Heligoats: He may be a lone guy with an acoustic guitar, but Chris Otepka gives fans a lot of ideas to unpack. Even his backstory necessitates some explanation: The former lead singer of a criminally underheralded band called Troubled Hubble, Otepka now performs solo and unplugged as The Heligoats — a strange name for a guy strumming a guitar, but oddly befitting someone who stuffs his songs with so many sideways ideas and observations. Given the yarns he spins here, it’s easy to imagine Otepka envisioning a herd of goats with propellers and setting the concept to music.

Jake McKelvie: Jake McKelvie has traveled the DIY touring circuit in the US and UK for over a decade, carving out a niche for himself as a songwriter and performer. Known for his off-kilter “stream of self-consciousness” lyricism, he sings his songs either as a solo performer or with his newly minted backing band, “the New Old Band”.