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May 05, 2025 By Mark Redfern

Under the Radar is the indie music print magazine that refuses to die. While many of our peers have shut down or gone digital-only, we’re still here—still in print, still 100% independent, and still without billionaire backing. Right now, print subscriptions are 50% off: in the U.S. just $9.99 for four issues, or $2.49 each (compared to our $7.99 newsstand price).

Subscribe here with promo code UTR202550.

Canadian four-issue subscriptions are also 50% off, only $14.49 vs. the usual $29.99.

International four-issue subscriptions are 50% as well, now $23.49 vs. the usual $46.99.

All print back issues are also 50% off—shop back issues here with promo code UTRBACK50.

All eight-issue subscription options (U.S., Canadian, international) are 40% off with code UTR202540 here.

Under the Radar was founded in 2001 by me, Mark Redfern—then a young aspiring music writer—and photographer Wendy Lynch (now Wendy Lynch Redfern). We started out as a black & white zine with local Los Angeles distribution. Over the years, we’ve gotten married, moved across the country, had a daughter (now 12), and somehow kept this fully independent magazine going through two decades of upheaval: the collapse of print, the rise of streaming, the dominance of social media, and the drying up of traditional advertising. Through it all, we’ve stayed committed to the art of print—creating something tangible, lasting, and meaningful.

We call ourselves the last great American indie rock print magazine because… we are. While others may still exist, few are as committed to indie rock in all its forms as we are.

From the start, we’ve showcased the photography of Wendy and other great music photographers—because music photography deserves the space and quality of print. Every cover since Issue 1 has featured an original photo, not a recycled press image. We cover artists based on passion, not trends or algorithms. We were the first national print magazine to interview Vampire Weekend and Fleet Foxes, the first U.S. outlet to talk to Wet Leg and The Last Dinner Party, and early champions of now-beloved artists like Charli XCX (on our cover in 2013, 11 years before Brat). We helped define the indie boom of the 2000s—featuring Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Interpol, The National, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and many more—and have also interviewed older legends like Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, Peter Gabriel, New Order, and Depeche Mode. We were also the last magazine to interview and photograph Elliott Smith before his tragic death.

Today, we average three thoughtfully curated print issues per year. Many focus on special themes—like our ’90s Issue, movie-themed editions, or our long-running Protest Issue series, which mixes music and politics with custom protest sign photos and charity auctions.

Each issue features 20–30 interviews, 20–50 album reviews, and a downloadable MP3 sampler of up to 40 new songs. Most articles are exclusive to print for months (sometimes forever). This is the full Under the Radar experience, and you can only get it by subscribing.

Our future depends on our readers. With advertising less reliable than ever, it’s subscriptions, back issue sales, and newsstand purchases that keep us alive.

We’re aiming to sign up 500 new subscribers before our next issue this summer—and your support can help us get there. At $9.99 for four issues (or $2.49 each), this subscription costs less than most streaming services and gives you something lasting in return.

All new subscriptions start with Issue 75—our upcoming sequel to the popular ’90s Issue—featuring new interviews with artists and creatives behind some of the most iconic music, film, and TV of that decade.

If you miss the experience of flipping through a beautifully made print magazine devoted to the music you love, we’re still here. Join us—and help keep indie print music journalism alive.

Print’s not dead—but it does need your help.

Support Under the Radar, the last great American indie rock print magazine, and save big while you’re at it.

Subscribe to Under the Radar’s print magazine.

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