Elijah

From Nashville, Tennessee

A Nashville singer, songwriter, and producer making alternative and hard rock with screaming and raspy vocals, using mental health as the lens for his music. His 2025 album lowest — a ten-track concept record structured in phases — is his sixth release since 2024.

From Albany, New York

Albany, New York metalcore band Downswing has evolved since 2016 into what they describe as a modern metal powerhouse, balancing massive breakdowns with soaring choruses and atmospheric depth. The band signed to Rise Records and released their label debut Dark Side of the Mind EP in 2017 after gaining endorsement from The Acacia Strain's Vincent Bennett. Their streaming success with "Bound to Misery" expanded their reach beyond the underground, while they've shared stages with D.R.U.G.S. and Attack Attack!. Influenced by Wage War and Bad Omens, Downswing released their latest album And Everything Was Dark in 2024, transforming themes of grief and loss into heavy, melodic compositions.

From Flint

Ghosts In Motion is a metalcore/trap fusion band from Flint. The band incorporates trap elements into their metalcore foundation, creating a hybrid sound that bridges heavy music and hip-hop influenced production.

From Detroit

Second Salem is a Detroit post-hardcore goth metal band formed in 2018 by Gerard D'Lor and Amon Ereth. The band fuses gothic, metal, and emo sounds with dark imagery and melodramatic performances aimed at celebrating outcasts and nonconformists. They have opened for Sarah and the Safeword in Detroit and contributed vocal features to local acts including ThePicassos. Second Salem released their first single "To Paint The Angels" in 2022, which reached over 14,000 streams across platforms.