The days remaining in 2024 are few indeed, but the local music scene isn’t taking its foot off the gas because the holidays are upon us. Here’s a quick look at some of what North Texas musicians are up to as we prepare to dive into 2025.
Dezi 5 celebrates Dirty Laundry
Dallas singer-songwriter Dezman Lehman, who performs as Dezi 5, has spent a decade honing his craft and developing a reputation as one of the more connected musicians in the North Texas scene. All that hard work pays off as he prepares to celebrate the release of his debut full-length, Dirty Laundry, which dropped Nov. 15.
“This is my journal,” Dezi 5 said in a statement. “I’ve never written about love and personal relationships before, but after everything I’ve been through, it’s time to let these experiences come to life in my music.” He’ll be joined at the Double Wide by Pierce Washington and Loren Kole.
Double Wide, Dallas. 9:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Tickets are $12 advance, $15 day of show.
Garrett Owen performs in support of Memoriam
Garrett Owen saw much of the world before settling in Dallas — he came of age in Tanzania, Kenya, southern Louisiana and Ecuador, thanks to his parents’ careers as missionaries — but he’s wasted no time ingratiating himself with the musical scene, thanks to the strength of powerful work like his latest album, Memoriam. Owen will celebrate its release Dec. 14 at Dan’s Silverleaf, with support from Jackson and Levi Scribner.
Dan’s Silverleaf, Denton. 8 p.m. Dec. 14. Tickets are $12-$75.
Remy Reilly connects with herself on new single
Dallas-based indie pop singer-songwriter Remy Reilly has stayed plenty busy in 2024, and recently pulled the wraps off a new single, “Dirty Work,” which she said reflects her own emotional growth. “’Dirty Work’ is like my own personal diary entry,” Reilly said in a statement. “It’s a song about the fear of intimacy, the fear of not being enough, and the comparison of others. I wrote this song when I was in a dark place on my self-love journey, and I hope it comforts others who share the same struggles and helps them realize we all are worthy of love.”
Jessie Frye shares her “Secret Heart”
Denton’s Jessie Frye is a veteran of North Texas music, having retained an incisive core of deeply felt songwriting even as she’s evolved stylistically over more than 15 years. Frye’s latest pivot is toward the glossy synth-laden style first popularized in the 1980s. It’s a sleek compliment to Frye’s expressive vocals, as heard on her new single “Secret Heart,” the appetizer for her new album, Otherworld, due out next year.
Phantasma drops debut single “Like U Never Left”
The name Phantasma might strike some North Texas hip-hop fans as unfamiliar, but there’s a formidable pedigree behind it. From the ashes of the beloved Chroma, Khalid Abdul and Bleu Santana have teamed up to form the new, Dallas-based duo. The Mexican American pair wasted little time crafting a new track, “Like U Never Left,” which is out now. “Even when things didn’t go the way we hoped with our first group, the music never left us,” Santana said in a statement. “That’s really what this song is about — those feelings, people and dreams that stay with you, no matter what.”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
