underscores + umru

It may sound like the stuff of myth, but it’s far from it: crafting music on an iPhone, using GarageBand, from the confines of a bedroom. A quest for a sound no one has ever heard before. So fiercely independent, so enigmatic, yet capable of blossoming into something extraordinary. Perhaps it’s that very elusiveness that surprises you, that keeps you coming back, time and time again. This is the story of underscores, the artistic moniker of April Harper Grey, who, after a wave of distorted synths and glitchy hyper-electronic releases on SoundCloud, broke through to a wider audience in 2017. What followed was even more experimentation.

She took her avant-garde pop sound on the road, soared to new heights, and produced tracks for the likes of Alice Longyu Gao, glaive, and Whethan. She also graced the stages of major festivals, including Lollapalooza’s Main Stage, Electric Forest, and Corona Capital CDMX, delivering a theatrical performance that blurs the boundaries of electronic music. Vibrant lights, movement, and raw technical energy merge into something loud, emotional, and utterly unpredictable. Hailing from San Francisco with Filipino-American roots, her solo project draws inspiration from Skrillex, SOPHIE, and the DIY scene; so abrasive, so bold, it’s almost punk. Above all, it’s intense.

On Monday, November 2, underscores takes the stage in Paradiso’s Main Hall.