Queer Artists to Bop to This Summer
Updated: Jun 28, 2022
In celebration of pride month, we've created your summer playlist, compiled by some of our favorite queer producers
1. SOPHIE
A prodigal presence in the music production world, as well as the queer community. I owe a lot to SOPHIE; her presence in the popular music scene encouraged me to continue pursuing my passion of music production and engineering. Her tragic passing only fortified my desire to be an open advocate for the queer community in today’s music industry. Visibility is incredibly important and I hope to be a positive presence as a non-binary music producer. We thank SOPHIE for her beautiful music, joy and prodigal creativity. We celebrate her incredible career this pride month.
- written by Kurt Cavalheiro (they/them), producer, mixer
2. OFTEN
Self-described as a sad disco queen, Often’s music is a balm for shadow work, an accompaniment for spells, and a friend to tender hearts. Their sounds, which expand and contract like breath, incite the listener to arrive in the present moment and be with themselves with compassion and patience. Be sure to check out her “morning songs” series on Instagram as a weekly support song space.
-written by Heather Scott (they/them), songwriter, musician, producer
3. LEITH ROSS
The music of Leith Ross draws you in with their soft, whisper-y vocals and simple yet sophisticated instrumentation. They pack quite an emotional punch while still maintaining a gentle delivery. Their songwriting is strikingly vulnerable and raw, leaving you with a simultaneous feeling of melancholy and hope.
- written by Ashley Virginia (she/they), singer-songwriter
4. KEHLANI
Lately I have had the recent album of one of my favorite artists, Kehlani, on repeat. On their album Blue Water Road, they blend their old-school R&B feel with acoustic orchestration and the natural soundscape of the ocean, making the album truly a breath of fresh air. As a queer musician also creating R&B-pop-infused music, I am heavily inspired by Kehlani's sound.
- written by Jordan Brown (she/her), songwriter, musician, producer
5. DANI MURCIA
photo by Salem Aya
If you need to listen to music by someone who can tug at your heart-strings, then Dani Murcia is the artist for you. Her sultry smooth voice and haunting productions draw you into a world of unspoken, tumultuous emotions. It's hard picking a favourite song of hers because all her tracks are amazing, but I'd start with "Darkness" off her EP "Breaking Light."
- written by Krithi Rao (she/her), producer, singer
6. ANGEL OLSEN
I'm a big fan boi of Angel Olsen's work, and I've been blasting her new album Big Time that came out this spring. Big Time is the first work Olsen has released since coming out in April 2021. Olsen plays in and with different genres, and Big Time has a big band, country twang feel to it that's perfect for summer, and supports her old school voice. This album is great for a break up cry, an outdoors slow dance on a muggy summer night, or a drive with the windows down.
-written by Naomi Westwater (she/they), artist, musician, producer, educator
article compiled by Nan Macmillan and Cassie Plunket (BBG Global)