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Local LGBTQ+ musicians to add to your Pride playlists

A graphic designed for a listicle of pride songs by local artists in Colorado called 'Local Music Pride Playlist.'
(Graphic Illustration by Falyn Sebastian | The Collegian)

As Pride Month comes to an end, it is time to keep the light shining on the incredible musicians that work so hard to create an inclusive and accepting local music scene. Colorado is full of local artists and bands that are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Here are just a small handful of the many musicians that are helping create and grow a safe community while deconstructing heteronormativity through their music. 

Hotel Wifi

Hotel Wifi is the Fort Collins-based project of Jackson “Jae” Smith. Smith has been a part of the Fort Collins music scene since they were in high school and has played in multiple bands over the years. Currently they play both as Hotel Wifi and in local band Handsome Anthony.

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Released in 2018, their song “The Moon Is a Lesbian” has become a Fort Collins favorite. In an interview with KCSU, Smith talked about how the song title is inspired by hearing the phrase “The Moon Is a Lesbian” frequently in queer spaces. 

With beautiful vocals and a gentle guitar, Hotel Wifi’s “The Quing Is Dead” is a heartbreaking, screaming-along-with every-word queer anthem. In the same interview with KCSU, Smith talked about how the song is a “queer death fantasy,” drawing inspiration from the many transgender people who get misgendered at their own funerals. 

“The Quing Is Dead” is a song that addresses the struggles, pain and endless fight that queer people face in this world. It is a reminder that Pride is more than just a celebration. 

N3ptune

Born and raised in Denver, N3ptune is an up-and-coming artist with creativity overflowing from every bone in his body. In addition to being a talented singer and songwriter, N3ptune is an actor, producer and dancer, and he wins best-dressed for this playlist due to his unbeatable sense of style seen on the cover of his recent release “WHITE PONY.”

Plasma Canvas’s song “#Genderparty” is the perfect punk song to blast while you scream about the limitations and exclusions of the gender binary.”

Released June 11, “WHITE PONY” is an absolute necessity for your Pride playlist. This goose bump-producing tune supports N3ptune’s powerful vocals with dramatic percussion and humming vocalization to complete the sound. 

It was no surprise to read that N3ptune was first introduced to music through his grandmother’s church. The gospel influence on his music shines through all his songs, specifically with the soundscape N3ptune creates in his music, making it feel like you are listening to it while sitting in a large, echoing church. 

Released in 2020, his song “Pharaoh” is a more intense rap piece that addresses racism while diving into N3ptune’s journey of self-discovery. “Pharaoh” is a great example of N3ptune’s musical range. While being significantly different from “WHITE PONY,” it still sounds like the same artist with the genius use of percussion and backing vocals.  

Plasma Canvas

Introducing themselves as “the loudest and gayest band” in Fort Collins, it would be a crime to not include Plasma Canvas on this playlist. Both singer and guitarist Adrienne Rae Ash and drummer Jude McCarron have dedicated significant time and energy into creating an inclusive and accepting music scene and environment. 

Released on their 2018 EP “No Faces,” Plasma Canvas’s song “#Genderparty” is the perfect punk song to blast while you scream about the limitations and exclusions of the gender binary. While Pride is in part a celebration, it is also a continuous fight for equality. The lyrics “I’m never going to be what you want me to be/ I’d rather spit in your face than die to agree,” sung by Ash in a rightfully angry tone, is the perfect reminder of the meaning of this month.  

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Additionally, their song “Saturn” off their most recent EP “KILLERMAJESTIC” is a lyrically genius self-love song about finding independence. The phrase that hit me the hardest was the line “I’m not afraid of all my indiscretions ‘cause I’m living in a state of progress, not perfection.”

Modrn

Based in Fort Collins, Modrn is an indie pop duo comprised of singer and guitarist Charlie Montoya and drummer Sofia Ailicez. Despite being a duo, these musicians are able to create a sound fuller than a full band with their use of live tracking and multi-instrumental talents. 

Released in 2020, their self-produced “Bloom EP” is a great album to add to your Pride playlist. The passion that can be heard in Montoya’s voice throughout the album is unmatched. Additionally, Ailicez’s drum lines are truly unique and add an exciting layer to the pop music.

Their song “complicated” is a personal favorite due to the danceability of the percussion and incredible vocals of Montoya. The concept of a complicated relationship is a universally relatable struggle, and this song perfectly captures this conflict while still being upbeat. 

Kitty Crimes

Kitty Crimes is a music producer and performer based in the Denver area that released an entire album titled “HILUX” just in time for Pride. Not only does Kitty Crimes experiment with a variety of sounds but normalizes homosexuality and queerness lyrically and in performances. 

Their song “super star d*ke” is about becoming the person you always wanted to be and being proud of it. The chorus repeats the phrase: “Look right where you are, and look at who you’re here with/ You can do anything/ You can do anything.”

While this new album is incredible, nothing compares to my all time favorite Kitty Crimes song, “I Need a Freak Who Knows How to Do My Taxes.” The production of this song makes you feel like you have just walked into the coolest club in town, with perfectly timed sound effects, vocal distortions and the brilliant panning of sound. 

It may seem like the smallest thing, but Kitty Crimes describing wlw relationships in songs is a huge deal for the LGBTQ+ community due to the lack of representation of these relationships in music. Even the simple “she gets my taxes done” can mean so much to someone who is still getting the courage to come out.

Maddy Erskine can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @maddyerskine_.

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About the Contributors
Maddy Erskine, Arts and Culture Editor
Maddy Erskine has been the arts & culture editor for The Collegian since January. They began writing for The Collegian in August 2020 and quickly found their passion for journalism, prompting them to switch their major from anthropology to journalism and media communication that year.  Currently, Erskine works with reporters to find events, musicians, artists, restaurants, movies and other stories that should be shared with our community. Additionally, they edit articles for grammatical errors and accurate information before handing it off to the incredible copy team that catches any missed mistakes.  Born and raised in Fort Collins, Erskine was originally not looking forward to attending college in their hometown. However, that attitude changed immediately when they joined Rocky Mountain Student Media and started getting involved with both the radio station, KCSU, and The Collegian Erskine’s favorite part about Fort Collins is the variety of local music and art here. Growing up, their favorite subjects, and often the only classes they attended, were art and band. In the future, they hope to have their own publication that focuses on uplifting underrepresented voices in art and music.
Falyn Sebastian, Digital & Design Managing Edtior
After becoming a page designer as a sophomore, Falyn Sebastian evolved from print editor to design director and has now officially begun her new position as digital and design managing editor. Originally from the Big Island of Hawaii, she chose to attend Colorado State University to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in graphic design along with a minor in entrepreneurship. When it comes to arranging content in The Collegian's newsprint, Sebastian formats and arranges the visual media that readers love in a physical copy. After attending content and budget meetings with the editors of each desk, she manages how each week's visual content fits into the paper by clicking through Adobe InDesign. With a combination of original photos, illustrative graphics and advertisements, Sebastian organizes and delegates tasks to her talented and ever-growing design team. As a graphic design student, journalism was not a field Sebastian intended to work in during college, but she embraced the world of publication design through The Collegian. As graphic design focuses on the importance of effective communication, she realized she was truly designing for a fulfilling purpose. Student media will forever have a happy home in her heart. Working with other students who are passionate about what is happening in their community drives her to continue working on impactful design. Sebastian looks forward to what is yet to come while gaining new experience and memories with her staff.

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