Originally Published on June 23rd, 2026

For the start of June, I thought it would be fun to post an open call for artists to introduce themselves. The idea would be to welcome some new artists into the FMOF family. Well, after well over a hundred responses, I definitely have my hands full! In an effort to get to as many of these artists as possible, I am going to do a series of Spotlight Articles that will serve as introductions to groups of these artists at a time.

Arc by Analog Missionary

I will always be here for a Gothic DreamProg band from Alabama. True, it has been a little while since Analog Missionary put out new music, but it’s new music to me, and I can’t pass an opportunity to hear a Prog rock band incorporate unconventional instruments into their performances like a theremin, a Chapman stick, a Dumbek, and an Artiphon. Honestly, I only know what one of those instruments are (live long and prosper), but that just makes me even MORE curious.

Analog Missionary have put out 3 albums. I’m listening to their latest, Arc, which came out in 2017. What is so remarkable to me is the lead vocalist has a distinct familiarity to me. She sounds like the lead singer of a local Nashville band I used to listen to a long time ago called Mink. Tragically, they are not streaming anywhere, nor are they on any socials, so this is a reference only I will be familiar with. Nonetheless, she is a wildly talented. In particular, the song Peace is heavily influenced by Middle Eastern music. I absolutely adore this song. It is quite remarkable.

Analog Missionary Website – Includes Store, Media, and links to all socials!

Foreign Love Language by Rainwash

Ahead of his debut LP, indie pop artist Rainwash has released 3 singles since March. Influenced by pop artists such as Glass Animals, Bon Iver, and Chet Faker, Rainwash explores a diverse sound featuring unconventionally intriguing guitars, programmed percussion, and fusing really cool synth sounds with unique samples.

Rainwash’s debut album, Inner Circle Insecurities, will release this Friday. Currently, we can hear Nomad (Just Lay Back), Anomaly, and Foreign Love Language. I listened to each of the songs. I was particularly drawn to the latest release, Foreign Love Language. I really like the recurring sample used in this song that also features in Anomaly. Rainwash has a distinct vocal performance that would suggest he is possibly from the UK. He has a nice baritone. It reminds me of the song Don’t Fear by the UK band Maps.

Recover EP by Forrest Clay

This last artist was one I was particularly drawn to from his submission note: “I wrote this after leaving evangelicalism.” Being a person who can absolutely relate, I really wanted to hear this work. I often find myself writing about or referencing a religion I no longer practice or believe in, and I am really into people discovering who they are without religion. For something so big, I think musicians can’t simply walk away from faith, they have to depart from it by saying goodbye in their own ways.

Forrest Clay chose to say goodbye by releasing a 26-minute EP in 2021, called Recover EP. This 6-song body of work features music that blends alt pop and folk sounds that could draw comparisons to artists like Ben Folds and Jason Mraz. Building an instrumental foundation on a series of inspiration piano performances, Clay astonishes with a radiant tenor vocal performance that carries throughout the entire body of work. My favorite song on this body of work is Oh Church, a pleading song chronicling the divisive perception of the church and how it can sometimes cause more harm than good.

Clay, an indie artist from Clyde, Ohio, writes emotionally captivating songs that portray a “small town upbringing,” but this is no small town artist. He has a flare for performance and, based off of his Spotify bio, it looks like he has experience performing outside of his solo work as he used to be the frontman of The Undeserving, an indie rock band who signed with Warner Brothers in 2008(I believe this is them for anyone curious to have a listen). The Undeserving had moments of potential breakthrough with some of their music being featured on shows like American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, and Undercover Boss.

There is no question that, after listening, Clay has found a more intimate approach to sharing his musical talent with his audience. His solo work is more intimate, organic, and the writing is deeply personal. I felt a deep connection to Recover EP but there are several releases in Clay’s solo catalog.

Final Thoughts

As we move forward in June, I hope to put one or two Spotlight articles out every week. Some days, there may be 2-3 artists featured in the article, and some days there may be 5. It depends on how much time I have to work into the article when it comes. For those who are familiar with FMOF, I like to put an extra bit of effort into the writing process for our articles. That means I like to dig into the artist, listen to their catalog, and put out a full article. There is absolutely no A.I. used in the writing process. I am the journalist and the editor and sometimes, there are grammatical imperfections in these articles. Really, they’re glorified journal entries inspired by the music I am writing about that day. They are not emotionally unbiased, in fact, I pour my emotion into writing these articles. If you are an artist that is interested in being fully featured, make sure to follow me. Go to fmofmusicentertainment.com and click on the “How to Submit Music or a Video” Page on the toolbar. It walks through the official submission method step by step. Artists are never required to pay for reviews. In two years, I’ve never accepted a payment from one single artist and I won’t. I just ask you pay it forward. Share the article, refer other artists, and follow the FMOF socials so we can continue to get the word out. Look, there are a lot of different associations who are fixated on preying on independent artists with empty promises about helping them get famous. These musicians don’t need another entity doing that. I just ask you do one thing: Go Press Play.

HOW TO SUBMIT MUSIC OR A VIDEO