Battle of the Bartenders: Hembree vs. The Pretty Flowers

Upon releasing their debut album House on Fire in 2019, Hembree quickly started to make a name for themselves in the indie rock world. Garnering the attention of NPR, Rolling Stone, Billboard and landing songs in Netflix shows and Apple commercials, the band developed a reputation for their own brand of infectious and danceable rock. They toured extensively until hunkering down to make their sophomore record It’s a Dream!, which was released in 2022. The record received high praise from tastemakers like Line Of Best Fit as an incredibly ambitious and creative album that pushed the band’s previous boundaries.

Originally from Kansas City, the now Los Angeles based outfit doesn’t stray away from drawing influence from both homes. It’s a pairing that helps Hembree create their own eclectic version of rock and roll. Their unique sound is nostalgic and modern all at once and it has landed them on festival stages all over the country and bills with indie rock legends, Phoenix to rock n’ roll icon, Elvis Costello.

Lead singer, Isaac Flynn, describes their latest album “Better Days” as the record Hembree fell in love with being a band again. There is an immense amount of joy and heart that went into these songs, and Flynn sums it up by stating, “When we started this record, we were feeling a bit lost and discouraged by the state of the music world, but we rediscovered our love for making music together and realized that’s all that really matters.” The band is currently in the studio working on a follow-up album that promises to push them to new heights.

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The Pretty Flowers, formed in 2013 in Los Angeles by songwriter Noah Green, crystallized its core lineup of Green (vocals, guitar), Sam Tiger (bass, backing vocals), Jake Gideon (guitar, backing vocals) and Sean Johnson (drums, percussion) in 2018. Their debut album, Why Trains Crash was released in June of that year to rave reviews. In 2023 they released their follow-up LP, A Company Sleeve, solidifying their reputation with critics and fans alike for all-killer/no-filler indie rock. Their third LP, Never Felt Bitter, was released on March 27, 2026.

The music on Never Felt Bitter—the quartet’s first release for Chicago-based Forge Again Records—is the result of playing together on hundreds of nights in innumerable bars and clubs across Southern California and beyond. Over the years the band has honed a fearsome melding of pop melodicism and raw physicality. Their knack for crafting catchy anthems for outsiders and underdogs has made them one of the most respected underground bands in L.A.

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