It’s never easy for independent artists to reach fans and build a career in today’s competitive music industry. But platforms like TuneCore allow musicians to self-release their work to every streaming service without the help of a label, and every year some of the most talented and driven DIY acts break through on their own terms. Here are the SPIN x TuneCore Accelerator artists that you should get caught up on now, ranging from R&B to alternative rock to hip-hop, as they make moves for 2026.
SOFIA ISELLA
An unsigned artist getting to perform on the biggest concert tour of all time doesn’t even sound possible, but that’s exactly what happened in 2024 when SOFIA ISELLA opened one of the London dates of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. At just 20 years old, the Los Angeles-born Isella had already shared stages with several major stars by the time she self-released her third EP, I’m Camera, in May. Her darkly atmospheric, instantly memorable songs are influenced by ‘90s alt-rockers like Nine Inch Nails, but SOFIA ISELLA brings an acidic wit and feminist perspective to songs like “Man Made” and her latest single “Above the Neck,” both produced by Mr Hudson (Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus). The title of a track she released in 2023 seems to most aptly describe SOFIA ISELLA’s career trajectory: “I Looked the Future in the Eyes, It’s Mine.”
SOFIA ISELLA 2026 Tour Dates:
- 4/18/26: Capital One Arena – Washington, D.C. (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 4/19/26: TD Garden – Boston, MA (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 4/21/26: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 4/22/26: Madison Square Garden – New York, NY (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 4/24/26: Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 4/25/26: Xfinity Mobile Arena – Philadelphia, PA (w/ Florence + The Machine)
- 5/5/26: La Madeleine – Brussels, Belgium
- 5/7/26: X-TRA – Zürich, Switzerland
- 5/8/26: den Atelier – Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
- 5/11/26: Docks – Hamburg, Germany
- 5/12/26: Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany
- 5/14/26: Vega – Copenhagen, Denmark
- 5/15/26: Sentrum Scene – Oslo, Norway
- 5/16/26: Fryshuset Arenan – Stockholm, Sweden
- 5/19/26: SaSaZu – Prague, Czech Republic
- 5/20/26: Arena Wien – Vienna, Austria
- 5/22/26: Tonhalle – Munich, Germany
- 5/23/26: E-Werk – Cologne, Germany
- 5/25/26: Melkweg MAX – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 5/26/26: Melkweg MAX – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 5/27/26: Élysée-Montmartre – Paris, France
- 5/29/26: Albert Hall – Manchester, United Kingdom
- 5/30/26: O2 Institute Birmingham – Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 6/1/26: The National Stadium – Dublin, Ireland
- 6/3/26: O2 Academy Glasgow – Glasgow, United Kingdom
- 6/4/26: Roundhouse – London, United Kingdom
- 7/31/26: Hinterland Music Festival – Saint Charles, IA
WALLETTE
Wallette Watson, better known as WALLETTE, moved to New York City to follow her dreams and has performed in Paris and Rome, but her soulful music is deeply informed by a childhood of singing in church in North Carolina. From modeling for and collaborating with major fashion and fragrance brands to soundtrack work, WALLETTE has built a diverse portfolio beyond a catalog that includes her 2020 EP Trust the Process. In November, WALLETTE released “Listen to the Music (2025 Rework),” a modern imagining of Judy Carter’s 1983 club classic recorded at Miravel Studios as part of the Paco Rabanne’s #RabanneRemix challenge. And this month she released her song from the 2025 action thriller Safe House, co-writing “I’m on Fire” with the film’s lead actor Lucien Laviscount and recording it with Grammy-winning producer Judah Jones.
Kaelin Ellis
Playing multiple instruments and fusing jazz with hip-hop and electronic beats, Florida-based producer Kaelin Ellis has a distinctively funky, instantly recognizable sound. Ellis has appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts and worked with platinum artists like Logic and Jazmine Sullivan, uniting with Lupe Fiasco for the 2020 collaborative EP House. Ellis’s prolific 2025 output has included the guest-heavy album Chrysalis as well as the instrumental collection Off Beat, and Chicago rap stars Saba and Mick Jenkins appeared on his latest single “Come and Go.”
$wag Nightmare
Carrington Bornstein already had two million followers on TikTok and was profiled by GQ by the time he released his first single, “Night Phone,” under his musical alias $wag Nightmare in August 2024. In just a year, the Hollywood-based content creator pivoted from comedic videos to a self-produced emo rap sound, amassing over 20 million streams independently. The Even in Hell EP and Franken$tein mixtape, both released in 2025, feel like the beginning of a passion project growing into a unique, exploratory new musical identity.
Bree Runway
Some independent artists have been through the major label system, and have come out the other side with enough experience to succeed on their own terms. London singer/rapper Brenda “Bree Runway” Mensah signed to EMI Records early in her career, winning a BET Award and collaborating with mainstream stars like Missy Elliott and Khalid. Since 2023, however, Bree Runway has been independent, returning to her DIY roots as a teenager recording in her home studio, while still making deeply original, genre-blurring music. After guesting on one of the most acclaimed albums of 2025, Amaarae’s Black Star, Bree Runway is prepping an EP for the new year, and recently traveled to Brazil to direct the video for the lead single “Hot Like.”
