About a year ago, I reached the point where I had become bored of all the music that filled my playlists. It all sounded the same: boring and flat. I wanted something new. This is when I first discovered underscores. 

Devon Grey Karph, professionally known as April Harper Grey, and by her stage name, underscores, is a songwriter and producer from San Francisco. She grew up listening to artists like Jack White, Beck and Madonna. When she was just 13, she began producing electronic and dubstep tracks on SoundCloud, crediting Skrillex and 100 gecs as early influences. She even co-founded an online group, Six Impala, where the members would get together and repost each other’s work. Eventually, she enrolled at NYU to study music, where she met fellow producer Umru, whom she had been a big fan of for years after discovering him on SoundCloud. They ended up becoming roommates and he later opened for her while touring. However, after two years, the pandemic hit, making her ability to create music at school almost impossible, so Grey dropped out. 

In 2021, she released her first studio album, “Fishmonger,” and opened for 100 gecs later on that year during their “10,000 gecs Tour.” In early 2022, she headlined her first tour following the release of her debut album, then released her second album in 2023, “Wallsocket.” This concept album is set in the fictional town of Wallsocket, Michigan and follows the stories of three girls navigating adulthood.  

After touring behind “Wallsocket,” Grey spent the next two years mostly out of the spotlight before resurfacing with her lead single “Music” in June 2025. This is the song that introduced me to underscores, saving me from the endless stream of uninteresting music I had been drowning in. I wish I could claim I’d known about her since the start of her career, but she has grown to be my most listened to artist since discovering this track over a year ago. 

The music industry is currently experiencing a boom driven by a revival of early-2010s pop and EDM-crossover sounds, a moment widely marked by the release of Charli XCX’s “Brat.” “U,” Grey’s third studio album landed right in the middle of that wave and became a major breakthrough for her as a result. Her experimental electronic production mixed with pop made the album easily digestible while still holding onto her personal style. But the album wasn’t just a response to the demanding moment. In an interview with NME, Grey described the album as her attempt to “restore my relationship with making music” after feeling worn down by industry pressure following “Wallsocket.”

This year, Grey brought her “Galleria” tour across North America, though the September leg was ultimately cut short after it was announced in June that underscores would open for Charli XCX on her “Music, Fashion, Film Tour.” Fans were disappointed to miss out, but the opportunity marked a massive step in Grey’s career following the release of “U.” In November 2025, underscores reached a million monthly listeners on Spotify and that number is still climbing. Currently, she sits at around 1.8 million. Between unreleased songs played live on tour and her most recent single, “Unlimited Love,” it is clear she is not slowing down anytime soon. 

Recommended Songs:

  • “Music”: A perfect introduction to her sound
  • “Hollywood Forever”: One of my favorite tracks from “U”
  • “Spoiled little brat”: Her biggest hit from “Fishmonger”
  • “Poplife” (with Umru): One of her catchiest tracks 
  • “Stupid (Can’t run from the urge)”: Sharp lyrics with a really fun beat 
  • “Locals (Girls like us)” (with Gabby Start): A “Wallsocket” highlight 
  • “Do it”: Full of her signature glitchy and maximalist production
  • “harvest sky” (with Oklou): A softer, more atmospheric collab