These Days

Chicago Artists to Watch

Fall/Winter 2023

As a local music publication, it is one of our core beliefs that music not only serves to contextualize the world(s) we inhabit but that it can be equally instrumental in helping envision a brighter future and the communities we want to build. Ivy Hollivana, Jay Wood, Mila La Morena, and Soft and Dumb are all promising artists who give us glimpses of the sounds and stories that are currently pulsing through live shows, parties, and online platforms in the Chicagoland area —with the city at its core being a world unto itself. We believe that the 2023 Chicago Artists to Watch Fall/Winter class is set for a big break, but they’re also here because their music moves us to believe in a better, more danceable tomorrow.

- Pedro Gonzalez

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Ivy Hollivana

Ivy Hollivana —the small-town Floridian turned Chicago electronic mainstay—is your new leader of the dancefloor. A staple name penned across show flyers online & off, Ivy has become a familiar face playing at local venues like Bookclub and Cole’s, and even booking performances in cities as far as Vancouver. She's an undeniably magnetic force in the DIY scene, contributing electro-pop anthems that embrace both the grace and grime of life. Her music feels like resting a pillow on a bed of needles, where gentle vocals cushion sharp synths and driving drums. Pensive lyrics such as, “whisper through my door and tell me everything you may hate about me,” stick in your mind like gum to your hair. Attend one of her live shows and experience it for yourself – once you hear the booming bass complement her angelic delivery, the club will start to feel like a slice of heaven on earth with Ivy in charge.

- Ellie Naughton

Listen to Ivy Hollivana on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Ivy Hollivana on Instagram

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Jay Wood

Jay Wood embodies the hustle and sheer determination that’s synonymous with triumph in the rap game. From throwing his own campus shows while in college, writing and directing his own documentary, and modeling for the likes of Adidas, Nike, Converse, and more, the Chicago via South suburbs emcee has been engineering his own blueprint to what he deems a sustainable and successful career as an independent artist. 

Referring to music as his gateway drug to self-discovery and becoming a better person, Jay’s deeply reflective and personal lyrics explore his most vulnerable and intimate states of mind. Threading the needle between Golden-Era hip-hop and soulful R&B, singles such as “Homesick,” and “Overachiever” illustrate the trials and tribulations that come with navigating life in your early 20’s. With new music on the way, having opened for IDK earlier this year, and receiving words of encouragement from Joey Bada$$ while at Harvard’s No Label Academy, Jay Wood will be headlining Schuba’s on November 30th where he’s ready to show the city the once in a generation type of talent he possesses.

- Josue Olivares

Listen to Jay Wood on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Jay Wood on Instagram

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Mila La Morena

Mila La Morena stands at the vanguard of feminism and Queer-Latinx representation, challenging and reshaping the expectations imposed upon her as a Mexican-American artist. As a musician who rejects the confinement of singular labels, they do not limit their work to any particular facet of their heritage; instead, their music provides listeners with a fresh fusion of two intertwined cultures married to techno-heavy productions. Describing Mila's sound is akin to capturing their on-stage persona and off-stage identity, which she articulates as a "Latina Gay Goth Baddie." For readers not quite as imaginative, her artistic flair is an ultramodern blend of Rosalía meets Pierce The Veil, with their emo-punk influences shining most brilliantly in her live performances.

Mila's Avant, hyper-pop Latin sound not only brings reggaeton to the forefront in multiple singles, with the latest being "VAMPIRA," but also showcases her versatile singing abilities, blending their silky vocals in both Spanish and English, even when she unleashes her metalcore prowess. Their lyrics feel like a revolution for womxn’s empowerment and sexual liberation, as heard in “FREAKYGIRL” and “Cabrón,” calling for listeners to explore self-expression, independence, and desire fearlessly. With new music on the horizon in the coming year, Mila La Morena is one to watch.

- Hannah Gonzalez

Listen to Mila La Morena on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Mila La Morena on Instagram

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Soft and Dumb

Elena Buenrostro and Travis Newgren, the musicians behind indie rock duo Soft and Dumb, relish in compromise. Rather than arguing over creative control, as so often happens in collaborative projects, they synthesize discord into beauty. Wherever they meet in the middle is the pith of Soft and Dumb. 

The friends met in undergrad at the University of Illinois, where they cut their teeth playing in dingy college basements. They’ve maintained that DIY ethos—the pair record, mix, and release all of their own music, and Buenrostro designs Soft and Dumb’s merch and album art. Although they’ve attained considerable success, Soft and Dumb can still be found gracing Chicago basements with their gritty brand of indie rock. 

Sonically, Soft and Dumb pulls from a long tradition of experimental rock. Present are the feedback-laden guitars of the Velvet Underground, the vast reverb landscapes of My Bloody Valentine, and the dissonant chords of Sonic Youth. But for all their ability to pay homage to punk canon, Soft and Dumb are decidedly of a new generation. They have tricks up their sleeves—a splash of autotune here and a sneaky drum machine there—that keep the music fresh. With a stunning album that dropped in 2022 and a brand new EP, Soft and Dumb is definitely a project to watch.

- Kira Leadholm

Listen to Soft and Dumb on Spotify & Apple Music

Follow Soft and Dumb on Instagram

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Feature Photography

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Upcoming Shows

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CREDITS

Interviews by:

Ellie Naughton, Hannah Gonzalez, Josue Olivares & Kira Leadholm

Produced by:

Carlos Castillo, Pedro Gonzalez & Iman Music

Feature Photography by:

Alex Jibaja, Kayla “Swiper” Delson & Julien Carr

Video Shot by:

Chris Owsiany

Video Edited by:

Elly Tier

Secondary Video:

Lee Stephen

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Presented in Partnership with

South Facing Windows

Audiotree

Sentric Music

& PBR