New Denver Music: Five Releases You Need to Hear Now

Denver artists are cranking out music, dropping so many singles and albums that it’s hard to keep up with the flood. But we’re trying, and here are five of our favorite new releases:

Trayce Chapman
There’s Beauty in the Chaos
Denver rapper Trayce Chapman sings his way through three tracks on his latest EP, There’s Beauty in the Chaos. He tells stories of love, heartache and sex on a project as solid as it is emo. If you’re nursing a broken heart, turn up these songs and feel the pain.

Trev RIch
Nova
Trev Rich, the closest thing that Denver’s hip-hop scene has had to a breakout national success in years, just released his latest album, Nova. With sophisticated production, plenty of humor and hardscrabble truths, Nova is yet another standout addressing professional ambitions and generational trauma. Rich is a master of catchy hooks and a smart storyteller, too. His last album,Trap Gospel, was his take on religion; if he repressed personal frustration there, it’s all exploding on Nova.

Wellington Bullings
“Because I Want To”
Wellington Bullings has a voice that will melt you. Her song “Because I Want To” is an empowering mix of samba and soul. “It’s about the art of trusting that which calls your heart,” she says. “This song is my declaration to do just that, and hopefully that will inspire others to do the same.” Count us among the inspired.

Whitacre
Seasons
The self-described mountain rockers of Whitacre just dropped their ten-song debut LP, Seasons, produced by Joe Richmond and mixed by Yuuki Matthews. Indie-rock lovers, look out: It’s loaded with introspective songs. “We have a burning desire to tell a story that isn’t often told in the music industry today – one of redemption and restoration,” says Paul Whitacre. “We want to reassure the brokenhearted that there is hope; we want to show the invisible that we see them and that they matter. We believe that doesn’t only happen in lyrics, but in a melody as well. We believe in the power of music, and that it is used to soften and heal hearts.” Amen.

Zach Maxwell
Kill the Kingdom
Denver electro-pop-soul singer Zach Maxwell has big ambitions on his latest album, Kill the Kingdom, which he describes as a rallying cry against patriarchy and the systemic corruption of our society; it’s also an optimistic call to arms for a better world. But with solid harmonies and upbeat production, this is not just protest music. It’s fun.