Dallas band Northlake. Photo: Tyler Harrington.
October is Local Music Month, KXT’s celebration of the sounds reverberating throughout North Texas! Each day, we will highlight different local artists you can hear on KXT. Check back here, find us on our social media or tune in to 91.7 FM to see the day’s featured artist.
Though the band has just a little over a handful of singles out, the Dallas (now Austin-based) indie-rock quartet of Northlake has quickly made noise as a local act worth keep an ear out for. So much so that singles like “Falling Out of Fashion” and “Daylight Dancing” have been spun regularly on The KXT Local Show with Nilufer Arsala.
And while Northlake is still relatively new – the band formed in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic – its members aren’t new to the local music scene. Bassist Devin Manning and guitarist Dylan Ackelbein were bandmates in the now-defunct metal band, Burning Bridges.
Their sonic sensibilities have softened with Northlake, but the band still weaves together both classic and modern influences for an alternative rock sound. Inspired by everything from INXS and The Doors to Peach Pit and The 1975, they describe it as “cultivated by the raw and restless emotions of post-internet era adolescence.”
A track like “What’s the Sea Like” is reminiscent of Harry Styles’ self-titled debut era, while “California Bride” lands like easy-listening pop-rock akin to Young the Giant.
No matter which corner of the rock ecosystem they lean toward, though, it handily translates to live performances all the same. What’s more, we saw for ourselves at the top of the month when they opened for Morning Buzz at Lola’s in Fort Worth. Naturally, they were among some of the artists we showcased at our free Local Music Month concert series at Sweet Tooth Hotel.
Northlake doesn’t have any official concert dates at the moment, but the band has teased forthcoming show announcements and even new music dropping soon. Until then, you can keep up with them on their Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
You can hear even more local music at noon Mon-Fri on Local Bites and on the KXT Local Show on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. If you’re an artist from North Texas, you can submit your music to KXT for consideration right here.
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