Just like in any other industries, the music sector is moving towards greater gender equality. We hear many more women on the radio and see many of them in the charts.
Pop female artists are breaking the charts and the number one worldwide artist is Taylor Swift, closely followed by Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga in the top 10. These female pop singers have been around for a very long time now, and they have paved the way for a new generation of female singers….
This army of self-confident women is increasingly asserting itself against the old society, which turned them into sexual products to sell more records. Today, they are at the head of a new movement where they are the equals of men and can sing and record whatever they want!
⭐ In this piece, we are delighted to introduce you to 18 new female indie pop artists and female indie rock artists who deserve to make a lot more noise than they’re making now! These are the ones to watch out for, and I have no doubt they’ll turn your brain and soul upside down. ⭐
Wolf Alice
We can start this top female indie artists list with the fabulous female-fronted band Wolf Alice! Listening to them is like freeing yourself from a weight you’ve been carrying for too long. It’s liberating and exciting.
Their songs are the definition of being bold, going after their ideas even if that’s not what is currently selling. Experiencing and trying things out is their ideology and that’s definitely a win.
They’ve proved that women have their place in indie rock culture. Ellie’s voice is so pure and every intonation that comes out of her month is so precise. The band delivers both intense and soft rock in such a short time, which makes their tracks so powerful and brave.
- Genre : Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Dream Pop
- Favourite tracks : Giant Peach, Beautifully Unconventional, Don’t Delete the Kisses, Sky Musings
- Members : Ellie Rowsell, Joel Amey, Joff Oddie, Theo Ellis
- Origin : London, England
- Active Years : 2010 – now
GIRL IN RED
GIRL IN RED is a successful norwegian singer songwriter that uses indie pop to share her emotions about queer culture, relationships and mental health. But GIRL IN RED also is Marie Ulven, a shy and fragile girl with a vision and high ambitions.
She is not the first one to talk about queer issues, but she quickly rose as an icon of the LGBTQ+ community, through very intimate songs, and a personality and shyness overflowing with charm.
- Genre : Indie rock, Indie Pop, Bedroom Pop
- Favourite tracks : we fell in love in october, rue, bad idea!, i wanna be your girlfriend
- Origin : Horten, Norway
- Active Years : 2017 – now
Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi isn’t only an incredible singer, she also owns the stage with her guitar skills. Her haunting performances never fail to take the crowd to a new, uncharted territory every time she steps on the stage with her traditional red outfits.
In her last album Hunted, she offers innovative and experimental rock sounds, whispers and high notes. To resume, she is one of a kind and you just cannot leave this article without checking her live video of Love Won’t Be Leaving.
- Genre : Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock, Indie Rock
- Favourite tracks : Love Won’t Be Leaving, Wish, Strange Weather, Morning Light
- Origin : Twickenham, United Kingdom
- Active Years : 2007 – now
Laurel
Laurel is nothing like you’ve ever heard. She is one of our all time favourites, and for good reason! Her unique voice sounds heavenly and you can feel her artistry and musicality in everything she does and sings. Each of her songs is so well built and produced.
As she entirely composed and recorded her last album Dogviolet in her room, she definitely had a word to say on the whole creation process. Her light shines like no one else and her musicality will feed your heart and spirit.
- Genre : Indie Pop, Chamber Pop
- Favourite tracks : This Must Be the Place, Scream Drive Fast, Adored, Crave, Life Worth Living
- Origin : Southampton, England
- Active Years : 2013 – now
Maggie Rogers
Maggie is the human version of the word ‘authenticity’, both in the ways she sings and moves. Her voice tone and capacities are gorgeous and remarkable. She perfectly knows how to use them to create bangers like Fallingwater and Light On.
Her live performances are about feeling alive and giving it all, feeling the music living through her veins and dancing like no one is watching. Her energy is insanely communicative and she gives us a Michael Jackson vibe when she’s turning on herself and moving like crazy. Definitely a rising star in the new female indie artists!
- Genre : Indie Pop, Art Pop, Folk Pop
- Favourite tracks : Say it, Burning, Give a Little
- Origin : Easton, Maryland, USA
- Active Years : 2012 – now
The Last Internationale
Looking for a new female lead rock band to listen to? The Last Internationale has everything you could look for in a band: a deep and scratchy voice, a real presence, unique style and impressive electric guitar riffs. Delila’s voice is like no other, she’s got that tone that takes you by the guts at the very first second.
- Genre : Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Punk Blues
- Favourite tracks : Wanted Man, Soul on Fire, Hard Times
- Members : Delila Paz, Edgey Pires
- Origin : New York, USA
- Active Years : 2008 – now
Men I Trust
All we can say about Men I Trust is how inspired we are everytime we put one of their songs on. Especially the ones with unreal guitar solos, like in All Night! The voice of Emmanuelle Proulx is soft like silk and the bass, guitar and keyboard sounds are glassy and intriguing as we like them.
And we are definitely not the only one to feel this way about their last albums Oncle Jazz and Forever Live Sessions. This upcoming band inspires many others, including Draumr, the new figure of parisian dream pop.
- Genre : Indie Pop, Dream Pop
- Favourite tracks : All Night (Garage Session), Norton Commander (Garage Session)
- Members : Emmanuelle Proulx, Jessy Caron, Dragos Chiriac
- Origin : Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Active Years : 2014 – now
Florence and the Machine
This one is most definitely the most known of the list. And for good reason; she earned her place among the best female indie artists a long time ago and hasn’t left it ever since.
Florence Welch is the absolute queen of vocals, and she spreads her magic with a disconcerting ease and powerfulness. She performs with her band, created in the outstanding south London. With her impressive voice range, long red hair and unreal band, it’s hard not to believe that a real witch is on stage.
- Genre : Indie Rock, Art Rock, Baroque Pop, Neo Soul, Folk
- Favourite tracks : South London Forever, Big God, You’ve Got the Love, Hunger
- Members : Florence Welch, Isabella Summers, Robert Ackroyd, Tom Monger, Loren Humphrey, Cyrus Bayandor, Hazel Mills, Aku Orraca-Tetteh, Dionne Douglas
- Origin : London, England
- Active Years : 2007 – now
Sigrid
Norway is one of the biggest producers of indie pop singers, right? Sigrid quickly became one of the biggest female indie artists 2017 because of the success of her debut single and EP called Don’t Kill My Vibe. She’s the queen of synth pop and electro pop and sure knows how to entertain a crowd.
- Genre : Scandi Pop, Synth Pop, Electro Pop
- Favourite tracks : Don’t Kill My Vibe, Strangers, In Vain, Dynamite
- Origin : Ålesund, Norway
- Active Years : 2013 – now
Daughter
This international trio is led by the soft and emotionally heavy voice of the english singer songwriter Elena Tonra. She is wonderfully accompanied by guitarist Igor Haefeli from Switzerland and drummer Remi Aguilella from France. Their songs are always a safe bet, both delicate and charming.
- Genre : Indie Folk, Shoegaze
- Favourite tracks : Love, Youth
- Members : Elena Tonra, Igor Haefeli, Remi Aguilella
- Origin : London, England
- Active Years : 2010 – now
JJ Wilde
If you like rock n roll and broken voices, you’ll love JJ Wilde! This canadian singer songwriter elevated herself at the top of the charts of her country with her single The Rush.
Her recipe for success is high notes, rock rhythms, a huge vocal chest and a lively guitar. There’s no doubt about her musical genre: she’s 100% rock’n’roll! Her songs are perfect for letting off steam and tearing up your own voice.
- Genre : Modern Rock
- Favourite tracks : Cold Shoulder, Best Boy, The Rush
- Origin : Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
- Active Years : 2019 – now
Lorde
We couldn’t fail to include Miss Lorde, New Zealand’s magical witch sent down from the sky. Because yes, when she sings, Lorde is anything but human.
You know when you travel off the beaten track and discover the most epic place all to yourself? Lorde is the musical version of that feeling. She writes, sings and dances according to the tones and colors of her emotions of the moment, like waves that recede and return stronger thanks to the tide.
Her songwriting is so relatable and pure that it’s hard to describe with words. Her album Melodrama was number one in the 20 best albums of 2017. It was her most complete masterpiece so far, and it definitely impacted the music industry for the better.
Then, she released Solar Power in 2021 and the world has been treasuring it ever since. Now, we are all waiting for her to come back. If you’re not familiar with Lorde universe yet, hop on the next wagon!
- Genre : Indie Pop, Art Pop, Dream Pop, Electro Pop
- Favourite tracks : The Louvre, Buzzcut Season, Tennis Court, Green Light, Writer in the Dark, Sober
- Origin : Auckland, New Zealand
- Active Years : 2009 – now
Nina Nesbitt
Nina Nesbitt is a pure gold Scottish made talent. Her songwriting and “niightwatch studio” went beyond the borders of the United Kingdom and got her to tour the world, sometimes for her own shows and other times as an opening act for big names of the industry like Ed Sheeran, Example, Jake Bugg.
She has a loyal fanbase, always ready to react when Nesbitt releases a new song or comes up with another crazy song idea. One thing is for sure, she will keep innovating with her songs.
- Genre : Indie Pop, Pop Folk, Acoustic
- Favourite tracks : the Hardest Part, The Moments I’m Missing, Take You to Heaven
- Origin : Livingston, Scotland
- Active Years : 2011 – now
CHVRCHES
I would say CHVRCHES is a live band. Their concerts are always so good, there’s absolutely nothing fake, it’s just them living their music and sharing it with the crowd. Pure happiness! They found the perfect combination between Lauren’s smooth voice and a perfectly mastered electro background.
- Genre : Indie Pop, Synth Pop
- Favourite tracks : Clearest Blue, Get Out, Miracle, Never Say Die
- Members : Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty, Jonny Scott
- Origin : Glasgow, Scotland
- Active Years : 2011 – now
MØ
MØ is a diamond in the rough, who doesn’t need autotune to deliver stunning performances. You’d think it wasn’t her real voice in Lean On, but every live performance of the song proves otherwise! This Danish singer is gifted, and her hard work has finally paid off. We highly recommend listening to a little more than her main single.
- Genre : Indie Pop, Electro Pop, Synth Pop
- Favourite tracks : Sun in Our Eyes, West Hollywood, Way Down
- Origin : Ubberud, Denmark
- Active Years : 2006 – now
Låpsley
Låpsley belongs to the “why the hell are they not more famous yet!?” artists group. I can’t really wrap my head around the fact her songs aren’t more played in parties or venues in general. She has an insane voice tone, songwriter skills and a harmonious musicality.
- Genre : Indie pop, R&B
- Favourite tracks : Cliff, Hurt Me
- Origin : Southport, England
- Active Years : 2013 – now
Fletcher
The confident voice of Fletcher transports us to her universe in less time than it takes to say it. She’s definitely one of the industry’s finest indie female artists, and won’t stop until her ambitions and relatable songs take her to the top of the charts.
- Genre : Indie Pop
- Favourite tracks : Shh… Don’t Say It, I Believe You, Undrunk
- Origin : Asbury Park, U.S.
- Active Years : 2015 – now
Sody
Last but not least. Sody has an unshakeable determination to pursue what she’s so good at: singing and songwriting. She tries to tell personal stories in a raw, understandable way so that everyone understands and realizes that they are not alone. Her honesty serves her amazing voice tone perfectly. A rising star and independent artist to keep an eye on!
- Genre : Indie Pop
- Favourite tracks : Is Your Bedroom Ceiling Bored?, Hold It Together, Maybe It Was Me
- Origin : London, England
- Active Years : 2016 – now
Female indie artists: Final Thoughts
And that’s a wrap! There are obviously many more talented female indie artists than those listed here, but you are off to a good start with those 18 indie rock and indie pop warriors.
This media aims to promote passionate indie artists and the female scene is growing and gaining coverage day by day. We look forward to doing more listening and album reviews of the gold records that haven’t yet been shared with the masses.
