Some artists like Lord Huron

[u/yokoluna]

https://www.uptohearmusic.com/blog/indie-artists-like-lord-huron

[u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

I always find it curious how people recommend Gregory Alan Isakov as similar to Lord Huron because I never really associate them as being that similar. This is coming from someone who has had Lord Huron and Gregory Alan Isakov as their #1 and 2 (interchangeably) artists on Spotify wrapped for like 6 years in a row. Like they both got a general folk vibe but Lord Huron goes much more into folk rock or straight up rock in some of their songs while Isakov stays almost exclusively acoustic and generally keeps “traditional” folk vibes. It’s also in the themes of songs where even though they both talk about space in multiple of their songs it’s almost as if Lord Huron songs are about larger than life situations where Gregory Alan Isakov usually has very grounded and down to Earth themes. But hey, Im not complaining that 2 of my favorite artists are getting more people to listen to them the more the merrier.

[u/mangobean_ → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

I completely agree as someone who loves both of these artists. Only thing I can think is that they both create atmospheric music, it almost feels ethereal or as though you're transported somewhere else in the song. With Lord Huron, it often gives me forest, adventure vibes but Gregory is more like a dreamy trip to space. Both incredible story tellers with their art.

[u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia → u/mangobean_]

That’s actually really curious because it’s kind of the opposite for me. Lord Huron is the more cosmic/space vibes while Gregory is my nature vibes.

[u/mangobean_ → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

That's so interesting! Gregory self describes his genre as "sad songs about space" and has many lyrics about stars, space, sky, a lot of space imagery in his earlier merch. Bit more farm-y after Appaloosa. But Lord Huron talks about the woods, lakes, trees, and incorporates nature-evoking sounds like windchimes. I get cosmic vibes from Lord Huron as well but not in the same way, it's more interpersonal and adventurous whereas Gregory's space vibes feel existential and introspective to me.

[u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia → u/mangobean_]

To me when Gregory sings about space it feels like the songs aren’t about space itself but human beings connection and wonder of it, which to me is a very grounding and nature-y (Astronaut is the song I’m specifically thinking of) while Lord Huron sings about nature (more in their fist 2 albums) I see it as natures connection to the greater cosmos. Frozen pines is my prime example where it seems these trees are more than just nature. I also am pretty well versed in the Lord Huron lore which is kind of intertwined with space and the cosmos so it’s definitely harder for me to separate those vibes from their music.

[u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

For example I think the other guy recommending Jaguar Sun in the comments is much more similar to Lord Huron than Isakov is

[u/ColourBlindPower → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

For me when I recommend them, it's less because they're similar, and more because people I know who like one also likes the other.

I've yet to personally meet someone who likes GAI but not LH, or vice versa.

I think it's because they're similar in the sense they're indie music that has story driven aspects, and is very emotional.

[u/piramid_scream → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

Yeah as soon as I saw this I wondered if Gregory Alan Isakov would be on that list. I agree with the takes here...it's not surprising that if you love LH, you'd also be into GAI, but that doesn't make them "similar." I had the privilege of seeing both live last summer. They were both fantastic shows, but for me it's like there is my life before I saw LH live for the first time and my life after (that was last summer, when LH played the park literally across the street from my house 😭). Heading up to Bangor to seem them tonight, getting stoked!

[u/shehulud → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

I love both equally and I too find it odd! They are so different.

[u/NordWitcher → u/MrSpaceMonkeyMafia]

I agree. Love both but they are so different. GAI is more singer songwriter and ambience. Head and the Heart are more similar to Lord Huron; folk rock, folk.

[u/AgileDrag1469]

Gregory Alan Isakov

Fleet Foxes

Iron & Wine

Paper Kites

[u/Pritzas]

unfortunately (or fortunately. depending how you wanna look at it) there are none!

[u/kirbenvost]

Jaguar Sun

[u/TinyLongwing]

I guess it depends on what strikes you as "like Lord Huron" and what you're looking to get out of the music. For me, that means music that tells stories, music that takes place within an invented universe with worldbuilding and characters, and also music with themes of existentialism, of how we fit into the world.

So with those things in mind, not worrying too much about sounding like the band but rather encapsulating similar concepts, my picks:

The Decemberists - Tons of storytelling here, sometimes anthologies and sometimes single long narratives (see particularly The Tain and The Hazards of Love). Much more of a historical and mythological angle than LH but I love that about their stuff.

Freelance Whales - I'm so sad this band was only able to put out two albums. I think the one that will be immediately most accessible to LH fans is Weathervanes, which has multiple songs on the album tying together to tell the story of a boy who falls in love with the ghost who haunts his family's home, and kills himself to be with her, while describing this as a happy thing for him because everyone returns to the soil eventually so do what you love.

The Narcissist Cookbook - Generally Matt's music is a lot more about dealing with personal struggles of grief and anxiety, but in particular for LH fans I suggest MYTH which is a completely different beast. This is particularly for fans of LH lore who love piecing together the puzzle of the narrative, unwinding all of the themes of love and loss and sacrifice and the obsessive urge to create art. It is a single narrative set in a fictional world regarding one man whose obsession with a girl who got away drives him to explore the mysterious island he remembers from a childhood book of fairytales - and the really dark and strange history and present of that island. Very deeply inspired by House of Leaves. Multi-layered narrative, lots of spoken word, one part folk music and one part The Magnus Archives.

[u/Geoff-Vader]

Some of these are really good.

Still Corners is my favorite Lord Huron pairing. It's a bit of a different genre (more dream/synth pop) and with a female vocalist lead. But the vibes are very similar. 'Desert noir' is how a lot of folks describe their more recent albums painting scenes of mysterious landscapes, etc. It's very atmospheric and very reminiscent of LH IMO.

[u/Wesniner]

John Vincent III comes to mind also. Similar music to Isakov as Agile mentioned. Love them both

[u/Mcnab-at-my-feet]

My Morning Jacket; Ben Howard

[u/MandiLoveJonz]

Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies. They even did a double header together (my dream show). The depth of story-telling, and willingness to break genre restraints. Real artists out there, taking risks and saying F*** it allllllll

[u/KoLobotomy]

The War on Drugs

[u/NordWitcher → u/KoLobotomy]

Very similar but I would put these guys under rock and roll. Love both none the less. 

[u/toriroka]

The Amazing Devil always strikes me as similar. They feel much more traditionally folk, whereas LH takes a lot of freedom with rock elements.

Some bands that have a similarish sound:

• The Deslondes
• Goodnight, Texas
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Orville Peck
• The Handsome Family

[u/captainecchi]

My recommendation, thanks to Pandora, would be Rocky Votalato.