Hinterland’s Hidden Gems
Let’s be honest, August in Iowa is a baptism by humidity. The sun beats down, the dust kicks up, and you’ll question every life choice that led you to that open field in Saint Charles. But here’s the thing; the artists who command that discomfort, who turn sweat into transcendence, are the ones you’ll remember decades from now. The headliners—KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons, and Kali Uchis—will most definitely deliver spectacle. But the real magic happens earlier in the day, when the crowd is thinner, the stakes are lower, and an artist has nothing to prove except everything.
With this year’s Hinterland Music Festival just around the corner (July 30–August 2), here are a handful of acts you don’t want to miss.
Day 1: The Sound of Dissonance Made Beautiful
Jane Remover doesn’t make easy music. She makes the kind that crawls under your skin and builds a home there. Her 2023 opus, Census Designated, was a dreamlike shoegaze meditation on rockstar life. But her 2025 follow up, Revengeseekerz, is where she flipped the script and went for a full-on confrontation. Released last April via DeadAir, the album was conceptualized while touring with JPEGMafia and recorded in her Chicago home studio. It’s a return to the digicore mayhem of her debut Frailty, but with sharper teeth and a more ferocious sense of self. The lead single “JRJRJR” finds her daydreaming about changing her artist name while “rehearsing songs I hate in Silverlake / Trying not to cry.” That is a gut punch of fame anxiety. A feature from Detroit rap legend Danny Brown on “Psychoboost” adds to the pandemonium, while tracks like “Dreamflasher” pair raw, romantic lyricism with digitally noisy melancholy. Live, it’ll be awe inspiringly chaotic beauty.
Frost Children will take that adrenaline and weaponize it. Siblings Angel and Lulu Prost are hyperpop’s id: unfiltered, feral, and impossible to ignore. Their 2023 Speed Run and Hearth Room releases are a whirlwind of autotuned screams, breakneck tempo shifts, and genuine emotional whiplash. But their 2025 album SISTER finds the duo channeling their signature intense energy into catharsis of golden era EDM, filtered through a rock sensibility and powered by abrasive sawtooth synthesizers. In the blazing Thursday sun, their set will feel like a controlled explosion and you’ll want to be at ground zero.
Day 2: Dream Pop Meets The Dancefloor
It’s Friday—the heat has settled into your bones. That’s when Wisp offers salvation. At just 19 years old, San Francisco’s Natalie Lu became a Gen Z shoegaze icon, signing to Interscope after her single “Your Face” racked up millions of streams. But don’t mistake viral fame for shallowness. Her debut EP Pandora and full length album If Not Winter are fully realized dreamscapes. “Sword” shimmers with haunting strings before collapsing into walls of distortion, while “Luna” channels Cocteau Twins’ ethereal majesty. Her voice, a hushed rasp that floats above heavy guitars, exploring unrequited love and aching want. Standing in that field as the sun begins its descent towards the horizon; her set will feel like the first breath of cool evening air.
Now before you head back to your tent after Lorde’s set, do yourself a favor and stumble over to the Campfire Stage. That’s where Ninajirachi will be unleashing her high energy, euphoric beats for an intimate late night set that’s the perfect wind-down (or wind-up) to your evening. The Australian producer makes electronic music that’s brainy and bodily in equal measure. Think glitchy percussion, chopped vocals, beats that hiccup and soar—but always with an undeniable sense of joy that makes you want to move. Her debut album I Love My Computer is an advanced course in kinetic, ecstatic affairs, earning her three ARIA Awards and a sold out headlining tour. She’s played EDC Las Vegas, toured with Porter Robinson, and been named Billboard’s Dance Rookie of the Month. Standing in the campgrounds under the Iowa stars, surrounded by fellow diehards, her set will feel like a secret shared among friends. And who knows? Given her recent collaboration with Frost Children on their track “Sisters” and their remix of her track “Fuck My Computer,” a surprise appearance from the Prost siblings wouldn’t be entirely out of the question. One can dream.
Day 3: Intimacy and Iconoclasm
Julia Wolf knows that vulnerability is a superpower. Her sophomore album PRESSURE, released in May 2025, is an epic electro-emo-pop-shoegaze effort that leans heavily on hardcore guitar and glitchy electronic noise. As Wolf herself puts it: “This was my chance to really lay it all out and be the most honest I’ve ever been.” The result is a raw, cathartic listen that embraces contrast. Tracks like “Fingernails” find her confessing, “I can’t hide from you like I’ve always done,” stripping everything down to the nerve. It’s messy yet clever, with a moody darkness that evokes a blue-tinted, Twilight-esque atmosphere. Live, Wolf is magnetic, drawing you into her confessions like a trusted friend. On the sprawling Hinterland grounds, her set will feel unexpectedly intimate; a quiet moment of truth amidst the festival frenzy.
And then Santigold arrives to remind you why she’s been a cult icon for two decades. Her 2022 album Spirituals was forged in pandemic isolation, a remote cabin confessional that grapples with Black womanhood, motherhood, and the sheer grit of survival. Recorded as her first independent release after a six year gap, the album features collaborators like Rostam Batmanglij, SBTRKT, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner. Songs like “High Priestess” crackle with swagger and spiritual empowerment, while “Shake” drips with manic joy and tangible resilience. Critics hailed it as “a bold and sometimes brooding beast, crammed full of first-class beats and sonic textures.” Santigold is set to own every inch of the Hinterland stage. In the Iowa heat, she’ll be your high priestess of resilience.
Day 4: Theatrical Glam Meets Pure Punk Fury
By Sunday, you’re exhausted, sunburned, and emotionally raw. Perfect time for Haute & Freddy. This Los Angeles duo, featuring vocalist Michelle Buzz and percussionist Lance Shipp, are a theatrical blend of 1980s-inspired synth-pop and vintage circus aesthetics. Their self-described “runaway carnie” persona is fully realized: their shows feature vintage-style clowns, acrobatics, and stilt-walkers, and their fanbase is nicknamed “The Royal Court.” But there’s serious pedigree here. Buzz wrote hit songs for Katy Perry (“Never Really Over”) and Kylie Minogue (“Magic”), while Shipp has produced for Britney Spears and Calvin Harris. Feeling burnt out on mainstream pop, they began spending weekends working on music together, and the result is pure, unhinged joy. Their debut album Big Disgrace dropped in March of this year via Atlantic Records, and they’ve been named to Spotify’s Artists To Watch for 2026. Tracks like “Scantily Clad,” “Anti-Superstar,” and “Dance The Pain Away” are glam-pop anthems with a dark underbelly. On the final day, they’re the shot of adrenaline you didn’t know you needed.
Then there’s Die Spitz. The Gen Z quartet hailing from Austin, TX has been called “the best new band in the world” by Metal Hammer, and they’ve earned it. They’ve opened for heavyweights like Amyl and the Sniffers, OFF!, Viagra Boys, and Sleater-Kinney. After signing to Third Man Records, they released their debut full length album Something to Consume last September. Produced by the legendary Will Yip, it’s a thunderous, cathartic debut that remains subtly political while prioritizing surface level mayhem. Lead single “Throw Yourself To The Sword” is a sledgehammer riff that demands you inject strength into your own life. “RIDING WITH MY GIRLS” celebrates the sisterhood that propels them forward, while “American Porn” channels ferocious feminist rage that echoes the raw, unapologetic energy of 90s icons like Hole. They seamlessly interchange instruments and vocal duties, finding common ground in a punk mother tongue that refuses to play it safe.
The Bottom Line
You’ll remember the headliners, sure. But you’ll tell stories about these eight acts; the ones who made you sweat, cry, dance, and scream in equal measure. So be sure to get to Hinterland early, stay until the very end, hydrate yourself, and let the music do the rest.
About Hinterland Music Festival 2026
Hinterland is a four day music festival in the rolling hills of Saint Charles, Iowa, roughly 30 minutes south of Des Moines. Since its debut in 2015, the festival has carved out a niche for itself: an elevated, intimate experience that feels more like a communal gathering than a corporate spectacle. Just good music, good people, and the great wide open.
This year marks Hinterland’s 11th anniversary and its first ever expansion to four full days, running July 30 through August 2 featuring performances from KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons, Kali Uchis and many more. For those staying the weekend, the festival offers several camping options including Tent Camping, Car Camping, RV sites, and Glamping. Ticket options include 4-Day and 1-Day passes at GA, GA+, VIP, and VIP+ levels. Plus, there’s the “90 Degree Guarantee”—because Iowa summers can be brutal, Hinterland offers a refund if the forecast hits 90 degrees or higher on any given day.
For more information and to grab tickets, head to the Hinterland website here.