Rising Maryland and Washington, D.C. artist Jeff Draco has been described by the film and music magazine, The Luna Collective as, “on track to become the next household name in the indie music scene.” Alchemical Records has said, “Draco’s trajectory has been extraordinary.”
Meanwhile, Kinda Cool Magazine has listed the singer-songwriter as one of the Top Undiscovered Artists of 2022. On top of this, Draco has already made his way onto Live Nation’s “Ones to Watch.”
The praise is all for good reason, too. Draco has already garnered quite a large following, despite only releasing music under his name for five years. His song “Dreamgirl” has reached over 630,000 streams, and others like “For Too Long” have reached over 220,000 streams. He also has over 11,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
The rising artist comes from a musical family and background, enabling him to play and write music at a very early age. His first projects include a feature on the alternative rock band Diamond Youth’s album “Don’t Lose Your Cool,” as well as playing in several bands throughout his high school years.
Draco first started releasing music on his own in 2017, freshly out of high school. He first saw success with his 2018 debut album “Paradise,” an easy-listening indie record perfect for beach days and summer nights.
His turning point came in 2020, when his funk-inspired song “Last Night” made its way onto Spotify’s Metropolis playlist. This was immediately followed by a collaboration with Ben Beal, titled “Losing My Mind.” This one was funk-infused as well but in a more smooth, soulful sense. These were the songs that first began to push him into the public eye and into the mainstream music scene.
Then came “Dreamgirl,” which Draco described as, “a girl that feels like a dream and leaves as quickly as she comes.” He collaborated with his band, which includes Josh Poggioli (Skate Stance), Tyler Drager (The Dune Flowers), George Turner and Owen Greene. The song was released in 2021 and has proven to be a wildly successful single since then. “Dreamgirl” was what helped carve a niche into the indie music scene, one Draco has been growing in ever since.
After this, he released his second EP “Freezing in Hollywood” in 2022, which has also proven to be a massive success for the rising artist. With the success of this record also came an eight-show tour across the eastern United States under the name “Never Gonna Be The Same.”
The tour was named for a single that came shortly before the tour’s first date, which the young artist described in a press release as being, “about change, navigating the world as a young person, and trying to figure out how to deal with the weight of the world. It’s such a confusing time; things can feel scary, crazy, and in a lot of ways, like things are moving backward.”
Draco then proceeded to explain these sentiments further, going on to say, “part of the song is about the isolation that comes from a need to look out for ourselves because it doesn’t feel like anyone else from the top down can anymore or will, and a push to advocate for those who come behind us, too, since the systems currently in place aren’t always equipped to solve issues.”
This makes it all too relatable for young adults and older teens, who make up the vast majority of the audience, as well as Draco himself.
“The other aspect of the song is more introspectively about isolation and change as I’m freshly out of college and now learning how to exist in the ‘real world,” Draco said in a press release. “In both situations, I look back and realize things are never gonna be the same.”
Since the start of his career five years ago, Draco has performed alongside artists like Vansire, Flipturn, The Brazen Youth, Moon Tide Gallery, Fleece, Moxie and The Never Ending Fall. Furthermore, he has opened for several major artists, such as Carlie Hanson, Sophie Powers and The Crystal Casino Band.
The best is yet to come, though, as it was announced by Draco and independent music venue, Metro Baltimore, that “Jeff Draco and Friends,” was set for Dec. 9. It has been described as a “night of unmissable indie pop.” Alongside Draco, concertgoers can also expect to see other rising artists, such as psychedelic pop artist Modern Nomad and indie pop artist Plant Dad.
After a wildly successful past few years, Draco has proven he is here to stay, and he has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
