Led by singer, guitarist, and filmmaker Richie James Follin, Guards creates widescreen indie rock that blends psychedelic pop, ’60s garage, dream-pop shimmer, and towering, sing-along choruses. Since emerging from New York in 2010, the band has released the acclaimed albums In Guards We Trust and Modern Hymns, toured with artists including MGMT and Queens of the Stone Age, and appeared at festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Primavera Sound. Guards’ latest chapter brings Follin’s musical and cinematic worlds together: he wrote, directed, and stars in HHM’s Opening Night film, Crystal Cross, with Guards providing its original songs. Following the screening, the band will take the stage and transform Opening Night into one seamless collision of film, music, and anthemic rock and roll.

Megasound is a new indie-pop supergroup uniting Elana Carroll of Party Nails with Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge of Bad Bad Hats. Born from longtime friendship, a shared love of early-2000s rock, and more than a few viewings of Josie and the Pussycats, the trio delivers a rush of punchy guitar riffs, attitude-filled vocals, and enormous power-pop hooks. Their songs blend nostalgia, sarcasm, and rock-and-roll swagger with the effortless chemistry of close friends rediscovering the pure fun of making music together. Their self-titled debut album arrives in late summer 2026 on Don Giovanni Records. Party Nails delivered a truly fantastic performance at Hell’s Half Mile in 2022, and we’re thrilled to welcome Elana back with this spirited new supergroup…. ready to make Megasound live up to its name.

Hailing from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, DogFace is a young band happily resistant to easy categorization. Made up of four Central Michigan University students, the group features Alison Toll, twin brothers Jericho and Jordan Renn, and Eliana Hapner. Their sound moves between folk, indie rock, and rough-edged alternative, with influences ranging from Adrianne Lenker and Sun Kil Moon to Fugazi and Modern Baseball. DogFace wrote, recorded, and produced their expansive 2026 album Laika, while newer songs such as “Jet Streams!” reveal a band continuing to grow and reshape its sound. Earnest, unpredictable, and fueled by youthful chemistry, DogFace carries a distinctly Michigan DIY spirit and represents exactly what Hell’s Half Mile loves to champion: emerging artists making something personal, adventurous, and entirely their own.

Hailing from Nashville, Snorkeler is the indie-rock project of Canadian-born songwriter Curtis Heimburger, formerly of Mom Rock. Built on tight grooves, distorted garage-rock guitars, and massive, singable choruses, Snorkeler balances offbeat riffs and biting sarcasm with an undercurrent of genuine vulnerability. The songs wrestle with fading friendships, creative frustration, emotional burnout, and the stubborn drive to keep reaching for something better. On the debut EP No Power, Heimburger transforms those uncomfortable realities into cathartic anthems…. music that can sound playful and triumphant even when everything feels hopeless. Backed by a full live band, Snorkeler will bring an explosive mix of raw emotion, infectious hooks, and dance-floor energy to Hell’s Half Mile.

Hailing from Toronto, Ducks Ltd. crafts tightly wound guitar pop that pairs bright, jangling melodies with the restless energy of post-punk and power pop. Led by Tom McGreevy and Evan Lewis, the band channels the sharp hooks and chiming guitars of ’80s college rock while singing about anxiety, isolation, and the strain of navigating an increasingly unstable world. Their latest album, Harm’s Way, turns those tensions into a brisk, exhilarating collection of songs…. music that sounds breezy and triumphant even as unease churns beneath the surface. Road-tested, relentlessly catchy, and built for movement, Ducks Ltd. will bring a rush of ringing guitars, breakneck rhythms, and bittersweet hooks to Hell’s Half Mile.