Welcome to The Scouting Report, a monthly list of 10 Minnesota artists with exciting new projects, as curated by our local music team. If you like these picks, check out The Local Show on Sundays from 7 p.m. to midnight, hosted by Diane, or check out our Spotify playlist, updated every week. In April 2025, The Current compiled the second Minnesota Music Month Scouting Report with votes from the local music industry.

Wild Horses

Northern Minnesota-based Wild Horses are a husband-wife team with undeniable harmonic synergy. Lead vocalist Jed LaPlant’s vocals are reminiscent of powerfully resonant folk singers like Marcus Mumford and Charlie Parr, and he’s supported vocally by his wife Ariana, who also plays fiddle. The traditional folk band has been busy touring the country since releasing “Sioux Falls,” their first single in three years. With lyrics that explore the human condition’s darkness and lightness, Wild Horses create music comforting the soul in times of need. Catch them opening for neotraditional country star Charley Crockett at Surly Brewing Festival Field in Minneapolis on Aug. 23. -Diane

Step Rockets

Step Rockets have returned after a lull during which band members focused on solo projects and life. The band that once opened for Jon Bon Jovi after winning a contest reemerges with new music for the first time in three years. “Better in the Summer” is the latest single off their upcoming album. “Better in the Summer” encapsulates a planet of inventive design, eroding soundscapes, and otherworldly escapism. This track empowers an unobstructed ability to feel yourself and the confidence to voice that outwardly. -YV

Call Me Fritz

Minneapolis indie-alt band Call Me Fritz is brand new to the music scene and already creating quite a buzz. They released their first single “RIP IT” in August 2024, and recently opened for Porch Light alongside LASALLE at Fine Line. The band is comprised of vocalist/guitarist Isaac McMullen, longtime friend and bassist Jonathan Kraemer, and drummer George Tepfer, who joined through mutual friends. After winning the UMN Battle of the Bands in April of 2024, they quickly began to plan their next moves. Their most recent release “The Drive” is super high energy, and although they are just starting out, it’s easy to hear the talent that each member brings to the band. Keep an eye out on their Instagram for any upcoming shows, which I’m sure will be plenty! -NT

Kellan Christopher Cragg

Remarkable newcomer Kellan Christopher Cragg is a multi-dimensional artist. The 18-year-old is a fervent singer/lyricist, skilled keyboardist, and whiz technologist. Fans of Jean Dawson or Mk.gee may especially enjoy Cragg’s innovative new record WRONG BALLOON. Its popular single “I REMEMBER WHEN I WOKE UP” combines distorted classic Nintendo sounds and minimalist slap-stick percussion rotating in and out of Cragg’s rhythmically driven, harmonically layered, fuzzed-out vocals. - Diane

Walker Rider

Originally from rural North Dakota, Walker Rider’s music features distinctly Midwestern melodies and textures. Now based in Minneapolis, songwriter Wyatt Dronen incorporates themes of queer love with lo-fi country sounds. His third album, “Fair,” was recorded on a 4-track tape machine and produced by Asheville-based musicians Colin Miller and Landon George, musical collaborators of MJ Lenderman and Indigo De Souza, to name a few. Walker Rider’s live band is bursting at the seams with talent, and you can catch them live on Wednesday, July 23, supporting Dear Nora at Icehouse in Minneapolis. -AD

Conzemius

Jill Conzemius is an up-and-coming artist from Minneapolis. Her debut six-track EP, Of the Water, is set to come out Aug. 12 with a release party at Zhora Darling in Minneapolis on Friday, August 15. Conzemius describes the project as an exploration of the duality of being, drawing inspiration from the qualities of water and “its ability to be both still and raging.” The track “Library” highlights Conzemius’ soulful voice and dreamy storytelling. -NT

Sawtooth Witch

Self-described as “acoustic dance music,” Sawtooth Witch’s single “The Hustle” is a song for people “who are really, really angry at the government, but still wanna dance.” Multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Pat "Doc" Dougherty collaborated with Minneapolis sound engineers/producers Nat Harvie and Holly Hansen to craft the atmosphere of the tune, combining Americana guitar riffs with layered production. Though this is the first release from Sawtooth Witch, this is not Doc’s first rodeo in the Twin Cities music scene. They’ve lent their talents to several other musical projects over the past few years, including theyself, Elle PF, Bev, and Fairfax AK. Sawtooth Witch recently celebrated the release with a June residency at the White Squirrel Bar in St. Paul. -AD

fruitform

Songwriter Mary Traxler, drummer Aidan Sponheim, and bassist Matty Hansen make up the South Minneapolis-based band fruitform. The group draws inspiration from nature, the land, and its fruits. Their debut album, cake without plates, was released on the summer solstice. The album’s new single, “i got time,” showcases Traxler’s songwriting and singing talents with a meandering vocal melody, lush harmonies, and unique instrumental rhythms that ebb and flow as the song builds. Traxler sings about wanting to be close to someone with the sincere, vulnerable lyric “you hurt me but I don’t mind / you hurt me but you seem kind.” Fans of Courtney Barnett and Big Thief may enjoy fruitform’s discography. -AD

Mal Murphy

Carrying traces of country and folk, “Sugar” by Mal Murphy tackles the gamut of human experience. It contains loss, the humor of daily life, and the pain of feeling lost in today’s society — as seen through Murphy’s wide-open eyes. It’s an anthem written for anyone who needs to feel free, justified, and seen. Murphy co-wrote the song with Scott Helgerson, and it was mixed and mastered at Audio Atelier Studio with collaboration from Crista Bohlmann. -YV

Jeff Swiff and MPLSHOUSE

Legendary Twin Cities house music DJs and producers Jeff Swiff and MPLSHOUSE have teamed up for a four-track release, Six Won Two EP, out now on Real Feel Records, a label based out of Washington D.C. All tracks are original productions. Swiff, who is a resident DJ for House Proud MPLS, has been making the Twin Cities dance for the past 24 years, and recently produced this set for Carbon Sound. MPLSHOUSE is a collective founded in 2017 by Angel Sandro, also known as Angel Beloved. They co-produced the EP with Swiff and are featured on vocals. The EP also features a remix from Byron the Aquarius. Both artists have strong roots in South Minneapolis and a commitment to community connection through music. -NT