Opinion: 5 x Artists To Watch (Pride Edition)
By Lavinia Tanzim
In honor of Pride Month, Precision Record Pressing are showcasing five of our favorite queer artists, who we’ve pressed vinyl records for in recent years.
One of the many benefits of working at an international record pressing plant is that you are continuously exposed to the most diverse range of music and artists possible. Year round, we have the privilege of pressing vinyl records by countless talented members of the LGBTQ+ community, whose contribution to the global music scene cannot be overstated. We asked our team for five of their favorite queer artists that we’ve worked with recently and here’s who they chose.
Jozem
Hailing from Toronto, but originally growing up in Kenya and Rwanda, R&B artist Jozem (he/him) just released his self-produced debut album, it came to me in a dream. Packed full of powerful influences and music stylings, the 10-track project takes the listener on Jozem’s journey of self-reflection on his identity as a Black, queer refugee in a foreign land. His introspective lyrics and soulful melodies bring richness and color to the diasporic experience, losing your way and finding yourself again in a world where you have to create your own space to belong.
Our recommendation:
Pillow Queens
Fresh off the release of their second album Leave The Light On, indie rock quartet Pillow Queens are well on their way to becoming the role models they never had. The tension between growing up in religiously-steeped Ireland and not seeing people like them represented in their youth has pushed the group to bring their queerness to the forefront of their music and to their identity as a band. They want to represent the full spectrum of the queer experience, which of course includes the political and the struggle, but also the joy, love and everyday mundane realities of what it means to be a human.
Our recommendation:
Trapcry
Under the moniker Trapcry, Gene Thompson (he/they) is a Hip-Hop artist who is determined to challenge the boundaries of any box you try to put him in. Originally released on the eve of the 2020 Presidential election, his album Dangerous is a politically charged assertion of his identity as a Black gay man living in America. The anthemic title track showcases just one of the plethora of sounds, tempos and genres that permeate throughout the project. From the Hip-Hop/Soul inspired opener Luv U, to the club banger Fetch, the album brings to the fore Thompson’s impressive range as a vocalist and producer.
Our recommendation:
Cavetown
Robin Skinner (he/they), known professionally as Cavetown, began his musical career at age 14 posting original songs and covers on YouTube, that he recorded in his bedroom. As a transgender artist that also identifies as part of the aromantic and asexual spectrum, his music cleverly teases apart ideas of love and gender in a refreshingly wholesome light. The sincerity in both his artistry and his online personality won has him a devoted fanbase that’s been able to witness his journey through his queer identity and mature into a successful career musician today.
Our recommendation:
Rina Sawayama
As an openly pansexual Japanese-British artist, Rina Sawayama (she/her) aims to bring social consciousness to the forefront of her work by using her art as a vehicle to tell stories about people – like herself – that still are underrepresented in Western media. Being an independent popstar has allowed her to maintain autonomy over her art and she doesn’t shy away from discussing challenging issues in her music, such as queer relationships, living as a racialized person, the climate crisis, and more. Her fearlessness and authenticity makes her a captivating figure in today’s Pop landscape as she has carved out her own seat at the table.
Our recommendation:
