The best new Scottish acts that aren’t just indie
If you’re not Scottish but are asked to think about Scottish music, do you imagine traditional attire, bagpipes, and, at the furthest stretch, indie? Yeah, you’re not alone.
The inescapable reality is that Scotland has a storied history when it comes to indie music – and make no mistake, it’s one to be very proud of. Beginning with bands like Orange Juice and Primal Scream, before transcending down the years into the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Frightened Rabbit, and Mogwai, there has always been a bustling scene.
That is, of course, all well and good, with every venue from Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s to Glasgow’s King Tut’s being filled day after day, year after year, with this insatiable stream of acts. But by the same token, it also leaves the Scottish scene outside of the indie canon somewhat lurking in the shadows.
Above all else, if this were to remain the case, it would be a mortal shame to the legions of artists and bands making waves within the country and beyond, while simply lacking the indie tag. Here we count through five of our favourite rising Scottish acts who aren’t just indie, because there really is more to this small country than meets the eye.
The five best Scottish artists away from indie:
Brooke Combe
Brooke Combe is undeniably one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the fray of the Scottish music scene in recent years, with her nostalgic blend of northern soul with a modern R&B sound. Her standout single ‘How Can I Tell You?’ became an instant smash in revitalising the Scottish soul scene.
But her unique stance in the industry, as well as the country at large, is something that she’s also keenly aware of, as she previously told Far Out about her aspirations for being a fresh sonic beacon. “I hope that I can be that for the people of Scotland,” she said, “And for them to be proud of the music that’s coming out the country that isn’t just indie, or bagpipes, or Gàidhlig dance music.”
Brògeal
At the other end of the spectrum from Combe is Brògeal, a band with a highly different sound but every bit as much force and power to become huge titans of the scene. Their fusion of folk and punk bridges elements of Scotland’s traditional past with a modern edge that can’t be mistaken for anyone else’s sound but their own.
With their storming debut, Tuesday Paper Club, having been released last October, it was ranked by Far Out as one of the top albums of 2025 as: “There’s enough rollicking accordions in the album to have you dancing round the bar, but also those piercingly tender moments that would undoubtedly bring a tear to even Shane MacGowan’s eye.” For a band still in its relative infancy, it’s clear there is still so much more to come from Brògeal.
Riley
It has been said many times before – at least, in my own head – that Scotland is really crying out for a strong pop star voice to bolster its musical efforts. After all, there’s only so far that Michelle McManus can cut it. But then Riley stepped forward a little while ago, and suddenly, those glimmers of hope just started getting brighter.
The country pop crossroads has very much been in the zeitgeist lately, with artists like CMAT leading the charge from just across the water. Yet for Riley, her blend of Nashville-infused charm along with a dose of girl-next-door likeability is what’s bound to have the fans come flocking soon enough, along with an appreciation from the wider music world that she represents something far more than just your average chart climber.
Martha May and the Mondays
If you were visiting Glasgow, you would very quickly realise that it’s still a bit of a time capsule to the ‘70s in that punk has never fully died. Sure, it may take somewhat of a different look now, with a specific gender-bending edge that permeates much of the scene, but Martha May and the Mondays are very much at the forefront of that battalion.
Whether it’s opening their 2025 EP Zeroes and Villains with the sound of a burp or their electric live energy, this is a band who bridle an amazing and established cohesion, despite the fact they’ve only been together since 2023. There’s an infectious rebellion to everything they do, admittedly sitting close to the border of indie, but with just enough bottle to differentiate it.
Alice Faye
Don’t be fooled: we’ve not suddenly stepped back into the ages of 1930s Golden Age Hollywood glamour. But if the actor she shares a name with is anything to go by, Alice Faye certainly possesses a sense of grandeur that will see her shooting off towards the stars and the stratosphere in nearly no time at all.
With her stunning most recent EP with Julen Santamaria featuring haunting acoustic reveries such as ‘Do You Wanna Go Back?’, Faye harbours a truly classic tone in a way that still fully reflects the 21st-century disposition. She is like a whisky held beneath candlelight, and in a lot of ways, there is no better image to sum up Scotland than that.
