SPOTIFY'S FRESH FINDS LAUNCHES INDIE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Listen to the first batch of Spotify Singles produced by Spotify's Fresh Finds program. Independent acts Wallice, EkkStacy, Unusual Demont and Julia Wolf were paired with seasoned producers like Ariel Rechtshaid and Jackson Foote to create original songs.

Check out Wallice's "Nothing Scares Me" (marinelli, Rechtshaid).
EKKSTACY linked with producer Jonny Pierce of The Drums on "f*ck everything."
Demont was paired with producer The Idiot (aka Kieran Watters) on "hey!"
Wolf connected with songwriter/producer Jacksoon Foote for "RBF: Part I."

Read more about their Fresh Finds experience here.

Spotify is taking its support of independent artists to the next level with its Fresh Finds program. Based on the Discovery playlist, which has served as a launchpad for some of today's hottest acts (Clairo, Omar Apollo), Fresh Finds has picked four inaugural acts: Wallice, Ekkstacy, Julia Wolf and Unusual Demont.

Over the span of six to eight weeks, these artists will have access to one-on-one mentorship and a personalized Masterclass to learn how to best use Spotify for Artists tools like Canvas and Marquee.

At the end of the program, each of the four groups of artists and producer/songwriters will release an original Spotify Singles track. The collaboration process will be documented through a social-content series so fans can follow along as the tracks are created and see the songs come to life.

“Independent artists are at the forefront of what’s next in music,” says Rachel Ring, Music Marketing Manager at Spotify. “It’s vital that we continue to create space and opportunities for this wide-ranging group of artists, meet them where they are, provide tools for them to have agency over their careers and give them a voice in our marketing campaigns.”

Wallice, whose influences include Weezer, Lana Del Rey and Vampire Weekend, will be paired with songwriter and producer marinelli and producer Ariel Rechtshaid. Wisconsin native Unusual Demont, influenced by his grandfather's work as a drummer for Curtis Mayfield, will be collaborating with producer Kieran Watters, professionally known as The Idiot. Pop siren Julia Wolf will be working with Jackson Foote, and Canadian alt-rocker EKKSTACY has been paired with The Drums' Jonny Pierce.

Learn more about the Fresh Finds program and its inaugural artists here. Peep the playlist below.