For a many years now, the future of the Seattle music scene\u2014one that has long been defined by the vibrant grunge and DIY rock scene of the 1990s\u2014 has been in question due to Big Tech money<\/a> and the extensive forces of gentrification overtaking the city. As Bandcamp Daily recently wrote<\/a> about the status of the Seattle scene, “Flannel-wearing, granola-eating punks were pushed out of the way by the formidable income of North Face-wearing yuppies who could afford $20 bowls of paella as an appetizer<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure enough, many artists have moved away<\/a> due to the skyrocketing Seattle prices, irrevocably altering the Seattle music scene and sending many Seattle music fans scrambling to establish new nonprofits<\/a> and venues that could help preserve what’s left. What’s more, many of the issues the scene was facing before have been exacerbated tenfold by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when you hear THEM,<\/a> a brand new band of Seattle-bred teenagers, you hear hope. Their debut single, “Bad 4 U,” which dropped on June 5th, is the natural continuation and expansion of what Seattle music has always been about\u2014gritty, honest, and unique rock brought to life with the help of the local music community that’s rallied around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n