Some of my favorite live music comes from local artists. Music begins with a dream and local artists in Utah are typically at the beginning of that dream.

Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons and The Used were once performing in the dingiest venues Utah had to offer. Success came to all of them globally, but not before the support of their local communities.

Supporting Utah’s local music scene is important because it means you’re rooting for the home team to succeed. Like a rally-cry when the Utah Jazz are in the playoffs, our local musicians need our support too. Here are three local artist you need to know right now.

Tom Bennett

Hailing from Villa Rica, Georgia, folk singer Tom Bennett headed west in his early 20s. With the will of an artist and an affection for the Beehive State, Bennett staked his ground in Salt Lake City.

Performing as a frontman for experimental rock band, The Saintanne, Bennett immersed himself in the SLC music scene. In 2013 Bennett branched out as a singer-songwriter performing folk music on the streets of SLC.

After opening his own record label, Sweet Salt Records, the passionate musician made headlines with his protest tune, a response to Utah air quality titled “Governor We Cannot Breathe.” The song acted as an anthem for Utah Clean Air rally supporters while Bennett performed it on the steps of the Utah State Capitol.

Bennett has found success as a full-time folk singer as he travels the country in support of his debut album,  “The Man Who Shook The Trail of The Devils Hounds.”

Clay Summers

Ever since his high school days, Tremonton singer-songwriter Clay Summers has been wishing upon a star. Summers has livened crowds all-over northern Utah. With a cheerful tone and a catchy riff progression, Summers has spent his entire adult life pursuing his dreams.

After releasing his first demo, “When August Falls…” in 2010, Summers left Utah to pursue a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His work was kept alive by his online following and upon his return in 2013 Summers hit the ground running. His latest single, “Man in the Moon” is an instant hit among live crowds. Clay Summers is young and determined enough to chase his dreams all the way to the top.

Jeremiah Maxey

As an accomplished musician, Jeremiah Maxey’s guitar playing is some of the greatest in all of Utah. But it’s Maxey’s live performance which sets him apart from all others.

When Maxey was born doctors were forced to amputate his right forearm and part of his left arm. As Maxey grew, so did his love for music. He wanted to play guitar and he wasn’t going to stop until he found a way to do it. With the support of his father, a guitar player himself, they found a way to make the instrument more accessible to Maxey’s needs. He spent his childhood mastering the guitar and crafting his unique playing techniques.

Maxey has now become a mainstay player in the Utah bluegrass scene. Whether he’s performing solo or with his latest band, Telluride Meltdown, Jeremiah Maxey is not an artist you want to miss when he stops in your town.