Washington in the United States
The U.S. state of
Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major
hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state,
Seattle , is known for being the birthplace of
grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of
punk rock ,
indie music ,
folk , and
hip hop . Nearby
Tacoma and
Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.
Several world-famous musicians have come from Washington.
Bing Crosby , the
crooner born in Tacoma in 1903 and raised in
Spokane , had a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1942 with "
White Christmas ."
Jimi Hendrix , one of classic rock's most enduring guitar legends, was born and raised in Seattle and is buried in
Renton , and
folk rock singer-songwriter
Kenny Loggins , who had a No. 1 Hot 100 hit in 1984 with "
Footloose ," was born in
Everett . Saxophonist
Kenny G is from Seattle and attended the
University of Washington .
Classical
The
Seattle Symphony was founded in 1903.
Milton Katims (1954–1976) and
Gerard Schwarz (1985–2011) have been the longest-tenured conductors. The
Spokane Symphony was founded in 1945. The
Seattle Chamber Players was founded in 1989. They are known for their interpretations of modern compositions.
Seattle Pro Musica (founded 1972),
Seattle Girls Choir (founded 1982), and
Choral Arts (founded 1993) are all award-winning
choral music groups. Notable individuals from Washington state include pianist
Kenneth Boulton , composer/pianist
William Bolcom , composer
Peter Scott Lewis , composer
Mateo Messina , composer/clarinetist
Sean Osborn , composer/pianist/violinist
Jennifer Thomas , all from
Seattle , and composer/pianist
Charlie Albright from
Centralia .
The
Seattle Opera company was founded in 1963 by
impresario
Glynn Ross , who served as musical director until 1983. Notable vocalists from Washington state include the
sopranos
Patrice Munsel from
Spokane ,
Angela Meade from Centralia, and the
baritones
Roald Reitan from
Tacoma and
Thomas Hampson , also from Spokane. All have performed at the
Metropolitan Opera at one time or another.
Jazz
Washington State has had a
jazz scene since the early 20th century, primarily centered in
Seattle . In the early years, there was an African-American jazz scene on Seattle's Jackson Street, led by the
Whangdoodle Entertainers , featuring, amongst others,
Frank D. Waldron (trumpet/
alto saxophone ). Waldron later joined the Odean Jazz Orchestra, one of the rare African-American bands in that era to play in downtown Seattle. He remained active in Seattle jazz as a musician and teacher until his death in 1955. On the other side of the tracks,
Vic Meyers (saxophone) led jazz bands playing in Seattle's
Pioneer Square and
Belltown districts. Meyers left music for politics in the early 1930s and served as
Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 1933 to 1953 and then
Secretary of State of Washington from 1957 to 1965. Another notable jazz figure in the early days was
Harold Weeks , a ragtime composer/lyricist known as the co-writer (with
Oliver Wallace ) of the 1918 song "Hindustan," considered a jazz standard.
Joe Darensbourg (clarinet/saxophone) was active in Seattle from 1929 until 1944, and
Dick Wilson (
tenor saxophone ) played in his band from 1930 until 1936.
The early 1940s saw
Jimmy Rowles (piano) come out of
Spokane and
Corky Corcoran (
tenor saxophone ) from
Tacoma . In the late 1940s,
Bumps Blackwell led a Seattle band that featured teenaged future icons
Ray Charles (piano),
Quincy Jones (trumpet),
Ernestine Anderson (vocals), and
Buddy Catlett (double bass). Also emerging out of Seattle during this time were
Patti Bown (piano/vocals),
Gerald Brashear (
congas /
scat singer ),
Elmer Gill (piano/
vibraphone /vocals), and
Floyd Standifer (
tenor saxophone /trumpet), while
Don Lanphere (
tenor &
soprano saxophone ) came out of
Wenatchee . Catlett, Brashear, Standifer, and Lanphere spent their latter years playing jazz in the Seattle scene.
The 1950s–1960s saw
Tom Collier (percussion/
vibraphone ),
David Friesen (double bass/
electric upright bass ) and
Tim Gemmill (
tenor &
soprano saxophone /flute/keyboards) come out of Seattle,
Ralph Towner (
12-string & classical guitar/piano/synthesizer) from
Chehalis ,
Gary Peacock (double bass) from
Yakima and
Larry Coryell (guitar from
Richland . Only Collier returned to the Seattle scene.
The 1970s saw the emergence of
Kenny G (
soprano ,
alto , and
tenor saxophone /flute) from Seattle, a
smooth jazz artist with 16
Grammy nominations.
Jeff Lorber (keyboards) came out of
Vancouver, Washington , and also forged a career in smooth jazz, as well as
jazz fusion , with 7 Grammy nominations of his own. In 1971,
Clarence Acox Jr. (drums) arrived in Seattle from his native
New Orleans to revive the
marching band at
Garfield High School . In 1979 he started the
Garfield Jazz Ensemble , which he led until his retirement in 2019. The Ensemble has earned many awards and honors. Acox has also been active as a musician in the Seattle scene.
Hadley Caliman (saxophone/flute) moved to tiny
Cathlamet in the 1970s and later led combos in Seattle during the 1990s and 2000s.
John Holte (
reeds ) was a leader of the West Coast
Swing Band revival of the 1970s and continued to lead various swing bands in Seattle until his death in 2003.
Cheryl Bentyne (vocals), who grew up in
Mount Vernon , sang in Holte's New Deal Rhythm Band before joining the renowned vocal group
The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, with whom she has won 10
Grammy Awards .
The 1980s were the career beginnings of native Washingtonians
Diane "Deedles" Schuur (vocals/piano) from
Auburn , who has won two
Grammy Awards ,
Bill Anschell (piano),
Jeff Kashiwa (saxophone) and
Skerik (
tenor &
baritone saxophone /
electronics ), a pioneer of
saxophonics . Anschell, Kashiwa and Skerik remain active in the Seattle scene, with Skerik playing in a number of diverse local bands. The 80s also saw
Julian Priester (trombone/
euphonium ),
Amy Denio (saxophone/
accordion /vocals) and
Bill Frisell (guitar) relocate to Seattle. Frisell had previously been active in New York City's
Downtown Scene .
The 1990s saw the emergence from Seattle of
Cuong Vu (trumpet),
Marc Seales (piano),
Jim Black (drums),
Joe Doria (
Hammond organ ) and
Jessica Lurie (
woodwinds ). Lurie is active in the Seattle bands
Living Daylights and
The Tiptons Sax Quartet . The aforementioned
Amy Denio is also a member of The Tiptons Sax Quartet. Seales and Doria are also active in Seattle.
Lounge band
Nightcaps was formed in 1995 and continues to occasionally play in the
Pacific Northwest .
The new millennium has produced
Roxy Coss (saxophone),
Aaron Parks (piano),
Emi Meyer (piano/vocals) and
The Bergevin Brothers band, all from Seattle. Meyer and the Bergevins remain active in the Seattle scene. In the early 2000s husband and wife
Wayne Horvitz (keyboards) and
Robin Holcomb (piano/vocals) relocated to Seattle. Both had previously been involved in New York City's
Downtown Scene . In 2015,
Dmitri Matheny (
flugelhorn ) relocated from his long-time base in San Francisco to
Centralia . In 2022, he released the album CASCADIA , celebrating the
Pacific Northwest . The album also features the aforementioned
Bill Anschell .
Country/Alt-country
Washington state has a limited tradition in
country music , but has produced some notable artists.
[1] In the 1920s,
Paul Tutmarc established himself as a fine
tenor and
lap steel guitarist in
Seattle . He was also known for inventing the first electric bass guitar in 1936. Tutmarc continued to perform and teach guitar in Seattle into the 1960s. Fiddler
Bus Boyk came out of
Everett in the 1930s and had a long career, eventually being inducted into the Western Swing Society's Pioneers of Western Swing Hall of Fame.
The late 1950s saw three
Country Music Hall of Famers active in Washington state.
Loretta Lynn began her performing and songwriting career while living in the tiny logging community of
Custer . She also played in nearby
Blaine . Loretta wrote and recorded her first single "
I'm a Honky Tonk Girl " while living in Washington (although the song was recorded in Los Angeles). The song was a hit and it was off to
Nashville and superstardom.
Willie Nelson took a job as a DJ at
KVAN in
Vancouver, Washington , in 1956, where he also played local clubs. While there he cut his first record "
No Place for Me ". Nelson left Vancouver in 1958. In 1958,
Buck Owens was working in
Tacoma at radio station KAYE, when he saw
Don Rich , a young fiddler from
Olympia , play. Owens immediately asked Rich to join his band and soon they were being featured on the weekly BAR-K Jamboree on
KTNT-TV .
Loretta Lynn made her television debut on the same program. Owens left Tacoma around 1960 to return to
Bakersfield, California , and in a few months, Rich followed and became a member of Buck's backup band
The Buckaroos , eventually becoming the lead guitarist. Rich's
Fender Telecaster was an instrumental part of the
Bakersfield sound of the 1960s.
The late 1950s also saw the emergence of native Washingtonian
Bonnie Guitar , who grew up in
Redondo and
Auburn . Bonnie had her first hit, "
Dark Moon ", in 1957, which charted on the country and pop charts. Guitar was also a co-founder of
Dolton Records and later co-owner of
Jerden Records in an era when this was rare for a woman. Before this, she was a student and wife of the aforementioned
Paul Tutmarc . After their divorce in 1955, she did session guitar work for several labels in Los Angeles. Later in life, she bred cattle and
quarter-horses near
Orting , before finally settling in
Soap Lake , where she continued to perform on weekends until the age of 92. Guitar died in 2019, at the age of 95.
Seattle-based
Lavender Country released their self-titled album in 1973. It is the first known gay-themed country and western album.[
citation needed ] They would not have another release until 2022's
Blackberry Rose . Fiddler
Mark O'Connor came out of
Mountlake Terrace in the 1970s, winning three
Grammy Awards .
Michael Peterson grew up in
Richland and released his first self-titled album of
contemporary Christian songs in 1986. A decade later, he released his second
eponymous record in 1997, which produced five Top 40 country hits, including the No. 1 "
From Here to Eternity ". The 1990s saw
alt-country enter the scene, led by
Neko Case of
Tacoma . With her
contralto voice, she has released a series of albums and has also been a part of the revival of the
tenor guitar .
The Supersuckers formed in
Tucson, Arizona , in 1988, relocated to Seattle in 1989, and have been playing
cowpunk ever since.
The new millennium has seen the emergence of mainstream country artists
Brandy Clark from
Morton , who has been nominated for eight
Grammy Awards as a songwriter and performer,
James Otto from
Benton City , who had a No. 1 country hit with "
Just Got Started Lovin' You " in 2008,
Vince Mira from
Federal Way , who began his career
busking
Spanish-language songs in
Pike Place Market ,
Adam Craig from
Tenino , who has been most successful as a songwriter and Seattle based
Brent Amaker and the Rodeo , whose image is influenced by
Johnny Cash , the "Man in Black" and
Spaghetti Westerns . Their live shows sometimes include the "Whiskey Baptism" of fans into the "Church of the Rodeo".
Jaime Wyatt from
Tacoma plays
outlaw country and had a song on the 2004 soundtrack of
Wicker Park .
Megs McLean from
Snohomish plays "crunge", a combination of
country and
grunge , and had a Country Pick of the Week in 2016.
Star Anna from
Ellensburg performs
alt-country and, with her band the Laughing Dogs, appeared with the
Seattle Symphony in 2012. Seattle based alt-country band
The Maldives live shows have been described as "transcendent" by
KEXP-FM .
Garage rock
In the mid-1950s, the Washington rock scene was kick-started by a Seattle group,
The Frantics , led by guitarist Ron Peterson. The Frantics were the first rock group from Seattle to have songs in the national Top 40 charts. Later, several
garage bands achieved regional and some national fame. Perhaps the most famous of these are
The Wailers , whose regional fame was paramount for several years in the early 1960s. Their version of
Richard Berry 's "Louie, Louie" became the state's unofficial anthem.
An influential garage rock band called The Regents became local icons in the Tacoma area, but the original incarnation never signed to a record label. They are known for pioneering a distinct sound technology when they fed the rhythm guitar through a
Leslie organ speaker during a concert at the
University of Puget Sound ; this gave them their original sound.[
citation needed ]
Another Tacoma band,
The Sonics , also proved to be influential, and are still a cult favorite. Their name was inspired by one of Seattle's most important employers,
Boeing , an aircraft manufacturer, and The Sonics' brand of aggressive guitar rock made them icons in the later development of music in and around Seattle.
Record producer Jerry Dennon of
Jerden Records was responsible for bringing
The Kingsmen (of
Portland, Oregon ), best known for their national hit "
Louie Louie ". The Kingsmen found themselves in a rivalry with local favorite
Paul Revere & the Raiders (of
Boise, Idaho ), who also released a version of "Louie, Louie". The Kingsmen's version eventually caught on nationally after a Boston radio station picked up the song and Dennon negotiated distributing rights with
Wand Records out of New York City. The song's supposedly suggestive lyrics led to it being banned in some localities, including
Indiana .
Heavy metal
Notable
heavy metal bands that emerged in the Seattle area in the 1980s include
Metal Church ,
Queensrÿche ,
Mentors ,
TKO , Prowler,
Q5 ,
Forced Entry ,
Sanctuary ,
Culprit ,
Bloodgood ,
Heir Apparent , and
Fifth Angel . Metal Church was initially formed while
Kurdt Vanderhoof was in the San Francisco scene, but moved back home to
Aberdeen and reformed the band with new members from the
Grays Harbor area. They became one of the most well-known metal bands from the 1980s thanks to albums like
Metal Church (1984),
The Dark (1986),
Blessing in Disguise (1989) and
The Human Factor (1991); they resurfaced in 2004 with
The Weight of the World . Queensrÿche is better known for falling somewhere between the heavy metal and
glam metal scene, with strong influence from
progressive rock , which can be seen in their albums
Operation: Mindcrime (1987) and
Empire (1991). Going to the mid-end of the '80s, Seattle featured successful
thrash metal bands, such as
The Accüsed (a
crossover thrash band), Assault & Battery, Bitter End, Coven, and
Forced Entry .
Also of particular note are Seattle's Slaughter Haus 5, Tacoma bands Sword of Judgement, Hammer Head, Diamond Lie (featuring
Jerry Cantrell of
Alice in Chains ), as well as Olympia bands Cyperus and Death Squad. Two West Seattle metal bands from the 1980s were
Sanctuary and Rottweiller. Sanctuary, after two albums and some years revamping, reformed with two original members (bass and vocals) and a former short-term replacement guitarist (along with some new members) and became known as
Nevermore .
Heir Apparent came out of North Seattle in the mid-1980's, signed to the independent label Black Dragon Records of Paris, France in 1985, and released what remains the highest-rated album in the 40-year history of Germany's ROCK HARD magazine
[2] in January 1986.
Heir Apparent performed with
Sanctuary in 2012 at the Metal Assault Festival in Wurzburg, Germany.
[3] In 2019 at the Headbangers Open Air Festival in Germany,
Queensrÿche ,
Sanctuary , and
Heir Apparent each headlined an evening of the 3-day event.
[4]
More recent underground metal bands include
Himsa , Aemaeth, Blood & Thunder, Midnight Idols, Fallen Angels, DEATHBEAT,
Big Business , Drown Mary, Evilsmith, Vigilance, Skelator,
Ceremonial Castings ,
Inquisition , Hoth, Inquinok, Pure Hatred, Riot in Rhythm, Deathmocracy, Blood of Kings,
Wolves in the Throne Room , Twisted Heroes, Ashes Of Existence, Bleed The Stone, Casualty Of God, Mechanism, I Am Infamy, Devilation, Beyond Theory, Future Disorder, Edge of Oblivion, Last Bastion, Phalgeron, and
Bell Witch .
Punk rock
In the 1970s, Ze Whiz Kidz helped launch a
hardcore punk scene that included
ZEKE ,
Mentors , RPA, The Rejectors, The Lewd, Violent World
[5] The Refuzors, Crunchbird,
[6] Pod Six, The Enemy, and, most influentially,
Solger and
The Fartz , as well as
new wave bands like The Heats, The Cowboys, The Meyce, The Telepaths, Visible Targets,
Chinas Comidas ,
X-15 and UC5. Hardcore
skinhead bands like Extreme Hate, The Boot Boys and Firing Squad also gained a following.
Green River , a punk rock band that splintered into
Mudhoney and
Mother Love Bone , was one of the first grunge bands. Also drawing on the punk rock scene were
Melvins ,
Soundgarden ,
Nirvana ,
Fitz of Depression of
Olympia and Vitimin C of
Centralia . Musician
Duff McKagan made his entry into the global rock scene in the punk rock scene of his hometown of Seattle. On the other side of the state, Spokane also contained a punk and new wave scene in the 1980s, as chronicled in the documentary film
SpokAnarchy!
In the early 2000s, the
experimental punk rock scene had bands such as
Botch ,
Pretty Girls Make Graves ,
These Arms Are Snakes ,
The Fall of Troy ,
Jaguar Love , and
The Blood Brothers .
Grunge
Tribute to
Kurt Cobain in Cobain's hometown of
Aberdeen, Washington . "
Come as You Are " is a song by
Nirvana .
Grunge began as a mixture of
heavy metal ,
punk rock and
indie rock in the 1980s and gained mainstream prominence in the early 1990s. The earliest bands included
Green River ,
Skin Yard ,
Screaming Trees ("
Nearly Lost You "), and
Soundgarden , among others, with most signed to indie rock label
Sub Pop . This new style was featured on the 1986 compilation album
Deep Six (CZ001) released by
C/Z Records , with tracks by
Soundgarden ,
Melvins ,
Green River ,
Skin Yard ,
Malfunkshun and
The U-Men . By the late 1980s, several future stars had begun performing, including
Nirvana ,
Alice in Chains , and
Mudhoney , while the death of
Andrew Wood (d. 1990, buried in
Bremerton, Washington ) of
Mother Love Bone led to that band's disintegration and subsequent reformation as
Pearl Jam . In 1991 (see
1991 in music ), Nirvana's
Nevermind , along with Soundgarden's
Badmotorfinger ,
Pearl Jam 's
Ten and
Alice in Chains '
Dirt , quickly brought the grunge scene to the forefront.
Pearl Jam has recorded five No. 1 albums featured on the Billboard Top 200 between 1993 and 2013, including
Vs. (1993), and also had a No. 2 Hot 100 hit with their cover of "
Last Kiss " in 1999. Nirvana had four No. 1 albums, Alice in Chains had two,
Jar of Flies (1994) and their
self-titled album (1995), and Soundgarden had one,
Superunknown (1994). Later successful grunge acts include
Foo Fighters , which had a No. 1 album with
Wasting Light (2011). Seattle is also home to newer alt-grunge-rock acts such as
SixTwoSeven .
Riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is a form of
punk rock that arose in
Olympia in the 1990s with all-female and woman-led acts like
Bikini Kill , known for their militant feminism and raw sound. The genre never achieved mainstream success due to an on-going media blackout, along with their harsh criticism of society and often grating musical style, and eventually faded. However, stalwarts
Sleater-Kinney stayed together and found themselves approaching mainstream audiences after the turn of the millennium. The movement generated many notable bands, concentrated in the
Olympia area and including
Bratmobile ,
Heavens to Betsy , and
Excuse 17 .
A new wave of the riot grrrl movement continued in the 21st century with bands like NighTrain,
The Gossip , The Black Tones and Thee Emergency, which feature soulful vocals, heavy drums, a driving, intense rhythm and guitar.
Twee pop
In the late 1980s, a form of
alternative rock called
twee pop was popular in the United Kingdom. A small cult following around bands like
The Orchids and
Heavenly formed in the U.S., centered on
Olympia 's
K Records and the band
Beat Happening .
Hip-hop
Arguably the most famous
hip-hop star to come out of the state of Washington has been
Sir Mix-a-Lot , best known for his songs "
Posse on Broadway " and "
Baby Got Back ", an early nineties novelty hit. Also prominent in the Seattle rap scene at this time was
Kid Sensation (Steve Spence), who got his start on Sir Mix-a-Lot's first album, Swass (1988).
Wordsayer (Jonathan Moore) was influential in bringing hip hop into Seattle's mainstream with his group
Source of Labor .
Oldominion (featuring
Mr. Hill ,
Onry Ozzborn and
Xperience amongst others),
Blue Scholars ,
THEESatisfaction ,
Shabazz Palaces ,
Grayskul and
Common Market (featuring
RA Scion and
Sabzi ) are other notable acts.
Art of Movement (featuring
Jay Park and
Cha Cha Malone amongst others) is a notable
b-boy crew from Seattle. The
Guinness World Records holder for Fastest Rap MC is the Seattle-based
NoClue , breaking the record previously held by Chicago rapper Rebel XD. Brown rapped 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds on his track "No Clue" at B&G Studios, Seattle, on January 15, 2005. More recently, local indie rapper/DJ duo
Macklemore and
Ryan Lewis have achieved worldwide fame with
The Heist (2012), scoring two No. 1 Hot 100 hits with "
Thrift Shop " and "
Can't Hold Us " in 2013. Also, teenage rapper
Lil Mosey has grown in popularity since his song "Pull Up," but most notably "Noticed" in 2018, and "
Blueberry Faygo " in 2020.
Origins of notable artists
Aberdeen
Anacortes
Arlington
Auburn
Bainbridge Island
Battle Ground
Bellevue
Bellingham
¡All-Time Quarterback! ,
alternative rock /
lo-fi /
indie rock (1997–2002)
Black Eyes & Neckties ,
horror /
hardcore punk (2002–2009)
Crayon ,
indie pop /
cuddlecore (1990–1994)
Death Cab for Cutie ,
indie rock /
folk /
emo (1997–present)
Eureka Farm ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge (1996-2000s)
Glowbug ,
electronic /dance (2010–present)
Federation X ,
alternative rock /
pop (1998–present)
The Ghost and the Grace ,
indie folk /
rock (2009–2010)
Idiot Pilot ,
alternative rock /
electronic rock /
post-hardcore (2003–2011, 2019–present)
ODESZA ,
electropop /
chillwave (2012–present)
Mono Men ,
garage rock /
grunge /
surf rock (1987–1998, 2006, 2013)
The Posies ,
alternative rock /
power pop (1986–2021)
The Trucks ,
electronic rock (2003–2008)
X-15 , rock/
punk (1979–1987, 1995)
Your Heart Breaks ,
indie rock /
folk (1998–present)
Bremerton
Camas
Carrolls
Centralia
Chehalis
Chelan
Chewelah
Colville Indian Reservation
Covington
Custer
Edmonds
Ellensburg
Everett
Federal Way
Gig Harbor
Issaquah
Kelso
Kenmore
Kent
Kirkland
Lacey
Lakewood
Longview
Mercer Island
Montesano
Morton
Mount Vernon
Mountlake Terrace
Mukilteo
Naselle
Olympia
Anna Oxygen ,
electropop /
psychedelic folk (late 1990s-present)
Bangs ,
riot grrrl /
punk rock (1997–2004, 2010)
Beat Happening ,
indie /
twee /
noise pop /
lo-fi (1982–1992)
Bikini Kill ,
riot grrrl (1990–1997, 2017, 2019–present)
The Blow ,
indie pop /
electro /
lo-fi (2001–present)
Bratmobile ,
riot grrrl /
punk rock (1991–1994, 1998–2003)
Cool Rays ,
punk rock (1990–1991)
Dead Air Fresheners ,
experimental rock /
post-punk (1996–present)
Dub Narcotic Sound System ,
indie rock (1995–2003)
Earth ,
drone metal /
psychedelic rock /
post-rock (1989–1997, 2003–present)
Enemymine ,
noise rock (1998–2000)
Excuse 17 ,
punk rock /
queercore (1993–1995)
Fitz of Depression ,
punk rock (1987–1997, 2000, 2002–2019)
The Fleetwoods ,
doo wop (1958–1983)
The Frumpies ,
lo-fi
punk /
garage rock (1992–2000)
G.L.O.S.S. ,
hardcore punk /
queercore /
D-beat (2014–2016)
The Go Team ,
indie rock (1985–1989)
godheadSilo ,
noise rock /
stoner rock /
sludge metal (1991–1998, 2015–present)
Gun Outfit ,
indie rock /
post-punk /
psychedelia (2007–present)
Heavens to Betsy ,
riot grrrl /
indie rock /
punk rock (1991–1994)
Irving Klaw Trio ,
experimental rock (1990s)
LAKE ,
indie pop (2005–present)
Love as Laughter ,
indie rock (1994–2020)
Lync ,
post-hardcore /
indie rock /
emo /
lo-fi (1992–1994)
The Microphones ,
neofolk /
indie rock (1996–2003, 2007, 2019–present)
Milk Music ,
punk /
indie /
alternative rock (2008–present)
Mirah
indie rock /
chamber pop /
indie pop /
experimental pop (1997–present)
Mocket ,
alternative rock /
post-punk /
indie rock (1995–1999)
The Need ,
queercore /
post-punk /
art rock /
garage rock /
experimental rock (1996–2001, 2010, 2013)
The Old Haunts ,
garage /
swamp rock (2001–2009)
Old Time Relijun ,
noise rock /
no wave /
art punk /
punk blues (1995–present)
Don Rich ,
country & western /
Bakersfield sound (1959–1974)
RVIVR ,
melodic hardcore /
pop punk (2008–present)
Tracy + the Plastics ,
electropop (2004–present)
Travis Shook ,
hard bop /
jazz fusion /
modal jazz /
mainstream jazz /
post-bop (1990s-present)
Sleater-Kinney ,
riot grrrl /
indie rock (1994–2006, 2014–present)
Team Dresch ,
queercore /
riot grrrl /
punk rock (1993–1998, 2004–present)
Viva Knievel ,
punk rock (1989–1990)
Wolves in the Throne Room ,
atmospheric black metal (2002–present)
Port Angeles
Pullman
Ravensdale
Redmond
Sammamish
Seattle
10 Minute Warning ,
hardcore punk (1982–1984, 1997–1998)
3rd Secret ,
alternative rock /
folk rock /
grunge (2022–present)
7 Horns 7 Eyes ,
Christian
melodic death metal (2006–present)
7 Year Bitch ,
riot grrrl (1990–1997)
764-HERO ,
indie rock /
emo (1995–2002, 2012, 2016)
A Frames ,
post-punk /
noise rock (1999–2010)
Abney Park ,
steampunk /
world /
industrial dance /
dark wave (1997–present)
Abyssinian Creole ,
Northwest hip hop (2001–present)
Acceptance ,
pop-punk (1998–2006, 2015–present)
The Accüsed ,
crossover thrash /
hardcore punk (1981–1992, 2003–present)
Clarence Acox Jr. ,
jazz (1971–present)
Aiden ,
horror punk /
post-hardcore /
emo (2003–2012, 2015–2016)
Akimbo ,
hardcore punk (1998–2012)
Alice in Chains ,
grunge /
hard rock (1987–2002, 2005–present)
Alice N' Chains ,
glam /
heavy /
speed metal (1986–1987)
Brent Amaker and the Rodeo ,
country & western (2005–present)
Aqueduct ,
indie pop (2003–2015)
Art of Movement ,
b-boy crew (2002–present)
Artis the Spoonman , rock/
folk
busker
Arthur & Yu ,
indie folk (2006–present)
Assemblage 23 ,
futurepop /
electro-industrial /
synth-pop (1988–present)
Asva ,
drone /
doom metal (2003–present)
"Awesome" ,
cabaret (2003–present)
Baby Gramps ,
folk /
country /
Americana /
blues (1964–present)
Caspar Babypants (
Chris Ballew ),
kids' music (2009–present)
Band of Horses ,
indie rock /
Southern rock /
power pop /
folk rock (2004–present)
Barcelona ,
indie rock (2005–present)
The Beakers ,
art punk /
post-punk /
new wave (1980–1981)
Tina Bell ,
grunge /
punk rock (1983–1990)
Bell Witch ,
funeral doom metal (2010–present)
Anomie Belle ,
avant-garde (2008–present)
The Bergevin Brothers ,
political
jazz (2008–present)
Big Band Garage Orchestra ,
punk jazz (2001–2006)
Big Business ,
heavy metal /
sludge metal /
stoner rock (2004–present)
Alyse Black , rock/pop/
jazz /
folk pop (2007–present)
Black Cat Orchestra , classical/
world /
film score (1991–2004)
Nissim Black (D.Black),
conscious /
hardcore /
Jewish hip hop (1999–present)
The Blackouts ,
punk rock /
post-punk /
hard rock (1979–1985)
Robert "Bumps" Blackwell ,
jazz /
rock and roll /pop/
R&B /
Funk (1947–1981)
The Blakes ,
indie rock (2001–present)
Blenderhead ,
punk rock (1992–2001, 2016–present)
Blood Circus ,
sludge metal /
grunge (1988–1989, 2992. 2007)
Erik Blood ,
hip hop /rock 2000s-present)
Bloodgood ,
Christian /
glam metal (1984–1994, 2006–present)
Blue Scholars ,
northwest hip hop /
alternative hip hop (2002–present)
BOAT ,
indie rock (2004–present)
William Bolcom ,
contemporary classical /
traditional pop /
parlour /
cabaret /
ragtime (1950s-present)
Patti Bown ,
jazz (1940s–2000s)
Brad ,
alternative rock /
grunge /
neo-psychedelia (1992–present)
Gerald Brashear ,
jazz (1940s–1970s)
The Briefs ,
punk rock (2000–present)
Brite Futures ,
indie rock /
electronica (2005–2013)
The Brothers Four ,
folk pop (1957–present)
Budo ,
hip hop (2004–present)
Burning Witch ,
doom /
sludge /
drone metal (1995–1998)
Calm Down Juanita ,
alternative /
psychedelic rock (1998–2002)
Candlebox ,
grunge /
post-grunge (1990–2000, 2006–present)
Cardiknox ,
indie pop /dance (2013–2018)
Cat Butt ,
alternative rock /
grunge (1987–1990)
The Catch ,
alternative pop (2000s)
Buddy Catlett ,
jazz (1940s–2000s)
The Cave Singers ,
indie rock /
folk (2007–present)
Champion ,
straight edge
hardcore punk /
melodic hardcore (1999–2006)
Childbirth ,
garage /
alternative /
punk rock (2013–present)
Chinas Comidas ,
art punk /
post-punk /
no wave (1977–1980)
Choral Arts ,
choral /
a cappella /classical/
contemporary classical (1993–present)
Christ Analogue ,
electronic /
industrial rock (1995–1998, 2003–2004)
Circus Contraption ,
dark cabaret /
vaudeville (1998–2009)
Class of '99 ,
alternative rock (1998)
The Classic Crime ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge /
post-hardcore /
pop punk (2004–present)
Climax Golden Twins ,
experimental music (1993–present)
Coffin Break ,
hardcore punk /
grunge (1987–1994, 2007–present)
Tom Collier ,
jazz /classical/pop (1950s-present)
Common Market ,
Northwest hip hop (2005–2009, 2019–present)
Roxy Coss ,
jazz (2000s-present]
Critters Buggin ,
instrumental rock/
jazz /
funk /
punk /
ambient /
electronic (1993–present)
Culprit ,
heavy metal (1982–1985, 2010–present)
Cuong Vu ,
jazz (1994–present)
The Daily Flash ,
folk /
psychedelic rock (1965–1968, 2002–present)
Ray Dalton ,
hip hop /
gospel /
R&B /pop (2011–present)
The Dark Fantastic ,
hard /
desert /
psychedelic /
indie rock (1997–2001)
Dark Time Sunshine ,
alternative /
indie hip hop (2009–present)
Dead Low Tide ,
garage rock (2001–2003)
The Dead Science ,
experimental pop (1999–present)
Dear John Letters ,
alternative rock /
indie rock /
emo (2000–present)
Deep Sea Diver ,
pop rock (2009–present)
Demon Hunter ,
Christian /
metalcore /
nu /
alternative /
groove metal (2000–present)
Peter DePoe (aka Last Walking Bear),
funk rock /
swamp rock /
soul /
R&B /
Native American traditional (1960s-present)
Devilhead ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge (1993–1998)
Diagram of Suburban Chaos ,
electronic music (1997–present)
Dickless ,
riot grrrl /
grunge /
punk rock /
funk punk (1989–1998)
The Divorce ,
indie rock (2002–2007, 2011)
Dolour ,
pop /
power /
baroque |/
chamber pop (1997–2007, 2020–present)
Doll Squad ,
alternative rock /
power pop (1987–1989, 2008–present)
Taime Downe ,
hard rock /
glam metal /
industrial rock /
gothic rock (1985–present)
Sammy Drain ,
blues /rock/
R&B (1960s–2016)
Dude York ,
alternative rock (2012–present)
Dust Moth ,
metalgaze (2013–present)
The Dutchess and the Duke ,
indie folk (2008–2010, 2014–2015)
Shelby Earl ,
indie rock (2005–present)
Jack Endino ,
grunge /
alternative rock /
hardcore punk /
heavy metal /
doom metal (1985–present)
Fair ,
alternative rock /
emo pop (2005–2012)
Faith & Disease ,
ethereal wave /
dark wave /
slowcore /
shoegaze /
dream pop /
new-age (1994–2006)
The Fartz ,
hardcore punk (1981–1983, 1999–2003)
Fastbacks ,
punk rock (1979–2002, 2011, 2018)
Fences ,
pop /
alternative /
indie rock (2010–present)
The Fire Theft ,
prog /
hard /
art rock (2001–2004)
Fleet Foxes ,
folk rock /
chamber pop (2006–2013, 2016–present)
Flop ,
grunge /
power pop /
punk rock (1990–1995)
Foo Fighters ,
post-grunge /
hard rock (1994–present)
Forced Entry ,
thrash /
progressive metal (1983–1995, 2002, 2020–present)
Forgive Durden
indie rock /
post-hardcore /
emo (2003–2010, 2013)
The Frantics ,
rock and roll (1950s–1960s)
David Friesen ,
jazz (1960s-present)
The Gallahads ,
doo wop (1952–1962)
Gas Huffer ,
garage rock /
punk blues /
garage punk /
grunge (1989–2006)
Gatsbys American Dream ,
indie rock (2001–2006, 2010–2012, 2020–present)
Tim Gemmill ,
jazz /
post-bop /
avant-garde jazz /
jazz fusion /
techno (1967–present)
The Gentlemen ,
pop rock (1998–1999. 2000–2001)
Elmer Gill ,
jazz (1940s–2004)
Girl On Fire ,
hard rock (2007–2015)
The Girls ,
pop punk /
glam punk /
new wave (early-2000s-present)
The Gits ,
punk rock (1986–1993)
Goodness ,
alternative rock (1994–2005)
Grand Archives ,
indie rock (2006–2012)
Grammatrain ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge /
grunge /
Christian rock (1994–1998, 2009–present)
Grand Hallway ,
indie folk /
chamber pop /
art rock (2007–present)
Natalie Grant ,
contemporary Christian (1999–present)
Grave Babies ,
Gothic rock /
dark wave /
noise rock /
lo-fi (2000–present)
Grayskul ,
alternative /
Northwest hip hop (2003–present)
Green Apple Quick Step ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge /
psychedelic rock (1992–1998. 2009–present)
The Green Pajamas
neo-psychedelia /
indie rock /
Paisley Underground /
jangle pop (1984–present)
Green River ,
grunge /
punk rock /
heavy metal /
garage rock (1984–1988, 1993, 2008–2009, 2018)
Grieves ,
hip hop (2007–present)
Gruntruck ,
grunge /
heavy metal /
alternative metal (1989–1993, 1996–2002, 2017–present)
Ivar Haglund ,
folk (1920s–1980s)
Hammerbox ,
alternative rock /
grunge (1990–1994, 2004)
Randy Hansen ,
psychedelic /
blues rock /
Jimi Hendrix tribute (1972–present)
Harvey Danger ,
alternative rock (1992–2001, 2004–2009)
Hater ,
alternative metal /
grunge /
hard rock (1993–1997, 2005, 2008)
The Head and the Heart ,
indie folk /
folk rock (2009–present)
Headphones ,
indietronica /
synth-pop (2005–2006)
Heart ,
hard rock /
pop rock (1967–1998, 2002–2016, 2019–present)
Heir Apparent ,
heavy /
power /
progressive metal (1983–1989, 2000–2019)
Heiress ,
sludge metal /
post-metal (2006–present)
Hell's Belles ,
hard rock (2000–present)
Helms Alee ,
sludge metal /
noise rock /
post-hardcore (2007–present)
Jimi Hendrix ,
psychedelic rock /
blues rock (1963–1970)
Hey Marseilles ,
folk rock /
chamber pop (2006–present)
Hibou ,
dream pop , (2013–present)
Himsa ,
metalcore /
melodic death metal (1998–2008, 2017–present)
Hobosexual ,
indie /
experimental /
alternative /
garage rock (2009–present)
Ron Holden ,
R&B /pop/
rock and roll (1958–1997)
Hovercraft ,
experimental /
noise /
space /
post-rock (1993–2001)
I Declare War ,
deathcore (2005–present)
The Intelligence
post-punk /
garage rock /
garage punk (1999–present)
Ivan & Alyosha ,
indie pop /
rock (2007–present)
Jake One ,
Northwest hip hop /
trap (1992–present)
Ayron Jones ,
blues /
grunge /rock/
soul (2005–present)
Quincy Jones ,
jazz /
big band
swing /
R&B /
soul /
funk /
bossa nova /
hip hop /pop/
disco (1951–present)
Juned ,
pop rock (1993–1996)
Juno ,
indie rock /
post-punk /
post-hardcore /
shoegaze /
electronic (1995–2003, 2006)
Damien Jurado ,
indie rock (1995–present)
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground ,
indie rock /
psychedelic pop /
jazz (2005–2013)
Kenny G ,
smooth jazz (1973–present)
Kid Sensation (now Xola Malik),
old skool
hip hop /rap (1987–1996, 2009–present)
Kill Switch...Klick ,
industrial rock (1991–present)
Kings Kaleidoscope ,
contemporary worship /
Christian rock /
art rock /
chamber pop /
progressive pop (2011–present)
Kinski ,
post-rock /
noise rock /
instrumental rock (1998–present)
Kiss It Goodbye ,
metalcore /
hardcore punk (1996–1998, 2012)
Kultur Shock ,
Gypsy punk /
alternative metal (1996–present)
La Luz ,
surf noir /
doo wop /
neo-psychedelia (2013–present)
Leah LaBelle , pop/
R&B /
soul (2004–2018)
LAND ,
jazz /
world /rock/
electronic (1993–2001)
The Lashes ,
power pop (2000–2008)
Lavender Country ,
country /
Americana (1972–1976, 1999–2000, 2014–present)
Legion Within ,
dark wave /
gothic rock /
industrial rock (2000–present)
The Lemons ,
post-grunge /
pop-punk /
thrash metal (1991–1996)
Dave Lewis ,
R&B (1957–1969)
Peter Scott Lewis ,
contemporary classical (1980s-present)
Ryan Lewis (born in
Spokane, Washington ),
alternative hip hop /
progressive rap /
pop rap /
hipster hop (2006–present)
Limp Richerds ,
hardcore punk /
noise rock /
grunge (1981–1987)
Little Champions ,
indie rock (1996–present)
Living Daylights ,
jazz -
jamband (1995–present)
Loaded ,
hard rock /
punk rock (1999–2002, 2006–present)
The Long Winters ,
indie rock (2001–present)
Love Battery ,
alternative rock /
grunge /
psychedelic rock (1989–2002, 2006, 2011–2013)
Macklemore ,
alternative hip hop /
progressive rap /
pop rap /
hipster hop (2000–present)
Mad Rad ,
hipster hop /
electronic (2007–2010)
Mad Season ,
alternative rock /
grunge (1994–1996)
The Magic Magicians ,
indie rock (2000–present)
Maktub ,
jazz fusion /
prog rock (1996–present)
The Maldives ,
alt-country /
country rock (2002–present)
Mamiffer ,
post-rock /
ambient /
experimental rock /
drone ((2007–present)
Manooghi Hi ,
prog rock (2007–present)
Briana Marela ,
indie rock (2010–present)
Massive Monkees ,
b-boy crew
Math and Physics Club ,
indie pop /
twee pop (2004–present)
Duff McKagan ,
hard /
punk rock (1979–present)
The Mentors ,
shock rock /
heavy /
thrash metal (1976–1996, 2001–present)
Mateo Messina , classical/
film score (1995–present)
Emi Meyer ,
jazz (2007–present)
Vic Meyers ,
jazz (1910s–1930s)
Mico de Noche ,
sludge metal (2001–present)
Minus the Bear ,
math /
experimental /
prog rock (2001–2018)
The Missionary Position ,
hard rock /
blues /
funk (2009–present)
Mistrust ,
heavy metal (1984–1988)
Jonathan Moore (Wordsayer),
Northwest hip hop (1992–2017)
Pamela Moore ,
hard rock /
heavy metal (1981–present)
Mother Love Bone ,
grunge /
glam punk (1988–1990)
Mr. Hill ,
alternative /
Northwest hip hop (1999–present)
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band ,
indie /
alternative rock (2008–present)
Mudhoney ,
alternative rock /
grunge /
garage punk (1988–present)
The Murder City Devils ,
horror /
garage punk (1996–2001, 2006–present)
My Sister's Machine ,
hard rock /
grunge /
heavy metal /
alternative metal (1989–1994, 2010–2011)
The Myriad ,
indie /
alternative rock (2002–2009)
Nacho Picasso ,
hip hop (2010–present)
Naked Giants ,
rock and roll /
psychedelic rock /
grunge /
post-punk /
lo-fi (2014–present)
Narrows ,
mathcore /
hardcore punk /
post-hardcore /
sludge metal (2008–present)
Nerve Filter ,
electronic (1995–present)
Nevada Bachelors ,
alternative /
indie /
pop rock (1997–2001)
Nevermore ,
heavy /
progressive /
thrash /
power metal (1991–2001)
New American Shame ,
hard rock (1998–2001, 2010–present)
Night Beats ,
garage rock /
psychedelic rock /
soul /
surf rock (2009–present)
Nightcaps ,
lounge /pop/
jazz /
torch /
soul /
garage rock (1994–present)
The No WTO Combo ,
hardcore punk /
spoken word (1999)
NoClue ,
West Coast /
Northwest hip hop (2004–present)
Oldominion
alternative /
Northwest hip hop (1999–present)
On the Last Day ,
post-hardcore /
alternative rock /
emo /
screamo (2003–2009)
Onry Ozzborn ,
alternative /
Northwest hip hop (1997–present)
Orcas ,
dream pop /
ambient pop /
electronic (2012–present)
Orkestar RTW ,
Balkan /
folk (1987–present)
Sean Osborn , classical/
chamber (1980s-present)
Pacific Gold ,
contemporary Christian /
folk rock /
indie rock (2012–present)
Jim Page ,
folk
busker
The Pale Pacific ,
indie rock /
power pop (1994–present)
Aaron Parks ,
jazz (1999–present)
Past Lives ,
post-punk /
experimental rock /
post-hardcore (2007–present)
Pearl Jam ,
grunge /
alternative rock /
hard rock (1990–present)
Pedro the Lion ,
indie rock /
slowcore /
emo (1995–2006, 2017–present)
Perfume Genius ,
art /
baroque /
indie /
chamber pop (2008–present)
Perkins Coie Band ,
rock and roll /
garage rock (1999–present)
Pickwick ,
indie rock /
garage rock /
R&B (2008–present)
Pigeonhed ,
funk /
soul /
trip hop /
lo-fi (1993–1997, 2010–2019)
Pleaseeasaur ,
camp
musical comedy (1997–2009)
Pollens ,
indie rock (2008–present)
Ponga ,
jazz
improv (1997–2001)
Pony Time ,
garage rock /
punk rock (2009–present)
Poor Moon ,
indie folk /
pop (2012–present)
The Postal Service ,
indietronica /
indie pop /
synth-pop (2001–2005, 2013)
Posse ,
indie rock (2010–2017)
The presidents of the United States of America ,
alternative rock /
pop-punk /
post-grunge (1993–1998, 2002–2015)
Pretty Girls Make Graves ,
post-punk /
indie rock /
emo (2001–2007)
Pretty Mary Sunshine ,
indie rock (1993–1994)
The Prom ,
indie rock (1999–present)
Psychic Emperor ,
indie rock /
electronic (2004–present)
Q5 ,
hard rock /
heavy metal (1983–1989,:2014–present)
RA Scion ,
alternative /
Northwest hip hop (2002–present)
Raft of Dead Monkeys ,
Christian punk /
hardcore punk /
noise rock (1999–2001, 2004)
Raz Simone (Razpy),
hip hop /
trap (2014–present)
Red Stars Theory ,
indie rock /
post-rock /
slowcore (1995–2000)
Melissa Reese ,
hard rock /
heavy metal /
glam metal /
alternative rock /
alternative metal /
electronica /
experimental rock /
punk rock (2006–present)
Reignwolf ,
indie rock /
blues rock (2011–present)
Reverend ,
thrash /
speed /
power metal (1989–1993, 2000–2010)
The Revolutionary Hydra ,
indie rock (1997–2003)
Roadside Monument ,
instrumental
math rock /
emo (1994–1998, 2002–2003)
The Rockfords ,
alternative rock (1999–2003)
Room Nine ,
alternative /
psychedelic rock (1980–1988)
Rose Blossom Punch ,
post-grunge /
alternative rock (1995–1999)
Loni Rose , pop (1993–present)
Rose Windows ,
psychedelic /
experimental rock (2010–2015)
The Rumba Kings ,
world /
Latin (2015–present)
Merrilee Rush , pop/
rock and roll /
R&B (1960–present)
Sabzi ,
alternative /
indie hip hop (2002–present)
Sanctuary ,
thrash /
power metal (1985–1992, 2010–present)
Sandrider ,
grunge /
hard rock /
sludge metal (2008–present)
Satchel ,
grunge (1991–2019)
The Saturday Knights ,
hip hop /
indie rock /pop (2007–present)
The Scene Aesthetic ,
indie /
folk /
country pop (2005–2012)
Schoolyard Heroes ,
horror punk /
alternative rock /
gothic rock /
shock rock (1999–2009)
scntfc ,
EDM /
hip hop /rock (2000s-present)
Marc Seales ,
jazz /
post-bop (1990s-present)
Seapony ,
indie pop (2010–2015, 2017)
Seattle Chamber Players ,
chamber (1989–present)
Seattle Girls Choir ,
choral (1982–present)
Seattle Opera ,
opera company (1963–present)
Seattle Pro Musica ,
choral /
a cappella /classical/
contemporary classical (1972–present)
Seattle Symphony , classical/
contemporary classical (1903–present)
Second Coming ,
industrial dance /
post-grunge /
hard rock /
alternative rock (1990–2008)
Shabazz Palaces ,
experimental /
alternative hip hop (2009–present)
Sharks Keep Moving ,
math /
indie rock (1997–2002)
Shoplifting ,
punk rock (2002–2006)
Sicko ,
pop-punk (1991–2001, 2018–present)
The Sight Below ,
ambient /
techno /
shoegaze /
electronic (2008–present)
Sir Mix-a-Lot ,
old skool hip hop /
West Coast hip hop /
party rap /
pop-rap (1981–present)
Sirens Sister ,
alternative rock (2006–present)
Skerik ,
jazz /
saxophonics /
punk jazz (1980s-present)
Skin Yard ,
grunge /
alternative metal (1985–1992)
Sky Cries Mary ,
psychedelic rock /
trance /
industrial /
space rock (1988–1999, 2004–2009, 2013–present)
Sledgeback ,
punk rock /
Oi! (2004–present)
Slender Means ,
indie rock (2003–2010)
Sleze ,
glam metal (1984–1987)
Smoosh (now
Chaos Chaos ),
indie /
synth /
baroque /
twee pop (2000–present)
SMP ,
industrial rock (1992–present)
Soiled Doves ,
post-hardcore /
art punk /
screamo /
experimental rock (2000–2001)
Sol (Solzilla),
Northwest hip hop (2008–present)
Solger ,
hardcore punk (1980–1982)
Soulbender ,
alternative metal /
hard rock (2002–2014)
Soundgarden
grunge /
heavy
alternative metal /
hard rock (1984–1997, 2010–2019)
Source of Labor ,
Northwest hip hop (1989–2004)
Spys4Darwin ,
alternative metal /
hard rock (2001–2002)
The Squirrels ,
novelty
bubblegum
pop-punk (1984–2009, 2017–present)
Floyd Standifer ,
jazz (1946-2000s)
Sunn O))) ,
drone /
doom /
experimental /
black metal (1998–present)
Sunny Day Real Estate ,
emo /
indie rock /
post-grunge /
post-hardcore (1992–1995, 1997–2001, 2009–2014, 2022–present)
Super Deluxe ,
punk pop (1993–2005)
Sweet 75 ,
alternative rock (1994–2000)
Sweet Water
alternative rock /
punk rock /
new wave /
grunge /
hard rock (1990–1999, 2007–present)
Tad ,
grunge /
alternative metal /
sludge metal /
noise rock (1988–1999)
Tangerine ,
indie pop /
dream pop /
indie rock /
garage rock revival (2014–present)
Tattle Tale ,
folk punk /
indie rock (1992–1995)
Tea Cozies ,
garage rock (2005–2012)
Teen Angels ,
grunge (1990s)
The Tempers ,
synth-pop /
glam rock /
art rock /
dark cabaret (2006–present)
Temple of the Dog ,
grunge /
alternative rock (1990–1992, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2014–2016, 2019)
Gabriel Teodros ,
Northwest hip hop (1999–present)
These Arms Are Snakes ,
post-hardcore /
alternative metal (2002–2009, 2016, 2021)
This Busy Monster ,
indie rock (1992–2001)
This Providence ,
alternative rock /
indie rock /
pop-punk /
emo (2003–2013)
Jennifer Thomas , classical/
crossover /
new-age (1990s-present)
Thorr's Hammer ,
death-doom (1994–1995, 2009–2010)
Thrones ,
doom metal /
avant-garde /
noise rock /
experimental rock (1994–present)
Throw Me the Statue ,
indie pop (2005–2013)
Thunderpussy ,
hard /
blues rock (2014–present)
Tiny Vipers ,
indie rock (2006–present)
The Tiptons Sax Quartet ,
jazz (1990s-present)
TKO ,
hard rock /
heavy metal (1977–1986, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2018)
Toe Tag ,
hardcore punk /
thrash metal /
metalcore (2006–present)
Total Experience Gospel Choir ,
gospel (1973–present)
Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players ,
anti-folk /
indie rock /
art pop (2000–2011)
Trial ,
hardcore punk (1995–2000, 2005, 2009, 2011)
The Tripwires ,
power pop /
pub rock (2006–present)
Truly ,
grunge /
psychedelic rock /
alternative rock (1990–1998, 2008–present)
Tuatara ,
instrumental
world /
folk (1996–present)
Tullycraft ,
indie pop /
twee pop /
cuddlecore (1995–present)
The Turn-Ons ,
alternative rock (1997–2008)
The U-Men ,
grunge /
punk rock /
post-punk /
garage rock /
noise rock (1980–1989)
Uncle Bonsai ,
acoustic
contemporary folk (1981–1988, 1999–present)
Undertow ,
hardcore punk /
metalcore (1991–2004)
Unified Theory ,
alternative rock /
post-grunge (1998–2001)
United State of Electronica ,
electronic rock (2002–present)
Unwed Sailor ,
instrumental rock /
ambient /
post-rock (1998–present)
Vells ,
indie rock (2001–present)
Vendetta Red ,
alternative rock /
screamo /
emo /
post-grunge /
post-hardcore (1998–2006, 2010–present)
Visqueen ,
pop-punk /
power pop /
indie rock (2001–2011)
Walt Wagner ,
lounge /pop/classical/
rock and roll (1960–2017)
The Wakefields ,
alt-country /
Americana (2004–present)
Waking Hour ,
progressive metal (2003–present)
Frank Waldron ,
jazz (1910s–1950s)
The Walkabouts ,
indie rock /
alt-country /
folk rock /
chamber pop /
slowcore (1984–2015)
Walking Papers ,
alternative rock (2013–present)
War Babies ,
hard rock /
glam metal (1998–1993)
Waxwing ,
emo /
indie rock (1996–2005)
Harold Weeks ,
jazz /
ragtime (1910s–1967)
Wellwater Conspiracy ,
alternative rock /
garage rock /
neo-psychedelia /
space rock (1993–2004)
Western State Hurricanes ,
indie rock (1997–1999)
Whangdoodle Entertainers ,
jazz /
ragtime (1907–1925)
White ,
prog rock (2005–2022)
Willard ,
grunge /
sludge metal /
heavy metal /
alternative metal (1989–1995, 2018)
William Control (
Wil Francis ),
dark wave /
synth-pop /
gothic rock (2008–2017, 2020)
Dick Wilson ,
jazz (1930–1941)
Wimps ,
punk rock (2012–present)
Wizdom ,
Northwest hip hop (2008–present)
Wonderful ,
dream pop (1999–present)
Xperience ,
alternative hip hop (2004–present)
The Young Fresh Fellows ,
alternative rock (1981–present)
Zeke ,
hardcore punk /
hard rock /
heavy metal (1992–present)
Zipgun ,
punk rock (1991–1994)
Sequim
Snohomish
Spokane
Cami Bradley ,
folk /pop (2013–present)
Michael Clarke ,
folk /
country rock (1964–1993)
Bing Crosby ,
traditional pop /
vocal jazz (1922–1977)
Bob Crosby ,
jazz /
big band
swing /
dixieland (1931–1993)
Enterprise Earth ,
deathcore (2014–present)
Thomas Hampson , opera/romantic/
chamber /
show tunes (1980–present)
Myles Kennedy ,
alternative metal /
blues rock /
hard rock /
jazz (1988–present)
The Makers ,
garage rock (1991–present)
The Chad Mitchell Trio ,
folk (1958–1967, 1987, 2005–2014)
Patrice Munsel , opera/
show tunes (1943–2008)
Jimmy Rowles ,
jazz /
swing /
cool jazz (1940s–1980s)
Spokane Symphony , classical (1945–present)
Telecast ,
Christian rock (2003–2008)
Too Slim and the Taildraggers ,
blues rock (1986–present)
Tyrone Wells ,
folk pop (2000–present)
Merrill Womach ,
gospel (1960–1985)
Stanwood
Tacoma
Botch ,
mathcore /
metalcore (1993–2002)
Neko Case ,
indie rock /
alt-country /
folk rock /
Americana (1994–present)
Corky Corcoran ,
jazz (1940–1979)
Girl Trouble ,
garage rock (1983–present)
Donald Glaude ,
house (1992–present)
Harkonen ,
post-hardcore (1997–2005)
He is We ,
indie pop (2008–present)
Junkyard Jane ,
Americana /
"Swampabilly" (1997–present)
Liar's Club ,
melodic pop (1989–1995, 2013)
Vicci Martinez , pop/rock (2000–present)
Jerry Miller ,
psychedelic rock /
folk rock (1959–present)
Motopony ,
indie /
alternative rock (2008–present)
Ronny Munroe ,
heavy metal /
thrash metal /
prog metal /
hard rock (1986–present)
Roald Reitan , opera (1957-1970s)
Roy ,
folk /
indie rock (2002–2006, 2010)
Seaweed ,
punk rock /
alternative rock /
post-hardcore (1989–1999, 2007–2014)
Some By Sea ,
baroque pop /
symphonic rock (2002–2006)
Swelter ,
noise rock /
hardcore punk /
shoegaze (1989–1998)
The Ventures ,
instrumental rock /
surf rock (1958–present)
Versing ,
alternative rock /
indie rock /
shoegaze (2015–present)
The [Fabulous] Wailers ,
garage rock /
R&B (1958–1969)
Jaime Wyatt ,
outlaw country /
Americana (2002–present)
Yogi Yorgesson ,
traditional pop
parody music (1927–1941)
Tenino
Tri-Cities
Tumwater
Vancouver WA
Vashon
Wahkiakum County
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Yakima
(Note: years active are as of July 23, 2022 and are in some cases approximate)
See also
References