Shontrail, from Milwaukee’s South Side, blends post-punk, indie, garage rock, dream pop, and hip-hop into a sound that’s both intimate and expansive. With releases including Silver Star and Lost in Limbo, his music explores raw energy and personal insight, building a world that’s reflective, urgent, and emotionally charged.

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Heavy Bend

(Milwaukee)

Genre: Indie

Heavy Bend is an alternative folk rock band from Milwaukee, WI. In 2024, the band surfaced in the city’s DIY music scene under the name BRONCO. They released their debut project For Friends and Family in early 2025 after amassing a local following. Ephemera at National Aquarium quickly followed, and the live album captured a stripped-back set of songs both new and old. Notes of the Violent Femmes’ emotional drive, The Microphones’ layered intensity, and Big Thief’s sincerity appear in their recorded and live material. The quartet punctuates intimate lyrics with instrumental gut-punches. Following in the footsteps of folk tradition, many of the songs speak deeply, yet directly, about the tension between selfhood and togetherness. As fuzz saturated guitars, blunt drums, and melodic bass lines swash forward, Heavy Bend forges their own path into the contemporary rock landscape, but not without reverence to their sonic forefathers. Vocalist and guitarist Slater Gutierrez, guitarist Noah Skilling, bassist Gage McNew, and drummer Ollie Battista’s performances meld to make something earnest, full, and evocative. After recently releasing two singles, “Scared to Know” and “Sidetracked” under their new name, Heavy Bend is working eagerly on their sophomore studio album.