that way of making music; writing songs, singing, being the producer and being the arranger —pretty much being the director of the shit, like the Martin Scorsese of the music [laughs]—that ended up being the most exciting thing for me. There have been periods where I'll fall in and out. I'll get disenchanted with music for whatever reason. Whenever that happens, its always because there's something that I'm not doing, or some genre I haven't explored. At this point in my life, singing and writing songs is what excites me the most and what actually drives me to sit down and make music and be creative. That was just really the main reason. As far as transitioning to it, it was kind of weird at first, "are people going to look at me weird because I'm singing now and people know me as a bass player or a sideman." Just working through those feelings and telling myself not to worry about that shit because this is what is exciting to me, so I gotta do this.

Can you tell us a little bit about your forthcoming project?

It’s a ten-song, full-length album. I’m partnering with the label Fresh Selects out of Portland. There are a bunch of cool artists on that label, and they were one of the first to show support when I started reaching out about releasing the music. That’s been feeling like a really good fit. I’m hoping for a single in February, another shortly after, and then [the full] album in the spring. It’s almost done, there’s some final mixing and mastering to finish up.

Keep an eye out for Lane Beckstrom on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Lane Beckstrom on Twitter & Instagram

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LOWERLIPDRIP

Confident and raw; the redefined soundtrack to mosh pits

All artists have a message behind their art, but LOWERLIPDRIP is operating on another level. Their latest EP, I Put My Whole Life on the Internet, carries an aura of in-your-face, yet purposeful chaos across its two songs. Diving past the auditory landscape reveals LOWERLIPDRIP’s prevailing theme of shedding a light on the injustices facing minorities. - Geoff Heano

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What did you guys learn in 2019?

blackrobeBLACKROBES: One thing that I’ve learned this year in music, but also through my whole life, is patience. At the beginning of the year, “Look, this is gonna pay out some way, somehow.” So I’ve been having patience and patience throughout the year.

Dew: It’s been one of the hardest years of my life, so it’s taught me to just put your head down sometimes, avoid distractions, and chase your dreams. Don’t sell yourself short. There are a lot of things that are strictly distractions.

You guys definitely defy norms when it comes to project & song lengths. Can you talk to us about those artistic choices?

blackrobeBLACKROBES: With a two-song EP, you can stretch those songs to be ten minutes or whatever. As long as you have a theme behind them, you can build a whole world behind the two ideas, and it’s so quick. What’s starting to come back are shorter albums. With streaming, things are getting shorter.

Dew: The listener has a way shorter attention span, too. We definitely try to keep that in mind. I definitely would rather listen to a two-song project that’s super cohesive and super full of shit instead of a 20-song album by some dude that doesn’t really care. That’s how we look at it. The two-song EPs are definitely intentional.

blackrobeBLACKROBES: Whatever’s there, we’ll arrange it and do whatever’s best to give it the best look. We’re definitely down for longer things down the line. Some of our best projects have those long, drawn-out, crazy arrangements.

Dew: “Runaway” is nine minutes, and it has like 100 million streams. It’s like the only song that’s nine minutes or longer and has that many streams. We don’t give a fuck about streams, but to make a song that’s that long, and the longer the song, you have to listen to them longer for it to count as a stream, people are listening to that whole nine-minute song in a genre that’s so diluted by songs that are one minute and 45-seconds long. We’re not opposed to making 45-second songs or ten-minute songs. We like to see every idea 100% through. We’ll have a bunch of things that won’t make the song, but they were definitely toyed with and thought about. We have different versions of songs.

What are your biggest influences outside of music?

Dew:

I like Jean-Michael Basquiat, I like [Andy] Warhol, and I like my friends. I think my friends inspire me, my family inspires me, and my background inspires me. I'm Cuban and Mexican, and I think it's really important for me to look the way I do and be from where I'm from and to rap. All of the rappers that may share a similar identity are not necessarily making dope music, in my opinion, and may be promoting stupid shit. It's so whack because it makes a lot of other Latinx kids feel that they have to gravitate towards something that may not be them. I feel that's something I always keep in mind when I'm making music to address as many things that are in my community as much as possible. On the new music, I'm really trying to deconstruct machismo and toxic masculinity, and I'm really trying to go at that from a new perspective in English-spoken rap. I'm trying to decolonize the language of English, try to make it mine, I guess.

blackrobeBLACKROBES: Outside of music, definitely video games a lot. Other black, queer artists doing their thing and living in their moment, like Yves Tumor, dreamcrusher, Backxwash, artists like them. They really stick out to me, and performance-wise, they really give it their all. I love looking at artists who are like, “This is who I am, this is what I’m gonna speak for, this is who I’m trying to shine a light on.” I really like the idea of that. It really hits home, hits my heart, so I try to do my best in performing, making stuff.

Listen to Lowerlipdrip on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Lowerlipdrip on Twitter & Instagram

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Mother Nature

Bouncy raps that tell stories like hieroglyphics

The chemistry between emcees Klevah & TRUTH is undeniable. One look at them, one spin of a track, one live show set —and it's hard not to be mesmerized by their star power. The duo released an exciting seven-song album titled Saturn Return at the tail end of 2019 (which we included in our Chicago Albums of the Year list) and grew their touring footprint to several shows in Europe. We first connected with Mother Nature back in April 2017, and we've had a blast watching them build their fanbase and foundation. It's their time to take it to that next level, and they're right there on the edge, eagerly looking for that next move. We hope they dish out more music in 2020 because Chicago will only get better with the inclusion of their collaborative voice, art, energy, and style. They're fearless, and that's what makes them fun to watch. - Patrick Welby

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How would you all describe your sound and how it's evolved since we first started covering you all back in 2017?

Our confidence has evolved the most. We’re definitely still exploring our sound because it's multidimensional & has a lot of layers. We have a better hold of who we are individually & together, which is expressed more both sonically & lyrically. When we first started as a group, most of our music was very aggressive & always T’d up. We still love that in-your-face energy, but we’re also gravitating towards more smooth & subtle vibes. We want to engage with our listeners in a variety of ways. We’re expressing Mother Nature in all forms & being more vulnerable with our stories.

Tell us about touring in Europe last year…

Words can barely describe how amazing of an experience it was! Because of our team’s hard work & the strength of our relationships, what started out as a single opportunity turned into a full self funded 3-week tour. A huge highlight were the shows supporting our sisters Jamila Woods, Adia Victoria & Oshun. It was literally a Black Girl Genius world tour. We developed a community in Berlin & London & we’re thirsty to get back to them! The experience really opened our eyes to the magnitude of how we can affect people globally.

What are the plans for music in 2020?

All of the songs & projects we release are literally narrations of our journey. We want our listeners to grow just as much as we are through our words, and to learn more about our story directly through the music. Saturn Return was a project that described a turning point in our lives where we were forced to let go of a lot to reconnect with our highest selves. Our upcoming projects are expressions of the new invigorating energy & confidence that we feel now. We’ll be spending a lot of our time this year working on our longest full-length album, as well as building on our newly-announced partnership with Closed Sessions.

Listen to Mother Nature on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Mother Nature on Twitter & Instagram

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Sports Boyfriend

Dancey jams that glisten at the speed and grace of a disco ball

For Eileen, music was at first just an escape from the mundane but soon became her passion. During high-school —back home in Connecticut—she'd often have to wait hours after class to be picked up in a Barnes and Noble. She spent a lot of that time exploring the store's music section and being captivated by a wide array of genres. But it wouldn't be until halfway through her college career in Chicago that she began playing at friends' DIY gigs and found a desire to pursue her artistic endeavors as Sports Boyfriend. Last year's singles, "Fear of God" and "Crying in July," embraced us with warm melodies and small-scale, but intimate confessions that left us yearning for more. Her highly-anticipated debut EP, Seek No Answer, dropped last month, and it delivered on the singles' potential with airy guitar, tender vocals, and relatable lyrics. It's a cozy and enveloping record that we'll surely continue dancing to through spring and summer. - Pedro Gonzalez

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How did it feel to finally release Seek No Answer? And was there anything you learned about your recording process while making it?

It felt like a relief to finally release it. I learned that if I had a good idea I had to sit down and work on it as soon as possible and try to finish the whole track in one session. Then I could refine it after, but the idea needed to be outlined as soon as I had it.

Is this the same EP your old pinned tweet was about?

Yes [laughs]. I've had enough songs to put something out like that for a while, but I was never like, "oh, this makes sense to release altogether." I wanted to release something that I made all at the same time because otherwise, it's about totally different things. It's fun to have something that I made really quickly and put it out like that.

When you make music, do you make it with the idea of wanting people to hear it or as a personal outlet?

It's a combination. A lot of the songs are sort of jokes with myself. If other people can pick-up what they are about, then that's great. But most of the time, it's for me to be able to say things that I'm not actually going to say in real life or work through stuff that I don't really have the outlet for anywhere else. I try to take my own experiences and put them in a format that other people can say "oh cool, I feel that way all the time, and it's nice to know someone else is in that exact same situation.

Listen to Sports Boyfriend on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Sports Boyfriend on Twitter & Instagram

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