Maryland is known for crab cakes, Old Bay, and a top lacrosse state – but Maryland also has musical talent. Musicians like Billie Holiday, Frank Zappa and Toni Braxton are just a few of the notable artists from Maryland.

Here are five innovative Maryland musicians with fans in the state and beyond that you may not be familiar with:

1: Maggie Rogers: Born and raised in Easton, Maryland.

• Genre: Folk, Indie Pop
• Current release: Don’t Forget Me (Album 2024)
• You will like this artist if you like: Clairo, HAIM, Japanese Breakfast or Phoebe Bridgers

Listen here: Maggie Rogers – Don’t Forget Me (Official Video)

Maggie Rogers is a singer-songwriter from Easton, Maryland who has released a total of five albums – three studio and two independent – and has opened for artists such as HAIM, Mumford and Sons and Coldplay.

Rogers, an NYU graduate, gained popularity after a viral video showed her playing “Alaska” for producer Pharrell Williams when he attended her music production class.

Fans of Rogers admire her unique blend of folk and pop, coupled with her insightful lyrics, which have left a deep impression and allowed her to connect with a diverse and loyal fan base.

Katherine Scott is a 21-year-old who enjoys a wide variety of genres such as ambient music, hyperpop and indie pop. Scott says Rogers creates songs she can connect with.

“I like Maggie Rogers because her music feels very authentic,” Scott said. “(For me) she has mastered telling a story while mixing genres.”

2: Hub: Founded in Baltimore

• Genre: Punk, Alternative Rock
• Current release: Glow On (Album 2021)
• You’ll like this artist if you like Soundgarden or The White Stripes

Listen here: TURNSTILE – UNDERWATER BOI (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Turnstile is a punk band from Baltimore formed in 2010 with five EPs and three studio albums.

According to an interview with Fader magazine, the bandmates met through Towson University and the surrounding local hardcore music community in Baltimore.

Current band members include vocalist/keyboardist Brendan Yates, drummer Daniel Fang, bassist/vocalist Franz “Freaky” Lyons and lead guitarist/backing vocalist Pat McCrory.

According to Yahoo Entertainment, Fang grew up in Birdsville, Maryland, and Yates grew up in Greenbelt, Maryland, alongside childhood neighbor, former bandmate and former lead guitarist Brady Ebert.

Fans describe Turnstile’s music as a mix of hardcore, punk and 90s alternative rock.

Orla Collins, a 21-year-old DJ who has a radio show about women in country music, discovered Turnstile when they opened for Blink-182 in 2023 – a show she said was her favorite show of all time.

“Honestly, I didn’t like hardcore before I heard it. And when I saw it was a hardcore band, I was a little intimidated, but I thought it was really interesting,” Collins said. “I felt like the live environment was so electric and cathartic.”

Griffin Hevsy, a 21-year-old and music director at WMUC-FM College Park who describes his taste in music as crazy, discovered Turnstile’s music through his sister, who lives in Baltimore.

“I listened to it and thought, This is great. Since then, I’ve been a pretty big fan of everything they’ve put out,” Hevsy said.

“It kind of suits my taste because it’s very energetic but also very varied,” Hevsy said. “It’s also very accessible.”

3: Beach House: Founded in Baltimore

• Genre: dream pop, shoegaze
• Current release: Become (2023 EP)
• You will like this artist if you like: Cocteau Twins, The Sundays or Slowdive

Listen here: Beach House – Space Song

Beach House is a dream pop band formed in Baltimore in 2004 with nine albums and two EPs. Bandmates include multi-talented musician Alex Scally and singer/keyboardist Victoria Legrand.

According to a Pitchfork post from the group, Scally is a Baltimore native who graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 2000 and Oberlin College in 2004. After graduating from college, he returned to Baltimore to work with his father, a professional carpenter.

For Legrand, she spent several months with her family in Baltimore following her mother’s divorce in the mid-1980s, eventually moving to Rising Sun, Maryland, before growing up primarily in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Beach House is considered one of the most popular dream pop bands. They helped popularize the sound to a younger audience.

Paul Gracie, a 20-year-old who describes his taste in music as chill but still adventurous, discovered Beach House’s music shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gracie learned about her music through a sample of her song “Silver Soul,” which is featured on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 track “Money Trees.” They enjoy Beach House’s music for its captivating performances and originality.

“I think musically it’s the fact that they kind of stay within their genre and make a type of music that’s really hard to come by… they kind of made the blueprint for it,” Gracie said.

4: Joony: Born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland.

• Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
• Current release: Memento (DELUXE) (Album 2024)
• You’ll like this artist if you like him: Jordan Ward

Listen here: Joony – Drifting In Tokyo (Official Music Video)

Joony is a 23-year-old rapper, songwriter and artist from Silver Spring, Maryland, known for his eccentric melodies and the intertwining of his particular rap style with those melodies.

The rapper has collaborated with artists such as Brent Faiyaz, Jordan Ward and Lancey Foux, which helped him gain 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of December 2024.

Joony’s fans appreciate his distinctive style and the versatility of his musical projects.

People like graphic designer Evan Jackson, a 24-year-old with his own ties to Maryland, appreciate the authenticity of his music and the way the music highlights parts of Montgomery County that aren’t highlighted in everyday discourse.

“I think people should listen to him because his style is very authentic and real, and you know, he comes from MoCo, where a lot of people can relate to his music,” Jackson said. “He’s also really good at using his voice as an instrument.”

5: Brent Faiyaz: Born in Columbia, Maryland.

• Genre: R&B
• Current release: Larger Than Life (Album 2023)
• You will like this artist if you like: 2000s R&B, Frank Ocean, Miguel or Bryson Tiller

Listen here: Brent Faiyaz – Last One Left feat. Missy Elliott & Lil Gray (Visualizers)

Brent Faiyaz is a 29-year-old singer-songwriter from Columbia, Maryland who has steadily become a top R&B artist with 23.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of December 2024.

Faiyaz gained attention for his music in Goldlink and Shy Glizzy’s 2016 track “Crew”, where he sang the infectious hook that caught the attention of many people.

Faiyaz has released four solo albums and is part of the group Sonder – consisting of producers Atu and Dpat with Faiyaz on vocals. Sonder has released a handful of singles alongside her only album, released in 2017.

Maryland area fans of Faiyaz appreciate his originality and the representation he brings to the state.

“He works with a lot of different artists from here. So when you listen to an album of his, you really get an authentic DMV sound,” Jackson said. “It’s not just R&B or just one thing, he also incorporated many different aspects and instruments into the way he produced it, so it’s very fluid.”

Photo: Governor Wes Moore presents singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers with a proclamation from the State of Maryland declaring Juneteenth “Maggie Rogers Day” at her June 16 concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. (Photo by Joe Andrucyk/Executive Office of the Governor)