The Higher
Slick Las Vegas energy where R&B swagger meets power pop hooks. It is the sound of a neon-lit night out, blending soulful vocals with driving alternative rock grooves.
Slick Las Vegas energy where R&B swagger meets power pop hooks. It is the sound of a neon-lit night out, blending soulful vocals with driving alternative rock grooves.
The Higher sounds like the intersection of a mid-2000s emo basement show and a high-end Las Vegas lounge. They swap the typical angst of their contemporaries for a polished, rhythmic swagger that feels deeply indebted to blue-eyed soul and R&B. The guitars are bright and punchy, but the real engine is a rhythm section that actually wants you to dance, anchored by basslines that pop and lock in ways most rock bands wouldn't dare.
What truly sets them apart is Seth Trotter's vocal delivery. Instead of the strained shouting common in the Warped Tour era, you get smooth runs, confident falsetto, and a melodic sensibility that leans closer to Justin Timberlake than to pop punk. It is a 'suit and tie' approach to alternative rock, trading raw grit for a shimmering, expensive-sounding production that captures the glitz and movement of their Nevada roots.
Start with 'On Fire' to hear the band at their creative peak. It perfectly balances their rock foundations with the R&B flourishes that became their signature, offering a high-energy experience that feels both nostalgic for the 2000s and uniquely stylish compared to their peers.
The Higher is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. They were originally known as "September Star". They have released three full-length albums, On Fire, It's Only Natural, and Histrionics, and EPs named "Pace Yourself" and "Star is Dead." The band was signed to Fiddler Records, Epitaph Records, and Sony Japan. The Higher toured with the bands Panic! at the Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, The Temper Trap, Less Than Jake, Ludo, Escape the Fate, Silverstein, Emery, Alexisonfire, There For Tomorrow, We The Kings, Rookie of the Year, The Matches, Sherwood, Meg and Dia, Quiet Drive, Take Cover, I Am Ghost, The Forecast, This Providence, Name Taken, Sing it Loud, Runner Runner, Rufio and others.
Shares pop rock, contemporary r&b, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style)
Shares pop rock, contemporary r&b, dance-pop (subgenres); crooning, falsetto, harmonized (vocal style)
Shares power pop, pop rock, contemporary r&b (subgenres); studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style)
Shares pop rock, power pop, contemporary r&b (subgenres); studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style)
Shares pop rock, contemporary r&b, power pop (subgenres); studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style)
Shares studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style); contemporary r&b, pop rock, dance-pop (subgenres)
Shares confident, playful, energetic (moods); studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style)
Shares studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style); pop rock, power pop (subgenres)
Shares studio polished, hi fi, layered dense (production style); confident, playful, energetic (moods)
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