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.

clovers daughter

Noor Shami, known as clovers daughter, recently released her debut album, Am I Worth It? The 10-track project showcases Shami’s vivid storytelling and powerful vocals. American-Palestinian with Midwest roots, her multicultural heritage shapes her songwriting, with themes of belonging, identity, and relationships. The track “Irrelevant” has the perfect spooky vibes for October. Check out clovers daughter on Instagram for more updates, and see clovers daughter at 7th St. Entry on Saturday, Oct. 25. -NT

Bright Young Things

Minneapolis indie-rock band Bright Young Things put out their debut EP back in March. Now drummer Ethan Neid, vocalist/bassist Ben Wagner, and guitarist Wally Gordon return with “Mary,” the final advance single off their upcoming album. The song’s smooth and warm production is reminiscent of the playful tunes from the mid-to-late-2010s era of Hippo Campus. Easygoing opening chord progressions on “Mary” usher in a feeling of simultaneously daydreaming about summer and embracing the forthcoming autumn. Verses find Wagner contemplating uncertainties in a relationship. The band’s earlier singles this year bounce with indie-pop harmonies and danceable rhythms. -MR

Amateur

Amateur’s indie-rock and soul sound shines through on new single, “More To Me.” The song is the Rochester group’s first new music since the 2024 release of their second full-length album, Waiting Room. Founded in 2016, the eight-piece band incorporates horns and airy, layered vocals to create a groovy atmosphere on this new track. Despite the discouraged opening verse, “Why do I write sad songs constantly / There ain't no room for me to breathe,” the song builds with confidence and concludes with optimistic self discovery: “This time I understand / There's more to me.” -MR 

INAWORD

INAWORD is a brand-new musical project comprised of Andrew Hill of Ternion Sound, Cris Gibson (OKnice) and Paul John Rudoi (Poliscifi). Their four-track EP, Sink, is a really cool fusion of electronic, jazz, and hip-hop. The track “Adult Swim” does indeed sound like a tune you’d hear on the Adult Swim TV network – think Flying Lotus. The three members began experimenting in Hill’s studio back in 2022 and have now released their creations into the world. -NT

Dream Colors

“Autumn Song” is the first single from Minneapolis-based indie rock band Dream Colors’ upcoming album, Circles the Sun. It’s a fuzzy rock track with pleasantly scratchy guitar strums and assured drum beats. Vocals lie slightly buried in the mix for a sound that borders on murky, but sweet nonetheless. By the time the slower, guitar-only ending kicks in, it leaves the listener on a content note. The band is fronted by Rhys Finnegan, who also plays with Midwest-emo-shoegaze band Malamiko. Dream Colors’ debut EP, Easy Go, is notably calmer and crisper than the new single. So, will the rest of Circles the Sun follow in Finnegan's grungier direction? The answer arrives on Nov. 7. -MR

Lily Blue

“August” is Lily Blue’s first release on streaming, but the Minneapolis-based soft rock artist has been writing and performing music in the Twin Cities scene since 2022. On “August,” Lily’s soft vocals ponder the feeling of time slipping away. Fine details woven in by co-producers and band members Aaron Goar and Andrés Almarza invoke the familiar feeling of summer coming to an end, complete with the warm textures of birds chirping in the song’s intro and outro. Fans of Mazzy Star, Bon Iver, and Faye Webster should keep an eye out for Lily Blue’s upcoming EP, Dog Years. -AD

full catholic

The new release by Minneapolis band full catholic captures a dream-like sound that slides between genres. Lead singer Danielle Michaele’s unique vocal stylings float eerily above math rock guitar riffs and jangly rhythms. Described in Glide Magazine as “a beautifully messy display of vulnerability,” full catholic’s lyrical themes explore human existence, societal norms, and ecological interactions. Band members Lane Miller, Des Lawrence, and John Caldwell help bring it all to life by crafting the album’s sonic atmosphere. The band has noted that this album will be their final release on Spotify, in protest of the platform’s mistreatment of artists and involvement in military violence and AI. You can support full catholic and their future releases on other platforms such as Bandcamp and Subvert. -AD

High School for Recording Arts

A collective of artists from the High School for Recording Arts in St. Paul has banded to record a new album, Tune In Speak Out, released Sept. 19. Written by Arenea Agnew, Pablo Bonilla Hirdman, and Stone Williams, “And We’re Back on the Ground” blends R&B and hip-hop to create a hopeful tune. The words show the way out of a difficult situation without sounding trite. Rendered here with soft, tender grace, this song allows vulnerability and humanity to shine through. -YV 

Brian Just

It has been eight years since Brian Just released his last solo album, 2017’s Changing Traffic Lights. On Oct. 24, the former leader of the Brian Just Band celebrates the release of Countryside, the third full-length project under his own name. The title track, “Countryside,” is a dreamy, psychedelic song that will have you forgetting your troubles. He has perfected a beautiful retro aesthetic over the years while sharing the stage with friends like Jillian Rae and his wife, Josie Just, who also did the orchestration on this song. “Countryside” overflows with Brian Just’s extraordinary balance of thoughtful lyrics, grit, tenderness, and allure. -YV

SELA RUNN

St. Paul indie/alternative artist SELA RUNN, real name Jonathan Seldat, has been making music for some time. He has recorded quite a few covers, and references artists such as Eliott Smith, Nick Drake and Gregory Alan Iskaov as inspiration. SELA RUNN recently released a new single called “Sawdust,” a nostalgic track about roaming back country roads and listening to CDs. To find SELA RUNN performing at local breweries and coffee shops, follow his Instagram. -NT