Lollapalooza’s Emerging Artists Sing on Stage with Hearts on Sleeves

This year’s Lollapalooza again solidified itself as Chicago’s premier music event. While headliners took center stage, the emerging talents on display remained the most authentic and relatable attractions.

Singer-songwriter Abby Holliday aspired to forge a personal connection with audiences. Based out of Nashville, Holliday illustrates the anxieties of young adulthood with songs “Earth-Eating Tree” and “Immortal.”

“What I was singing about in those songs, when I mention being 24, being 25, was just feeling unsure of myself,” Holliday said. “[It’s] this searching I think you can hear through a lot of my music.”

The inner turmoil in her lyricism is elevated by experimental instrumentation which blends classic folk rhythms with autotune synths to produce an engaging sound. The honesty to pursue her interests as an artist is something she hopes audiences can resonate with.

“People want to see themselves in an artist’s work,” Holiday said. “Hopefully I provide that.”

Pop artist Matt Hansen expressed a similar goal to provide a lyrical mirror in which listeners can see themselves. For Hansen, the relatability and “therapeutic element” of music is important.

“I love to make the stuff that, like, you can sit there and really dig in to and it feels like therapy,” Hansen said. “It feels like, ‘Maybe he’s talking about my relationship, maybe he’s talking about what I went through.’”

With his songs focusing on love and heartbreak, Hansen said he aims to keep his lyrics broad so anybody, regardless of the severity of their situation, can relate.

“Did someone you know ever turn on a dime from an angel right into a monster?” Hansen sings in his 2023 single “WHERE YOU BELONG.” “You still wanna stay, wanna help, wanna heal. Only so much that your love can offer.”

Singer-songwriter Hayes Warner likewise said connection is a prominent theme in her music.

“On the one hand, I want people to feel energized and happy,” Warner said. “But on the other hand, I’m extremely honest in the things I write about — it’s things I went through, whether or not I’m embarrassed about it.”

Warner said she prefers to think of listeners as friends. On social media, she consults her followers’ opinions on cover art and song snippets.

“There are big people in the industry that can make decisions and be like, ‘This song is right, this is right,’” Warner said. “But at the end of the day, it’s people that are listening to the songs that really know.”

Indie country artist Chance Emerson said he sees his music as something listeners can rally behind. Raised in Hong Kong and based in Los Angeles, Emerson soulfully sang of relationships both blissful and yearned for with “Honey” and “The Raspberry Men.”

“I try and write stuff I hope people can connect with,” Emerson said. “All the culture we consume is representative of the identity we’re building.”

Emerson’s ballads encompass love, hate and grief, but always retain an air of positivity. His infectious optimism translates to a sound that embraces self-actualization and growing up.

“Being a teen, being in your 20’s, all of college is about figuring out who the hell you are,” Emerson said. “Music is a tiny part of that.”

Sibling band Infinity Song shared a comparable sentiment of soul-searching in their new album, “Metamorphosis Complete,” which tackles relatability through the themes of growth and transformation.

“Everybody has a metamorphosis,” Angel Boyd said.

The siblings aspire to be the “highest calibrations” of themselves on stage, according to Abraham Boyd.

Although authenticity is important to the band, Israel Boyd said, it’s “the coolest version of authenticity” they strive to embody.

For the Boyd siblings, it’s a performer’s job to tweak authenticity in order to be the best on-stage presence they can be.

“Looking at your favorite performers and stars and wanting to be like them in some aspect — that’s part of the fun,” Momo Boyd said. “That’s part of showmanship, that’s part of the craft, that’s part of being a star.”

And for Infinity Song, Lollapalooza was an aspirational milestone in becoming stars.

“You’ve made it but you have more to accomplish,” Abraham Boyd said. “So it’s like a perfect balance of reward and work harder because you want to headline or you want a better time slot. So it’s motivational and rewarding simultaneously.” 

Chicago-based punk band Scarlet Demore said getting the confirmation to perform at Lollapalooza felt like a dream — and still felt like one inside the venue.

Performing on such a big stage contrasted the band’s beginnings in the underground scene. Bassist G Passaro credited venues Schubas Tavern and Lincoln Hall for recommending them to the festival.

“We’ve pulled from a lot of different genres, like hardcore and indie,” Ayala said. “The essence of DIY and punk is to have a place or a community to be safe, have fun with people you can rely on.”

The band shouted out other Chicago groups performing at Lolla like Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Friko and Slow Pulp.

“Lolla ought to, in part, serve as a showcase for Chicago talent,” guitarist Joel Smith said.

As for the future of Scarlet Demore, lead singer Cat Ayala said they hope to play at Wicker Park Fest and Riot Fest — both based in Chicago.

“Everybody in Chicago is just so wicked talented and supportive,” Ayala said. “There’s an overwhelming sense of community at all of our shows and I hope our shows keep doing that.”