Sounding Off: Five People to Watch in the Music Scene in 2025

These Coloradans made a name for themselves last year (even if one decided to swap it out). Here's who we'll be watching — and listening to — in the new year:

Gregg Deal

"I've known Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam since 2019, when he bought a painting of mine," says visual artist, spoken-word performer and punk frontman Gregg Deal, whose Colorado-based band Dead Pioneers will be doing a four-show tour with the iconic grunge group in April 2025. "But there was no inkling that this tour was going to happen. I got a cryptic email from their booking agent, and he said, 'Hey, I'm inquiring about your availability to open for a big band who's doing an arena tour.' So I got on the phone with him, and he was like, 'Pearl Jam wants you out on these dates in the South.' And I was like, 'I'm sorry, did you say Pearl Jam?'

"I got a text message from Jeff that night," Deal adds, "and it said, 'I heard you're good. See you in Florida."

Deal is no stranger to national attention. Before Dead Pioneers began to coalesce in 2021 — as an ad hoc ensemble meant to back him for a single spoken-word performance — he appeared on the The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell. He's been an artist-in-residence at UC Berkeley and the Denver Art Museum. His artwork has hung in dozens of prominent museums and galleries across the country, including the Smithsonian.

Now Deal's spotlight is shining from outside the U.S., as well. In addition to the Pearl Jam jaunt, Dead Pioneers will be touring Europe in May in support of veteran punk bands Propagandhi and Pennywise. And the upcoming sophomore album from Dead Pioneers, Po$t American, will be released in April on the U.K. label Hassle Records, which has also put out music by heavy-hitters such as the Alkaline Trio, Rocket From the Crypt and the Used. Before that, though, Deal and crew have a vinyl single for their song "Bad Indian" on the way this month from Alternative Tentacles, the label owned by founding Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra.

"We had already signed with Hassle by the time Jello came to one of our shows to see us," Deal says. "But he was still interested in putting out a seven-inch for us and supporting what we were doing. I mean, it's Alternative Tentacles. How can you say no to a legend?"

Even with all that hectic music activity in the coming year, Deal won't be neglecting his art career. He already has one exhibit on the books for February at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, and he's working on a series of large installation pieces for a yet-to-be-named college in California. "I'm always working," he says. "I make this joke, 'I'm never not working. Even when I'm sitting on my ass, I'm conceiving and working through things in my head.'" Underpinning everything he does, regardless of the medium, is an activist purpose that centers on his Native American heritage.

"I think representation is probably the biggest thing for me — the fact that Native people have made a lot of contributions that need to be recognized," Deal says. "In its simplicity, I think that's it." — Jason Heller

Neoma

"Denver needs more club music in Spanish," says Neoma, "and I’m here to provide." In 2018, at age eighteen, the Ecuadorian artist moved to Denver with a slate of popular songs under her belt, and she's since become a Mile High star, with streams on her Spotify alone going into the millions. Her fans were thrilled when she took the main stage at last year's Underground Music Showcase and delivered an energetic set of sheer pop passion. That wasn't the only fest Neoma played; she also was at Electric Forest, which she says was a big milestone, and toured alongside Kiltro. And this year, Neoma's fans have a lot to look forward to. The bilingual sensation hopes to release her highly anticipated third album, which takes inspiration from reggaetón, Latin and Jersey club music, and drum-and-bass. "I’ve realized that I can’t heal or grow by being still; it’s a process," she says. "So I use the analogy of a road trip a lot. The album feels like I’m inside a car, and the journey begins with me having no control over it, but eventually I’m able to control the emotions, the anxiety and even the surroundings. So it’s also about empowering myself to keep going." — Emily Ferguson

DNA Picasso

Born Devin Nyshawn Arnold, DNA Picasso has worked tirelessly to put the Denver hip-hop scene on the map. Last year, he released a handful of singles and two albums, EXTENDED PLAYLIST VOL. 1 and LAWLESS: A Love Story, a project he created with his partner, the poet Dominique Christina. But DNA doesn't concentrate on music alone. He has been championing independent artists with monthly events R&B Jam Fest and Aux Wars at Your Mom's House, and helped to produce the second annual music-networking event The Auditorium, which was hosted at Swallow Hill Music in 2024. He also co-founded the Colorado Music Industry Alliance, which provides resources for local musicians, venues and other music-industry professionals. The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts just recognized him with the Next Wave Leadership Award, which "honors emerging professionals who are leading the future of our cultural community." Sounds like DNA. And in 2025, we're sure to hear a lot more from him. — Ferguson

She Who Won't Be Named

Denver hip-hop artist Imani Allen, who performs as She Who Won't Be Named, has made a name for herself in the local scene since moving here in 2016, emceeing Beats Bodega, the weekly open mic at River, and performing in showcases at venues like Two Moons and Your Mom's House. The last year was a big one for She Who Won't Be Named: She released her EP, Flower Child From Memphis, on all streaming platforms in April, and her cyphers at Beats Bodega earned her a Best of Denver award for Best Flow. In September, she started her own open-mic night at River dubbed Inner Circle, and she'll focus on amplifying that weekly Tuesday series in 2025. But that's not all: A tour is in the works, and so is a new album, titled Courageous Youth, that will focus on "courage and shadow work," the artist tells us. "I can’t wait for everyone to see and enjoy what I've got coming. I’m just honored to be here." — Ferguson

Pedro Urbina

Pedro Urbina has been highlighting local talent for the last two years with his online show Pink Sofa Hour, in which he invites indie musicians to perform and speak about their art and inspirations while perched on his pink couch. He started the project to address the state of the post-pandemic scene by connecting and promoting musicians, and began hosting concerts at various venues, too. Now he's taking Pink Sofa Hour to the next level with Couched Studios, a permanent space in Broomfield that launched on December 1. Couched Studios offers a high-quality production center, a recording studio, equipment rentals, video editing, classes and more from Urbina's team. Money from the paid bookings will be reinvested in Urbina's nonprofit, Pink Sofa Production Syndicate, to support artists who may not be able to afford the services. The whole country will soon see more of Urbina, when Couched Studios is featured on Amazon Prime's The Blox, a reality renovation series. — Ferguson