Up and coming musicians and high-energy venues in Maryland have been incredibly active recently. New albums, concerts, and opportunities have blossomed and continue to do so.
By Alex Gallagher
Web Master
The local music scene is alive and well in Maryland. Local-based artists such as The Homekeepers, McBooze, and Amelia Ardenne are just a few flourishing examples of how young musicians are experiencing the raw process of the creation, production, and promotion that comes with navigating the exponentially dynamic nature of the music industry.
The Homekeepers are based in Maryland and perform concerts throughout the state—including their performance at the Calvert Library branch in North Beach, as seen in his interview on WNHS. The creator of The Homekeepers, Christian Daelemans, describes his music to be in alignment with the rock genre, with a keen focus on melody and feeling as compared to conformity to the genre. “Music is all about that melody and whether or not there’s something there that can get stuck in your head,” he explained, “and the idea of writing something that can do that is my goal usually.” Regarding the band’s future, Daelemans stated that his plan is to “just keep going on with it, no matter the turns [his] life takes.” Being the main writer and producer behind The Homekeepers, Daelemans said that the music he makes and records will change not only with equipment upgrades, but as he develops personally, citing his inspiration from artists whose music transforms with them throughout their careers. Additionally, he is hoping to get The Homekeepers signed to a “promising new label” in the local realm. No matter what the future holds, Daelemans emphasizes keeping things up and running, stating his efforts to “try and make the art … the world needs.” The writing process behind The Homekeepers is relatively simple. “I usually will pick up a guitar, spend a while figuring out chords that sound cool,” Daelemans explained. From there, he solidifies the melodies and chord progressions before worrying about the lyrics. Daelemans stated that this process, “removes a lot of strain and nervousness when recording time comes.” After the recent release of their self-titled album, The Hole—a local venue run by The Homekeepers’ very own drummer—hosted The Homekeepers for a special album release show. Additionally, The Homekeepers have released a multitude of singles and EPs which you can check out on Apple Music, Spotify, and most other platforms. Any updates about music and events are made on their Instagram page: @the.homekeepers. Currently, Daelemans is in the creative recovery period—he is listening to different music for inspiration and focusing on investing in new equipment and a different sound: “I’m both excited for what will come, but also nervous… I guess we’ll see what happens,” Daelemans said.
A current senior at Northern, Charles Watts, is the creative mastermind behind McBooze. In his words, the music of McBooze consists of “twinkly guitar riffs and whiny sounding vocals.” One way to characterize a broad genre linked to McBooze is “Midwest Emo/Skramz,” though many other genres play a part in the sound he achieves. He has been experimenting with more of an aggressive sound, leaning into his emo influences. Currently, Watts is looking for a drummer with a similar musical vision to work with in creating music. Further in the future, however, he is planning on making a career centered around music; “There’s nothing else in the world that speaks to me like music does,” he explained. In regard to the writing process, he draws mainly from emotions and experience to inspire his music: “I can’t really write songs happy, so I’ll wait until something bad happens,” Watts continued. Much like Daelemans, once he lays down a melody on guitar, the lyrics are created in a very similar way, stemming from whatever comes to mind in the moment. After recording, the production process then consists of double-tracking identical guitar tracks to create a fuller sound, then tweaking the volume on each track by ear until each song fits his vision for it. On top of the release of various songs and demos on SoundCloud, McBooze’s 5-song EP released on all platforms on September 30th, 2025. The second track, “Lord Pinnacle Words or Others” off of the EP even features a snippet of the beloved NHS principal, Dr. Kevin Simmons, speaking at an assembly as the intro. Any updates will be made on the artist’s main Instagram page: @mcbooze_guy.
Northern High School alumna and current student of Belmont University majoring in Commercial Voice, Amelia Ardenne is a folk singer/songwriter living in Nashville. Her music is centered around “the bittersweetness of growing up, relationships, and faith,” Ardenne explained. Emotions play a very large part in the creation of her music; she describes her overall writing style as “folk acoustic music that holds an emphasis on its message.” Ardenne’s musical goals consist of gaining attention so she can tour—“whether locally or at a larger scale”—and being in a band. Her main instrument is the guitar, so her writing process begins at feeling out the chords that inspire her at the moment. Once the instrumentals establish her intended mood, the lyrics tend to come naturally. However, not every song gets fleshed out at the same pace. “Each song is different; some take 30 minutes, others can take months,” Ardenne said. Because of this, she ensures herself to enjoy the process and accept that each song will come into its own when it is ready. Despite how busy she is with college, she still managed to release her first original song, titled “These Days,” on September 25th, 2025. This song, as well as a Laufey cover and an original demo are out on all platforms. Other content, as well as any updates on music releases, is present on her main instagram page, @ameliaardenne.
Along with releasing, producing, and posting, performance is a key aspect when it comes to presenting musicians’ hard work to more vast audiences. 11th grade Patriot, Bryce Richards, is an aspiring musician in the area. Bryce has been scoping out the local music scene, attending events ranging from concerts at college campuses and local venues, to the Live at the Library concert at the Twin Beaches branch of the Calvert Library, as covered on WNHS. This event in particular featured Richards and fellow Junior, Ezra Cohrs, along with other former NHS alumni. For more details on this event, the full video is available on the WNHS YouTube page. Although there are many new and bright happenings when it comes to local music, the scene does have its setbacks: “I think that people … have trouble finding bandmates here, or at least I do,” Richards explained, “and there aren’t enough good venues nearby.” Many venues—like The Hole—are too far for many residents in Calvert County, especially teens, making it hard to support local artists on a regular basis. To mitigate this, Richards hopes to bring life back to Northern’s Performance and Visual Arts Club, which recently found a new sponsor after longtime former club sponsor, Mrs. Branch, departed Northern High. PAVA now meets in room 216; their first meeting takes place on Wednesday, October 8th and they would love to have more members to amplify the voices of local musicians and artists alike. You can find out more about what they do on their Instagram page, @northernpava. On the topic of local venues, Richards mentions Montgomery County based punk club, The Garage; they describe concerts at The Garage to be “gritty, raw, and emotional; it’s as if the world is on fire just so these bands can cook.” Despite permit issues, this venue is still pushing through and delivering high energy concerts to their fans. For information on future events or how to support them, you can follow their Instagram: @livefromthegarage.music. Additionally, there’s a Flynn’s Arcade and Bar opening in North Beach. They are hoping to open in late 2025. For their grand opening weekend, they want all who attend to be able to play for free. More updates and booking information are present on their website, or on their Instagram: @flynnsarcademd.
These artists and venues want to express their support for the ever-growing population of musicians and artists everywhere who they feel dare to think differently and strive to bring a new perspective into the flat landscape of our world. With regard to future events, The Homekeepers have a show at Hice Mice, a venue in Rockville, Maryland on October 24th, 2025. You can also hear performances from more local artists at The Garage’s Rocktoberfest on October 18th, 2025, featuring fall-themed events as well as these performances. This event will be hosted at Honey Acres Farms in Boyd, Maryland. Additionally, if you are looking to make plans for Halloween, the Halloween Garager event is taking place on October 31st, 2025. More information regarding these events and others is available on the venue’s Instagram page.