The 15 best independent releases of 2025
There’s a reason Far Out always backs independent artists. In the past, labels were in the business of finding bright sparks and giving them a platform. But as the industry grows increasingly unscrupulous, some of the most powerful work is coming from outside the traditional system and from artists determined to carve their own path.
It’s why so many artists today choose to stay independent, even as labels battle over their signature, offering big bucks to lock them down. However, the freedom offered to an artist out on their own is immeasurable, letting them keep control of every decision from the songs themselves to the aesthetics and beyond.
It leads to bold work and work that feels true and organic, that cares less for sales and more for the sake of itself, letting an artist go all in and follow their vision to the furthest point, and because of that, we’re always all about it, and in 2025, the examples as to why were better than ever.
Across every genre this year, independent artists shone, and as surviving in the arts becomes tougher and tougher, their resilience and dedication led to projects fuelled by pure passion coming through in every note, even if it’s the softest folk tracks imaginable. We commend all artists out there making it happen on their own terms, but when it comes to the best, these 15 won.
The 15 best independent releases of the year:
Paperdisk – ‘Material and Chemical’
Release: March 16th | Producer: Daniel Robin Org
Material and Chemical starts in the only way it could, with soft, inane chatter between the Philadelphia-based 11-piece, instruments flirting with a warm-up, a light-hearted call to “watch it!” as the cohort battle for space in the single room they will record their first full-length, and what follows is a remarkable tapestry of mathy folk painted with an expansive delicacy and an air of miraculous spontaneity.
Mastermind Robin Ong runs through notes on pining, delighting in morbid investigations into the meat and matter of intimacy and connection: “I’m fast and hot and risky, while I am liquid on the floor, I want to so bad to be absorbed,” he sings on ‘Time and Temperature’, as the songs run into one another expertly, akin to sharing a ribcage.
A consistent experimentalism keeps things fresh while the latter half of the album explores the grittier edges of the sonic palette on offer, turning from alt-country to a buzzy indie-folk, and for a record recorded in a flat above an antique store with borrowed microphones, it’s an absolute miracle. [Words: Rachael Pimblett]
Rhiannon Hope – ‘All Things, Rising and Returning’
Release: September 25th | Producer: Evan J Martin
There’s nothing like discovering a voice as magical as the one belonging to Rhiannon Hope, who released her first run of tracks earlier this year with All Things, Rising and Returning, a stunning collection of three songs that feel like individual prayers, each existing in a delicate world of their own where Hope’s voice carries you across a weightless plane, such that these tracks float like air, her voice weaving around you, elastic and perfectly malleable.
There’s a slight haunting quality to the titular track that instantly captures attention, while ‘BB’ has a pastoral essence to it. These tracks bring to mind a simpler time, harking back to early English folk tradition, and this makes the EP sound gorgeously timeless.
Made with precision, All Things, Rising and Returning is an impressive debut from the 21-year-old Liverpool-born musician, who now spends her time performing and creating in her adoptive city of Leeds. Performing live, she’s just as captivating as she is on record, but thank God her songs have been immortalised in wax, because they deserve to be shared and treasured forever. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
Paper Lady – ‘Idle Fate’
Release: May 5th | Producer: Paper Lady
Hailing from Boston, Paper Lady is an indie dream-rock four-piece formed in 2019, and their first full-length, Idle Fate, was released earlier this year and boasts an eclectic, expansive composition of scuzzy shoegaze and soft hypnagogic rock.
Vocalist and guitarist, Alli Raina, whistles across the album with determined focus, like the sight of a clearing on the horizon just as the scuzz, fuzz, and screams reach magnetic velocity. On ‘Amaranth’, the band takes us through a spell-binding skipping folk, before ripping dark, mercurial guitars that split open the sound like a festering wound, which they follow up with the racing ‘Joe Modern’, insisting sneerily, “Just because you’re loud, it doesn’t make you right”.
Amid doleful musings on grief, blood-curdling screams, and shimmering Mazzy Star-esque melodies, Paper Lady wears the wicked hand of the dealer. Idle Fate is the ultimate proof that the best of the underground scene can come from somewhere other than Brooklyn, and all that’s left for the four-piece to do is to take ‘The Big Apple’ by storm. [Words: Rachael Pimblett]
Emma Bradley – ‘Winona’s World’
Release: April 25th | Producer: Emma Bradley
In 2025, Emma Bradley went all in on her own ability, dedicating herself fully to self-production, as she told Far Out, “It’s really liberating, because when you’re having to depend on anyone, whether it’s a label or a producer or whatever, there are so many roadblocks.”
Despite the worry of how she’d make it work fully on her own, the year helped her find her power, about which she said, “It’s been so empowering to be like, ‘OK, I actually can run this ship myself and listen solely to what I want to do and what I think is right for me’”.
Winona’s World is a tribute to that and a true triumph; across the six tracks, Bradley delivers something expansive and broad that refuses to limit herself. She moves effortlessly from dreamy, lo-fi landscapes into Danny Elfman-inspired, film score-esque instrumental, and then back again into Imogen Heap-type glitchy alt-pop.
All the while, it remains cohesive as Bradley learnt the freeing lesson that it is simply her and her creative mind that provides the throughpath and now can allow herself to wander far and wide, adding, “I never would have done that when I was on my label. Like, I literally never, ever, ever would have done that”. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
THWACK! – ‘Buried But Blooming’
Release: February 21st | Producer: Chlo Spinks
Despite having listened to this EP on repeat and speaking to THWACK! about how they made it, I’m still not sure I can effectively describe it. This isn’t an album that landed naturally; instead, it slipped through a crack in space and time, falling from a parallel universe which is comparable to ours but more flamboyant, more theatrical, and the people there make much better music.
I suppose if you’re desperate for me to slap a genre on this record, I’d go with rock, but labelling an EP like this feels like I’m doing a disservice to the sheer creativity on display. Leaning into concept, the band create their own underground venue where all are welcome and celebrated, meanwhile, booming through the speakers are songs about a reincarnated and even more evil (if that’s possible) Margaret Thatcher, alongside anthems about DVDs in different shops slowly falling in love with each other.
Recorded, produced and released completely independently, Thwack are a real testament to the freedom that comes with making music in the modern age. There are no limits to their creativity, and their EP is an exciting glimpse into who will soon be one of your favourite bands. [Words: Dale Maplethorpe]
Fuzz Lightyear – ‘Zero Guilt’
Release: November 21st | Producer: Alex Greaves
The screech of guitars that open ‘White and Green’ set the tone for Fuzz Lightyear’s debut EP, Zero Guilt, which has cemented their increasingly growing reputation as one of the most exciting bands in the country.
Having nailed their sound over years of playing sweaty underground venues in Leeds, the four-piece finally released their first EP in November, a bombastic blend of noise rock sludge and angular jolts of post-punk, and while it’s easy to get caught up in the loudness of the band’s instrumentals, which make for chaotic, sweaty live shows, the lyrical contributions of Welsh-born vocalist and guitarist Ben Parry shouldn’t be ignored.
On ‘Aberfan’, he sings of the 1966 disaster, which caused the deaths of 144 people, mainly children, in the Welsh village, calling it “a direct example of working class neglect”, the song is a powerful indictment of government selfishness, while ‘Berlin 1885’ is another politically-charged anthem that further demonstrates Parry’s capabilities as a meaningful songwriter.
Having opened for the likes of English Teacher, The Wytches and Lambrini Girls over the past few years, Zero Guilt now marks a powerful moment for the band to step further into the spotlight, something they solidified with a recent headline tour. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
Ex Agent – ‘New Assumptions’
Release: July 30th | Producer: Ex Agent
Hailing from Bristol’s avant-garde underbelly, no wave outfit Ex Agent produced one of the city’s most original debut EPs of 2025 in New Assumptions; the first collection of songs released by the band since their formation four years ago.
A local supergroup of sorts, with members also moonlighting in other far-reaching projects such as Foot Foot and Broadsheets, their cataclysmic sound fluctuates between multiple extremes, with moments of pensive free jazz being punctuated by gargantuan bursts of deafening noise walls, with members often trading the saxophone and clarinet in the quieter moments for jagged clashes of guitar and piano.
Bandleader Evo Ethel expresses themself vocally on two of the five songs through a combination of whispers and howls, all while exploring themes of gender identity, isolation and decay, adding an extra layer to an already tense atmosphere. If it isn’t trying to shake you to your core through hysterical onslaughts of dissonance, then it’ll invariably be attempting to make you bawl your eyes out at its blissful displays of beauty. [Words: Reuben Cross]
Eliza Edens – ‘It’s Your Birthday and You’re Gorgeous’
Release: January 7th | Producer: Eliza Edens
You almost don’t need to hear Eliza Edens’ album to be struck by its power – the titular lyric alone is rich with emotion. It’s simple yet expansive, carrying shades of joy, awe, and a quiet grief all at once. That balance of depth and restraint runs through the entire record. Drifting between delicately crafted folk songs, field recordings, and snippets of conversation, Edens’ project feels rare, spontaneous, and deeply tender.
It’s the sort of album that would be a sin to shuffle, as it is truly made for that start-to-finish experience, designed to draw you in and keep you for the full 38 minutes. You barely even notice one song evolve into the next as it keeps you in this pretty trance, but even in that trance, there are standout moments that truly stick in the mind, with ‘Puzzle Piece’, ‘Heart Rot’ and the album’s titular track all glowing with some of the year’s best lyricism. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
The Orchestra (For Now) – ‘Plan 76’
Release: October 31st | Producer: Baláza Altsach
After seeing The Orchestra (For Now) live, I’ll admit, I avoided their recording for a while as their stage set-up is so hypnotic and gripping, so powered by their mutual energy and by the intensity Joe Scarisbrick brings to the room that I worried hitting play on streaming services might just weaken that legacy or wouldn’t properly capture it.
But I was wrong; for instead, Plan 76, the second of the band’s two EPs this year, takes what they’re doing on stage, keeps the intensity, but refines it. It all comes through so clearly in your headphones, so the same chaos is there, but you can truly hear all the layers, all working in tandem as this staggeringly impressive tapestry of parts. There’s a reason why the band have become one of the most whispered-about acts of the year, and while their live show really is the must-see, their EP proves their power as musicians in the studio just as much as a spanning army on the stage. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Legss – ‘Unreal’
Release: September 12th | Producer: Baláza Altsach
When Legss finally released their long-awaited debut album, Unreal, it served as a vital reminder as to why artists deserve time and why good art sometimes needs it. The London unit has been around for what feels like forever as a staple of the live music scene, not just around their own city, but across the UK, becoming one of those bands that others just can’t shout about loud enough.
Really, they could have put out a record a long time ago, and it would have been good, but this one is great, and that comes from being patient and letting practice make perfect. Now unleashing an album that’s full of different textures, feelings, genres and sounds, it’s truly dynamic and keeps you interested from start to finish, always surprised by what is around the corner, and always enamoured by Ned Green’s poetry sung over the top of the ever-changing sonics. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Luvcat – ‘Vicious Delicious’
Release: October 31st | Producer: Oli Barton Wood
No doubt, behind the scenes, major labels have been absolutely scrapping over Liverpool-born Luvcat, and they likely have been since the first TikTok of her track ‘Matador’ blew up back in 2024, which quickly saw her move up from London pub open mics to some of the UK’s favourite venues.
Luvcat’s rise only continued in 2025, and staying independent likely played a big role in that. It gave her full control – to release what she wanted, present herself how she saw fit, and stay true to her style. The result is Vicious Delicious, a debut album bursting with indie bangers destined to become modern classics. But more than that, it captures everything that makes her such a compelling artist. No level of catchiness dulls her lyrical punch, no silliness overshadows the poetry, and no offbeat influence has slowed down her rapid climb – one that now feels inevitable. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Camille Schmidt – ‘Nude #9’
Release: January 10th | Producer: Ben Zaidi
Camille Schmidt wasted no time releasing her debut album within the first days of January, and the fact that it is still on firm rotation is arguably the ultimate proof of its power. It has been a whole 12 months, and I’m still not bored; in fact, I feel like I’m still finding new things about this album, catching new lyrics, hearing new musical details or coming to appreciate new tracks as my favourite as the months have brought different experiences and emotions.
Schmidt’s voice across the record feels so casual that listening to it feels like being in conversation with your friend, but simply the most insightful, funny, poetic friend you could imagine as she distils things like crashing out drinking a matcha into a hooky gag, yet still handles big topics of grief or heartache with the intensity and grandeur they deserve. It’s an album that does it all and keeps on offering more even months down the line, such that whenever you listen to it, it is bound to stay with you. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Quinnie – ‘Paper Doll’
Release: July 24th | Producer: Jake Weiberg and Gabe Wax
In 2022, Quinnie suddenly boomed to notoriety when the internet was alerted to her track ‘Touch Tank’, and I will climb onto the rooftops and scream that the fact that so many people seemed to lose focus after that 15 minutes was up is one of the biggest tragedies so-called ‘TikTok music’ has ever faced, because Quinnie is the real deal.
She was the real deal on her 2023 debut, and on her 2024 three-track EP, and on Paper Doll, her sophomore record, she’s the realest deal she’s ever been, presenting an album that is not only stunning with her unique vocals glowing more magic than ever, but feels matured, thorough and still brimming with potential of what’s to come.
Quinnie is now officially independent, though it feels like she always has been. She’s long worked with the same small, close-knit team, and that consistency has shaped a sharp, distinctive artistic identity – one that reflects the uniqueness of her sound. On this latest project, though, they’ve pushed into striking new territory, weaving in lush orchestration, drawing from broader influences, and leaning harder into raw, direct lyricism. Nowhere is that clearer than on the standout track everyone needs to hear: ‘Hate Fuck’. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Ethel Cain – ‘Perverts’
Release: January 8th | Producer: Ethel Cain
In an industry as unpredictable as this one, choosing to go independent – with no safety net, no business support, and no one to guide strategic decisions – can seem like a wild gamble. But a project like Perverts makes it clear why some artists take that leap. It proves just how powerful and rewarding creative freedom can be.
Can you honestly picture any major label – the same ones that scrambled to sign Ethel Cain after American Teenager – giving the green light to a nine-track, kind-of-creepy noise album? One where the shortest song runs over six minutes, and most of it features no lyrics or vocals, just brown noise crackles and a distorted voice repeating, “heaven has forsaken the masturbator”? Not a chance. And yet, Perverts is a masterpiece. A bold artistic triumph that saw Hayden Silas Anhedönia reject every box that tried to define what Ethel Cain should be. Instead, she followed her instincts into the strangest corners, staying loyal to her vision above all. [Words: Lucy Harbron]
Katie Gregson-MacLeod – ‘Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early’
Release: July 4th | Producer: Josh Scarbrow
Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s latest EP was an excellent example of that, with five perfect folk songs all about love, offering a neat and flawless package that is truly golden and so sure to never rust.
Katie Gregson-MacLeod has already been through the whirlwind. She’s experienced the major label system, gone viral, and felt the pressure of being labelled the ‘next big thing’ far too early in her career. Now, she has found her footing again as an independent artist. She’s releasing through Matt Maltese’s label, which is quickly becoming a haven for artists who want to share tender, lyrically rich work without the pressure to over-polish.
Here we have some of 2025’s best lyrics as the artist seems to take the universal and well-worn path of the love song and still find new phrasing and perspectives. Speaking to Far Out about this victory, she said, “I don’t think there’s been a year in which I have felt more settled in my songwriting than this year. My approach has evolved, my instincts a little different when I pick up the pen, but the intention and honesty behind it has remained the same.”
Clearly, with more to come in 2026, the singer said, “Releasing my EP, Love Me Too Well, I’ll Retire Early and going on my first headline tour in two years, has left me feeling so connected and fulfilled. It has paved a clearer path for me going forward, and I feel I’m heading into 2026 knowing myself and the wee pocket of music I want to carve out and work within, so much better.
