Bands to Watch in 2025
Hyped tours and new music from NJ/NYC all-stars
Well Wisher
If you find happiness in a singalong chorus or peace in a crunchy guitar, Well Wisher should be on your list. The NJ-based band blends heart-on-sleeve lyricism with larger-than-life melodies that rival the best of Paramore or Hop Along. Their sophomore effort, That Weight, is 30 minutes of resilience and vulnerability, perfectly paced and packaged. Well Wisher is proof that pop-punk and indie-rock can coexist, forging something that feels classic but fresh at the same time.
Well Wisher just released Do You Wanna Dance, a four song EP with the most charming covers of the season.
The Big Easy
The band’s dynamic sound—a blend of punk energy and alt-rock swagger—has earned The Big Easy a cult following around Brooklyn and NJ. Their live performances are energetic and cathartic, full of guitar hooks and borderline-melodramatic lyrics that touch on the struggles and absurdities of life. Musically, their recent album (It’s No Secret) The Truth As Bad As The View showcases the band’s dynamic range moreso than previous efforts.
Climactic bridges, layered instrumentation, catchy melodies, all in all a solid album that’s sure to be a local indie rock staple.
Teenage Halloween
Hailing from Asbury Park, Teenage Halloween exemplifies everything great about DIY punk: unflinching authenticity, communal energy, and hooks that unapologetically burrow into your skull. Their self-titled debut album set a high bar for queer, emotive punk, and they’ve only sharpened their craft since–subsequent releases have seen the band’s sound get tighter and more explosive, with 2023’s Till You Return offering a psychedelic blend of pop punk and shredding guitar leads that’s hard to turn off. Live, the band channels the frenetic energy of their influences (think Jeff Rosenstock meets the Bouncing Souls) with a sense of refreshing inclusivity.
The band teased online that they’re spending time in the studio working on their next LP, definitely highly anticipated.
Thiev
Thiev, self-proclaimed “California skate punk from New Jersey,” dropped a single back in October ‘24 that’s raw, melodic, heavy, everything you’d want in an up-and-coming hardcore act. You’ll hear elements of shoegaze, post-punk, and emo; their sound is equal parts dreamy and gritty and classic NJ. Lead track “wishing well” is a standout so far, and overall the EP leaves you hungry for a full-length.
Tokyo Rose (hopefully)
After an incredibly well-received series of reunion shows at the end of this year, NJ favorites Tokyo Rose are slated to play with Catch 22 in January and teased the possibility of more performances. For those who came of age in the early 2000s emo scene, Tokyo Rose was a mainstay—a band whose passionate live shows and earnest lyrics captured the zeitgeist of the MySpace era. If the stars align, Tokyo Rose could join the ranks of other emo elders while introducing a new generation to their classic third-wave sound.
Chris Lee-Rodriguez
Solo musician and former Really From singer/songwriter Chris Lee-Rodriguez dropped Done with Doing in November, and the album offers something for new and longtime fans alike. The New Jersey-based singer-songwriter embraces a raw, unfiltered approach to music that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. His blend of folk, emo, and lo-fi punk has drawn comparisons to Conor Oberst and Julien Baker, but his bilingual lyrics and deeply rooted Puerto Rican identity set him apart. Lee-Rodriguez shows off his songwriting range on Done with Doing, and it’s great to see him leaning more into some of his pop influences. Keep an eye out for the rare Chriss Lee-Rodriguez performance, typically around North NJ/NYC/Boston.
Mercy Union
New Jersey punk continues to thrive in Mercy Union. A borderline supergroup with Jared Hart of The Scandals and Rocky Catanese of Let Me Run, Mercy Union weaves gritty storytelling with anthemic choruses that call to mind Springsteen by way of Gaslight Anthem. Their sophomore album, White Tiger, struck a chord with listeners thanks to its deeply introspective lyrics and richly textured instrumentation. A string of powerful end of year performances sees Mercy Union solidifying their place as one of the most vital voices in New Jersey’s contemporary hardcore scene.
🎛️ Check out some tunes from these artists & be sure to see them live in ‘25