5 Artists From Maryland To Add To Your Playlist

On By Littum

Maryland is known for crab cakes, Old Bay and being a lacrosse state – but Maryland also has musical talent. Musical acts such as Billie Holiday, Frank Zappa and Toni Braxton are just a few of the notable artists from Maryland.

Here are five innovative Maryland musicians with fans in the state and beyond that you may not be familiar with:

1: Maggie Rogers: Born and raised in Easton, Md.

  • Genre: Folk, Indie-Pop
  • Latest release: Don’t Forget Me (2024 Album)
  • You will like this artist if you like: Clairo, HAIM, Japanese Breakfast or Phoebe Bridgers

Listen here: Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me (Official Video)

Maggie Rogers is a singer-songwriter from Easton, Md., who has released a total of five albums – three studio and two independent – ​​and has opened for artists such as HAIM, Mumford and Sons and Coldplay.

Rogers, a graduate of NYU, gained popularity after a viral video showed her playing “Alaska” for producer Pharrell Williams when he visited her music production class.

Fans of Rogers admire her unique blend of folk and pop, combined with her relatable lyrics that resonate deeply, which has allowed her to connect with a diverse and loyal fan base.

Katherine Scott is a 21-year-old who enjoys a wide range of genres such as ambient music, hyperpop and indie pop. Scott says Rogers makes songs that she can relate to.

“I like Maggie Rogers because her music feels very authentic,” Scott said. “(To me) she has mastered telling a story while mixing genres in the process.”

2: Turnstiles: Formed in Baltimore

  • Genre: Punk, Alternative Rock
  • Latest release: Glow On (2021 Album)
  • You will like this artist if you like: Soundgarden or The White Stripes

Listen here: TURNSTILE – UNDERWATER BOI (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Turnstile is a punk band that originated in Baltimore in 2010 with five EPs and three studio albums.

According to an interview with Fader magazinethe bandmates met through Towson University and the surrounding local hardcore music scene in Baltimore.

Current band members include vocalist/keyboardist Brendan Yates, drummer Daniel Fang, bassist/vocalist Franz “Freaky” Lyons, and lead guitarist/backing vocalist Pat McCrory.

Fang grew up in Birdsville, Md., and Yates grew up in Greenbelt, Md., with childhood neighbor, former bandmate and former lead guitarist Brady Ebert, according to Yahoo Entertainment.

Fans describe Turnstile’s music as a mix between hardcore, punk and alternative rock from the 90s.

Orla Collins, a 21-year-old DJ who has a radio show about women in country music, discovered Turnstile when they opened for Blink-182 in 2023 — a show she says was her all-time favorite.

“I honestly wasn’t into hardcore until I listened to them. And when I saw that they were a hardcore band, I was a little intimidated, but I thought it was really interesting, Collins said. “I felt the living environment was so electric and purifying.”

Griffin Hevsy, a 21-year-old and music director at WMUC-FM College Park who describes his taste in music as insane, discovered Turnstile’s music through his sister, who lives in Baltimore.

“I listened to it and thought this is amazing. Since then I’ve just been a pretty big fan of all the stuff they’ve put out,” Hevsy said.

“It kind of matches my taste because it’s very energetic, but it’s also really varied,” Hevsy said. “It’s also really accessible.”

3: Beach House: Formed in Baltimore

  • Genre: Dream-Pop, Shoegaze
  • Latest release: Become (2023 EP)
  • You will like this artist if you like: Cocteau Twins, The Sundays or Slowdive

Listen here: Beach House – Room song

Beach House is a dream pop band formed in Baltimore in 2004, with nine albums and two EPs. Bandmates include multi-talented musician Alex Scally and vocalist/keyboard player Victoria Legrand.

Scally is from Baltimore, graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 2000 and from Oberlin College in 2004, according to a Pitchfork feature on the group. After graduating from high school, he returned home to Baltimore to work with his father, a professional carpenter.

For Legrand, she spent several months in Baltimore with family after her mother’s divorce in the mid-1980s, eventually moving to Rising Sun, Md., before being raised primarily in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Beach House is considered one of the most popular dream pop bands. They helped popularize the sound with a younger audience.

Paul Gracie, a 20-year-old who describes their musical tastes as leaning more towards chill music but still adventurous, discovered Beach House’s music just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gracie found out about their music through a sample of their song “Silver Soul,” which appears on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 track titled “Money Trees.” They enjoy Beach House’s music for their engaging rollouts and originality.

“I think, musically, the fact that they kind of stay in their genre and make a type of music that’s really hard to recover from … they kind of made the blueprint for it,” Gracie said.

4: Joony: Born and raised in Silver Spring, Md.

  • Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
  • Latest Release: Memento (DELUXE) (2024 Album)
  • You will like this artist if you like: Jordan Ward

Listen here: Joony – Drifting In Tokyo (Official Music Video)

Joony is a 23-year-old rapper, songwriter and artist from Silver Spring, Md., known for his eccentric melodies and interweaving his distinctive rapping style with those melodies.

The rapper has collaborated with artists such as Brent Faiyaz, Jordan Ward and Lancey Foux, helping him amass 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify by December 2024.

Fans of Joony like his distinctive style and the versatility of his musical projects.

People like graphic designer Evan Jackson, a 24-year-old with his own ties to Maryland, appreciate the genuine nature of his music and how it showcases parts of Montgomery County that aren’t highlighted in everyday discourse.

“I think people should listen to him because his flow is very authentic and real and you know he comes from MoCo where a lot of people can relate to his music,” Jackson said. “He’s also really good at using his voice as an instrument.”

5: Brent Faiyaz: Born in Columbia, Md.

  • Genre: R&B
  • Latest Release: Larger Than Life (2023 Album)
  • You’ll like this artist if you like: 2000s R&B, Frank Ocean, Miguel or Bryson Tiller

Listen here: Brent Faiyaz – Last One Left feat. Missy Elliott & Lil Gray (Visualizer)

Brent Faiyaz is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Columbia, Md., who has steadily established himself as a premiere R&B artist with 23.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of December 2024.

Faiyaz gained attention for his music on the 2016 track “Crew” by Goldlink and Shy Glizzy, where he sang the infectious hook that caught the attention of many.

Faiyaz has released four solo albums and is part of the group Sonder – consisting of producers Atu and Dpat with Faiyaz on vocals. Sonder have released a handful of singles outside of their only album released in 2017.

Fans of Faiyaz from the Maryland area appreciate his originality and the representation he brings to the state.

“He collaborates with a lot of different artists out here, so when you listen to an album of his, you really get an authentic DMV sound,” Jackson said. “It’s not just all R&B or all one thing, he’s also included a lot of different aspects and instruments in the way his production goes, so it’s very fluid.”

Photo: Gov. Wes Moore presents singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers with a Maryland State proclamation to make June 16 “Maggie Rogers Day” at her June 16 concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion. (Photo by Joe Andrucyk/Executive Office of the Governor)