Photo by Sarah Pardini
If you don’t know UPSAHL by now, get familiar. As an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, she’s gifted us hits like “Drugs” and “People I Don’t Like,” and has helped write songs for the likes of Dua Lipa, Madison Beer, and Little Mix. From having her song featured in blockbusters like Bullet Train to making People Magazine’s list of “Talented Emerging Artists Making Their Mark in 2022,” our money is on the Phoenix native to be making her way onto every playlist you assemble in the coming months.
When it comes to her music, badass doesn’t even begin to describe UPSAHL’s discography. With anthems about claiming independence and facing problems head-on, her lyrics have undeniable themes of feminism–take her single “Monica Lewinsky” for example, which is the feminist anthem we didn’t know we needed.
Since the release of her 2021 debut album, Lady Jesus, UPSAHL has been blessing us with a handful of singles leading up to the release of her upcoming EP Sagittarius, due out this December. One of the standouts is “Into My Body,” finds her at her fieriest, pairing a killer bassline with her signature, stunning vocals. It’s artful pop, but has a strong house vibe that makes it the perfect to throw on while you’re getting ready for a night out. It’s a blissful track that shows off UPSAHL’s ability to consistently flex her personal and musical evolution.
Since wrapping in the US, her current ‘This is My First Headline Tour’ finds her traveling across Europe, with upcoming stops to come in Berlin, Paris, London, and more. If you can’t wait to see her live, and are wondering what gives her inspiration on the road, then we got you covered. UPSAHL shared with us a collection of songs that she jams to between shows, ranging from deep electronic cuts to funky low-fi hits. Check them out below and follow UPSAHL on Bandsintown to see when she’s coming to your city.
"I've been listening to this song before every show recently. Something about the unbothered energy of this whole song is infectious."
"This is my "dramatically look out the window while driving" song."
"THIS. THIS is the energy. I put this on my pre show playlist for the venue to play while everyone waits for the show to start, and I still haven't gotten sick of hearing it every night."
"I'm obsessed with everything by Lewis OfMan, so had to throw this one on the playlist."
"The lyrics to this song are epic, and I'm such a fan of Dora Jar. The guitar riff in the intro of this song always puts me in such a good mood within like 2 seconds of hearing it."
"This song always gets me in my feels. I listen to it while I'm journaling in the van sometimes."
"I fucking love this song. Her vocal delivery in the verses is one of the hottest things I've ever heard."
"Whenever I get to drive the van on tour, I play this song. It feels like I'm in the middle of nowhere in a random field, which is what most of tour looks like haha."
"This song has such a drivey feel that I'm obsessed with. It's really dancey and uptempo, but the understated vocal makes it feel laidback, which I love."
"This song is the ultimate good vibe song. The guitar/bass line is so hooky, and the lyrics are so sweet. We listen to this in the green room a lot."