Photo courtesy of Nicholas Wong UT freshman geology student Philip Lupton and San Antonio high school senior Truett Heintzelman’s friendship started the summer of 2016 when they met at Laity Lodge...

The four female artists leading the indie genre today all have something in common, and it’s not something you see in the music industry everyday. Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, and Clairo share a camaraderie that goes beyond a hello at a show or a few twitter interactions. The foursome provide support for one another and encouragement, go to one another’s shows, tour together, and derive inspiration from each other’s work - all while transforming the landscape of indie singer-songwriters. Even with different sounds, the common emphasis on deep, raw lyricism puts these women as the leading indie singer-songwriters today.

I often wonder if “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” applies to albums. From band portraits to concept illustrations, I decided to dig up some bottom-dwellers in the CD clearance section to test my cover-examining skills.

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