This edition of Indie Rock BOPS is a reminder that guitars still tell the truth best. Today’s feature includes two artists shaping the sound of modern indie with authenticity, grit, and a touch of nostalgia. From Dylan Forshner’s hopeful alt-rock optimism to Lonely Gimmick’s cinematic lo-fi punch, these tracks bring the genre’s heart into focus.
Dylan Forshner – It Ain’t So Bad
Dylan Forshner turns reflection into resilience, delivering a song that feels both heavy and hopeful
It Ain’t So Bad is the kind of track that blends classic alt-rock attitude with open-hearted songwriting. Influenced by early 2000s bands like Nirvana, Coldplay, and System of a Down, Dylan manages to create something grounded in the past but alive in the present. The guitars are raw but melodic, the rhythm section solid and human, and his voice carries the vulnerability of someone finding clarity through noise. Lyrically, it walks the line between frustration and optimism, confronting life’s chaos while holding tight to recovery and renewal. There’s a looseness here that feels instinctive rather than calculated, as if the song just fell out of the air fully formed. Honest, loud, and full of warmth, it’s the sound of someone getting better by simply making noise and meaning it.
Lonely Gimmick – Songs I Used To Know
Lonely Gimmick fuses nostalgia and nerve into something cinematic, loud, and beautifully off-kilter
Songs I Used To Know captures that hazy middle ground between memory and melody. It’s gritty, emotional, and cinematic, like a forgotten VHS of a teenage summer. From the jagged guitar tones to the washed-out analog synths, every texture feels both retro and strangely futuristic. Lonely Gimmick, the project of London-based artist Samuel Powell, writes with a filmmaker’s sense of framing: every detail matters, but the emotion always comes first. There’s a cinematic grain to the sound, recalling 90s alt-rock energy tangled up with the tenderness of a John Hughes ending. The production is deliberately imperfect, which is exactly what makes it perfect. It’s indie rock that hums with heart, self-awareness, and a streak of danger. The kind of song that sounds like someone remembering who they were and deciding they still like that person.
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