Firefly Under the Radar: Robert DeLong

First rule of music festivals: get there at the beginning. Try not to miss a lot of the early-day acts because you never know whose set can start off your party weekend in a surprisingly great way. And so, if I were heading to Firefly this weekend, I’d be sure not to miss up-and-coming unique electronic artist Robert DeLong. Originally from the Seattle area, DeLong has his musical roots in drumming, and and played with indie-rock bands before turning to more electro stylings. He also sings, and has a great smooth voice. Many of DeLong’s tunes start out relatively calm, slightly poppy and vocal-heavy, but soon crescendo into surprisingly awesome electro drops and danceable beats that come from a variety of EDM influences. His fusion of pop, EDM, and indie rock roots create a sound slightly reminiscent of Australian synthy electro-rockers Art vs Science (who happened to wonderfully start off my Governor’s Ball weekend last summer). DeLong’s music and live shows also feature him playing and experimenting with different drums and drum pads, keyboards, and even videogame controllers – a true new age one-man band. DeLong’s first full-length album, Just Movement, was released this year. Check out the music video for his infectious single, “Global Concepts.” Tickets and information for Firefly can be found here.