Recently, I’ve fallen for several female-fronted musical acts here in my home base of Colorado – and of course I wanted to share them with you! If you’re looking to add some new local music to your rotation, here are four Denver-based artists for your consideration.
Capture This
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If you’re looking for something upbeat, angsty, and nostalgic, you have to check out pop-punk band Capture This, who released their debut EP this year, Tangled (available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp).
Formed in 2021, this Denver-based band consists of the talented and energetic Leah Drost on vocals, and Alex Balister, Andrew Wilson, and Zach Brennan on guitars and backing vocals. This recent release is essentially a full-length album, with 7 songs full of raw emotion and relatable lyrics, catchy melodies, driving guitars and drums, and overall fantastic production. They take some of their inspiration from Paramore and Evanescence (with Drost's vocals more than up to the task!), and have shared the stage with the likes of Plain White Tees, The Spill Canvas, and Andy Grammer. So in their music, there is not only nostalgia for the pop-punk of many millennials’ teenage years, but a revival of its best parts. The band also makes a point to support women in the arts and early-career musicians – the type of support this genre didn’t have two decades ago. |
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Their single, “Halothane Dreams,” won them the KTCL Channel 93.3's Hometown for the Holidays competition in 2024. This year, they're opening for Wet Leg on Dec. 7 at Mission Ballroom, for 93.3’s Not So Silent Night!
Can't make it? Check out their YouTube for a taste of the live experience, and keep an eye out for updates and future shows on their Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok (@bandcapturethis).
Can't make it? Check out their YouTube for a taste of the live experience, and keep an eye out for updates and future shows on their Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok (@bandcapturethis).
Laurlyn
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I was hooked on Denver-based alt-pop artist Laurlyn’s work after hearing her single “The Thread,” a sonically and lyrically rich track that tugged (you betcha) right on the strings in my heart.
“And at some point, I lost the thread, and a lot of things get in my head. And at some point, I lost myself, trying to help everyone else,” she sings, over guitars, piano, and drums. (Boy, can I relate.) Her classical piano training, combined with her desire to tell a story, makes for gorgeous soundscapes and songs that make you feel like she wrote them just for you. She doesn’t have any shows scheduled at this time, but keep an eye out for something in February. You can find Laurlyn on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. |
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Barbara
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Every once in a while I come across a band where, upon first listen, I am a bit slack-jawed. I feel intrigued, confused, and wait with bated breath for where the music will take me next. That’s what happened for me last week with my first listen to Barbara’s sophomore album, SO THIS IS LIVING, which dropped back in April.
I particularly love the mysterious, jazzy start to the album on "Burn Me," the depth, layers, and reinventions in "y r u here?" (and the title, to boot), as well as the intro guitar and bass lines in the title track. Did I mention these songs are almost all at least 4 minutes long? The Denver trio “remains wobbly and dreamy at their core,” with a DIY approach, figuring things out as they go, and promoting a psych rock scene in the Front Range. Yet, it’s no surprise this release was mixed by James Barone of Beach House – while brand new, this music also has deep sonic roots in decades past with strong flavors of shoegaze, jazz, and synths. |
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Camilla Vaitaitis (guitar, vocals, synth), Bridget Hartman (bass, saxophone), and Anna Panella (drums, trombone) met in music school studying composition, jazz and commercial music, and classical trombone (respectively). They moved in together, and the rest is history. Find them on Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Catch them live at Cervantes’ Other Side on Jan. 22 in the new year (2026).
Catch them live at Cervantes’ Other Side on Jan. 22 in the new year (2026).
Elyse Therose
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I have yet to hear of another musician who takes inspiration from Lynn Gunn of PVRIS, whose music I love. So naturally, I’m a fan of the alt-rock indie music that Denver-based Elyse Therose (Erin Elyse Jeffreys) makes!
A project rebooted from about a decade ago, her most recent singles, “I Wanna Forget,” and “So Perfect" have matching cover art – which makes me hopeful there might be a new EP (or even LP?) in the new year. As described by CPR’s Indie 102.3 last year, the band's sound is “synthy alt rock that might give you a little ‘90s nostalgia is one way to describe it… Blending elements of electronic pop and ‘90s alternative, her songs intimately explore themes of love, relationships and the human experience while channeling the likes of Phantogram, Paramore and The Smashing Pumpkins.” Count me in! |
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Elyse is the project’s sole writer, but she’s joined on stage by Brian Loeper (Guitar), Adam Cogen (Bass/Keys), and Matt Dire (Drums). Want to see them perform live? They're playing on Dec. 6 at Moe’s Original BBQ in Englewood. Otherwise, find Elyse Therose at Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Instagram, and Facebook.
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