Roe Kapara

Born Austin Sellinger in St. Louis, the singer known as Roe Kapara blends psychedelic rock with indie pop, filling his songs with a macabre, otherworldly and surreal aesthetic. Raised in the Catholic Church in Missouri, he drew on that upbringing for "Preacher", the featured song on his first EP. Movies shape his writing too, particularly those of the 90s, and his videos carry the same bizarre, eerie imagery that runs through his songs.

After a spell in Nashville, he moved to Los Angeles just before the COVID-19 pandemic, performing many live shows, several of them as support to comedians. Lockdown pushed him online, where songs including "Waiting", "Baby Blue", "I Wanted You" and "Past Grow" found listeners, and his 2021 single "Employment Cost" went viral. He signed to Epitaph Records in 2023, partly inspired by his close friend and collaborator Dolo joining the label, and the pair teamed up on "Fake My Death". That year brought his first EP, I Hope Hell Isn't Real, followed by Big Cigars and Satin Shorts in 2024, when he also played 2000trees. The stop-motion video for "The Dead Come Talking" shows his visual approach, while 2026's "Crying on Vacation" leaned into surf rock.