Typically, when one thinks of music from Milwaukee, they think of Hip Hop music. Over the last couple of years, a bunch of Hip Hop artists from the city have started to make a name for themself, and Milwaukee is starting to be seen as a rising Hip Hop hub in this country. Milwaukee is full of so many other artists making music other than Hip Hop, though. The city has so many interesting artists making music in so many different genres and styles; there is truly something for all music listeners here. One artist I came across recently that is really carving their own lane in Milwaukee with their sound is ADORNER. They are a rising Psychedelic Pop-Rock act that is totally carving their own lane within the Milwaukee music landscape. There is no one in the city making music like ADORNER, which is why they stand out so much. ADORNER first came to be in the autumn of 2020 when lead singer Madeline Stadel had the idea of creating this music act in a dream. ADORNER originally started out as an all female trio, but has since been mainly the stage name for Madeline Stadel herself. ADORNER first started putting out music in 2021, as they released their first single ‘Right Time / All The Time’ in July of that year. ADORNER released their first EP, ADORNER, in May of 2022. This project cemented them as a rising artist to watch not only in Milwaukee but also in the Indie Pop-Rock world; it even got them nominated for a WAMI(Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Best New Artist award in 2023. It is easy to see why so many people have been captivated by ADORNER’s music, as it is super unique and riveting; ADORNER is a breath of fresh air compared to the other Indie Pop-Rock that is big right now. After taking it slow in 2023 and releasing one single called ‘Black Night’ last summer, ADORNER has started 2024 strong, having already released two singles this year in anticipation of their upcoming debut album. Below, I wanted to briefly highlight ADORNER’s two 2024 singles, ‘Nimwe’ and ‘Backbone.’ Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about these new tracks from ADORNER, and also comment the names of any other up and coming artists you think I should check out!

ADORNER’s first single of the year ‘Nimwe,’ came out back in February of 2023. Frankly, this song is an all-encompassing journey. I definitely can not think of anyone else in Milwaukee that is making music that is like this at all. In fact, I can not think of many other artists making music like this period. The first section for ‘Nimwe’ has elements of the Jazz-Pop that has been made popular by Laufey over the last couple of years. This song is a lot heavier and deeper than any of the music I have heard from Laufey, though. It also picks up and has a much more lively Pop-Rock feeling than any of Laufey’s music after the first half or so of the song. While the first half of ‘Nimwe’ has a Jazz-Pop feeling to it, the second half has a Trippy Folk-Rock sound. It almost feels like a fusion of Fleetwood Mac and Kate Bush or KT Tunstall. The instrumentation in this track is so cool. The first half is very simple and calm, mainly consisting of a piano riff that is complemented by some light percussions that come in and out. The second section of this track has a lot more depth, as the drums pick up and other instrumental like a guitar and bass come in. As cool as this instrumental is, the thing that stands out the most by far about ‘Nimwe’ is ADORNER’s truly excellent vocals. ADORNER shines on this track; their range they sing with is so wide, and their tone is so sweet and mesmerizing. After hearing ‘Nimwe,’ I need to make sure I see ADORNER live soon; due to the awesome vocals and instrumentation, I really want to see ADORNER perform this track. ‘Nimwe’ is a super riveting and individualistic track that hooks me as a listener and makes me want to hear more from ADORNER. The second single released this year so far by ADORNER is ‘Backbone,’ which came out a few weeks ago on April 5. This song has a slightly(emphasis on slightly) more traditional sound than the one that precedes it. I can definitely still hear elements of the music from artists like KT Tunstall or Kate Bush on this one. ‘Backbone’ is also reminiscent of the Psychedelic Arena Rock that was popular in the early to mid 1970s. There is something about the instrumental for this track that makes me think of bands like REO Speedwagon, Jefferson Starship, or Electric Light Orchestra. This song is driven by a quirky, sunny melody provided by a piano riff and complemented by various string instruments and synths. The beat for ‘Backbone’ is pretty energetic; it has a tempo that makes me want to get up and start whimsically dancing around my apartment. Once again, ADORNER’s vocals truly stand out on this track. Her range is so vast and her tone is so clear and powerful; ADORNER has a vocal style that is just so dazzling. ‘Backbone’ is a slightly lighter song than ‘Nimwe,’ but is just as absorbing and intriguing. With these two tracks, ADORNER shows how talented they are and how different they are from any of their peers. I can not wait to hear their new album when it comes out.