When you discover a new artist, you don’t just want to hear the song, you want to know everything—what their name means, where they’re from, how they started, what their process is like, which music they listen to. Whether their struggle was real or they’re an overnight sensation, it’s the stories that truly bring the music to life.
To go further behind the scenes with emerging artists, Spotify is introducing the new wave of RISE, the artist development program that supports up-and-comers across genres and gives fans a glimpse inside their lives. While the first season featured new favorites like Lauv and Trippie Redd, Spotify is now focusing on Platinum-selling Country breakthrough band LANCO, R&B artist Jorja Smith, Latin singer Karol G, and indie artist Rex Orange County.
Spotify will highlight one of the four emerging artists every two weeks in each artists’ bespoke multimedia RISE playlist, kicking off with the groundswell movement behind LANCO. Stay tuned for RISE short form documentary films (“24 Hours on the RISE”), original recording sessions with unique collaborators (“RISE Recordings”), live event activations, and collaborations on Spotify-optimized vertical videos.
Spotify will highlight one of the four emerging artists every two weeks in each artists’ bespoke multimedia RISE playlist, kicking off with country sensation LANCO. “When we were kids, putting together our first band and writing our first songs, our dream was to be able to eventually play them for people,” said LANCO’s lead singer Brandon Lancaster. “Spotify RISE is helping us make that dream a reality. By telling our stories through our music and through our entire creative process, we’re able to connect to our fans and grow the LANCO community in a deeper way than we could have ever imagined.”
All of these unique stories will live alongside the music—plus you’ll start to see them on Spotify’s many owned and operated playlists and editorial channels, creating a variety of new potential discovery moments for Spotify listeners.
Read about our four new RISE artists below, and check out spotify.com/RISE to hear more from each RISE artist.
About Spotify’s RISE Artists:
LANCO
In an incredible year of firsts, the “arena-rock leaning band” (Entertainment Weekly) LANCO became the first country group to debut on the Billboard Country albums charts at No. One in 10 years with their coming-of-age album, HALLELUJAH NIGHTS (Arista Nashville), which now boasts over 234 million digital streams. Additionally, this year’s two-time ACM nominated group is now the only Country band to achieve a PLATINUM single prior to a debut album release, with the two-week No. One “Greatest Love Story.” Following the multi-week chart-topping hit, their “foot-stomping new single” (Rolling Stone) “Born To Love You” proves LANCO is “well on their way to being reigning hitmakers,” (PopCulture). Named “the band to watch” by Bobby Bones, CMT, Entertainment Weekly, Hits Magazine, Rolling Stone, Spotify and more, LANCO continues “drawing in fans from across the globe” (Tucson Weekly) after touring the country’s top festivals such as Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Watershed and Faster Horses. This month, they will hit the road for their first amphitheater run as special guests on Dierks Bentley’s 2018 MOUNTAIN HIGH TOUR. For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.lancomusic.com.
