Though Main and Bear have been inspired in equal measure by these trends, they incorporate them in different ways to different ends. Main’s Porches takes a cue from country, with banjo appearing on “Voices in My Head” as well as confessional indie rock, with angsty lyricism threaded throughout. While Bear as Toro Y Moi, for his part, has leaned into hip-hop and its iterations across rap-rock, soundcloud rap, and emo rap, mixing high-hats with pop punk propulsion. The two musicians align with an indulgence in distortion and angsty atmosphere, meeting in the middle with Porches actually featuring on Hole Erth’s “Undercurrent,” a track that merges 90s shoegaze with modern melancholia. 

That these two pioneers of indie bedroom pop have shifted their sound in similar ways at a similar time testifies to the infectious innovation of new popular genres. Whereas we’re accustomed to young musicians borrowing from those who came before them, now we’re seeing those who came before borrowing from young musicians – an electrifying and evolving dialogue across demographics and styles. As digitalization dissolves boundaries in communication and consumption, developments in sonic trends no longer adhere to a linear trajectory. Everything is in conversation with everything, and both Porches and Toro Y Moi are nimble enough to meet the moment head on.