The Governors Ball has become one of the summer’s premier music festivals, drawing more than 150,000 attendees over three days and featuring more than 50 artists and bands. With such a packed lineup, it can be difficult to know where to focus your attention. WXYC takes a closer look at a few of the festival’s smaller acts that deserve a spot on your radar, whether you’re attending in person or listening from afar.
Credit: Sophie Gurwitz
Lexa Gates is a Queens-based artist blending R&B, hip-hop, and alternative pop. Her music is deeply personal and playful. She started out on Soundcloud in 2019, making music in her bedroom. In many ways, she keeps that bedroom sound, especially with the song “Rotten to the Core.” Beyond her songwriting, Gates has caught attention through the performance art accompanying her album releases. To promote Elite Vessel, she spent 10 hours inside a glass box in Union Square. For her latest project, I AM, she walked on a hamster wheel for 10 hours. While performance art is nothing new, it's refreshing to see an artist use it as an extension of her music, creating a visual representation of the dedication, vulnerability, and persistence that define her work.
Credit: Harry Baker
Radio Free Alice has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting names in the latest wave of post-punk revival. They sound like Fontaines D.C and Interpol, but make it Australian. The band's songs are driven by sharp riffs, propulsive rhythms, and hooks that linger long after the music stops. What surprised me most about Radio Free Alice is that they had a similar tone, yet they never felt like a copy to anyone. There is something catchy and unique that keeps me wanting to listen to them more. With all that being said, the Melbourne quartet has yet to release a full-length album. Based on the handful of EPs and singles they've released so far, Radio Free Alice feels like a band on the verge of something special, and I'm eager to hear what they have to say when that debut album finally arrives.
Credit: Adali Schell
AFTER takes heavy inspiration from the playful, dreamlike world of early Y2K pop. Listening to their music feels like slipping back into a time when everything was colorful, emotional, and full of possibility—like wearing rhinestone-studded wide-leg jeans, hanging out of a sunroof at sunset. Their songs capture the nostalgia of the optimistic youth.
One of the best ways to understand AFTER is through the inspirations behind the project. The band's name itself comes from “After”, a Japanese adult visual novel known for its emotional storytelling and themes of love, memory, and longing. It feels very random, but the more you listen, the more it just makes sense. The band currently has only a few EPs and singles, so I can’t wait to see a full release from the duo.
Credit: Megan Matuzak
Hannah Jadagu crafts dreamy indie pop that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. Much of her songwriting centers on the transitional experience of coming of age. Jadagu’s album Aperture really stuck out to me. In photography, an aperture determines how much light enters a camera lens, shaping the way an image is seen. Jadagu uses this concept as a metaphor throughout the album, opening herself up to new experiences, relationships, and perspectives. Aperture invites listeners to embrace change and uncertainty, suggesting that growth comes from allowing more light into their lives. I really liked this concept and how Jadagu is able to carry out this message. Along with her message, her instrumentals are really stunning. I especially liked the use of drums in “Warning Sign.” Jadagu is still such a young artist and definitely worth checking out at GOVBALL.
