The annual idobi Radio Summer School Tour has announced a return for its much-anticipated sophomore year. Founded by Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records) Michael Kaminsky (KMGMT), and Kevin Lyman (Vans Warped Tour), and sponsored by idobi Radio and Hot Topic, the nationwide traveling tour will feature a lineup of seven independent artists and bands that are fast on the rise, including Taylor Acorn, Charlotte Sands, Rain City Drive, If Not For Me, Beauty School Dropout, Arrows in Action, and Huddy.

During its inaugural run in 2024, the idobi Radio Summer School emerged as one of the brightest new tours in the US while carrying the torch of a bygone ethos: a traveling tour focused on artist development, community, ticket affordability, and social impact. Comprised of a diverse lineup of bands and artists that alternate set times at each date, Summer School is as much an incubator for the next generation of headliners as it is an unrivaled experience for the next generation of concertgoers. “Summer School tours the country channeling the pop-punk spirit of the Warped Tour,” hailed The Los Angeles Times last year.

Kicking off July 11 in Detroit, the 2025 run will stop in nearly two dozen major cities across America this summer before a finale in Philadelphia on August 10. The tour also includes a field trip of sorts: a momentous date in partnership with Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, CA, on July 26, where all seven Summer School bands will perform at the freshly relaunched festival.

As veterans of both the music business and the scene itself – with decades of collective experience cultivating and supporting artists from the ground level – the founder trio of Michael Kaminsky, Eric Tobin, and Kevin Lyman came together to launch Summer School last year after witnessing an industry-wide absence of concerts that truly serve emerging artists and young fans alike. In the current touring and festival landscape, these acts are often relegated to support slots where there’s no moment for them to shine, while ticket prices have soared astronomically.

“Music scenes develop when there’s an active community and culture built to support them,” says co-founder Michael Kaminsky. “There’s been a vacuum on the national level for young concertgoers to see or discover their favorite new bands and become lifelong fans. To support that fan, we’ve worked hard to make sure tickets are around $35, that all the artists, labels and promoters are independent, and that any sponsors directly contribute to the fan or artist experience.”

“Summer School’s purpose is to support the current and future alternative-music culture,” co-founder Eric Tobin continues. “It’s about championing visionary and boundary-pushing artists to be the Main Stage festival headliners of tomorrow.”

“Everyone in the industry says we need artist development, but few go out on a limb to create paths for their own acts, let alone for others as well. Rethinking the way we approach that is what Summer School is all about,” adds co-founder Kevin Lyman.

idobi Network is the premier internet radio company for alternative music fans. It features idobi Radio, idobi Howl, and idobi Anthm—all streaming expertly curated new alternative, indie, and metal music. With Los Angeles-based production studios, idobi also delivers exclusive podcasts hosted by rockstars from Simple Plan, Sum 41, Bowling for Soup, and more. Beyond radio, idobi offers editorial content, interviews, events, and exclusive live performances—all accessible for free through the idobi app and at idobi.com.

Charlotte Sands has been immersed in music from a young age, writing and performing her own songs since she was just nine years old. Influenced by a mix of acoustic storytelling and powerful pop-rock performances, Sands has remained a fully independent artist, all while charting at Top 40 radio for over 15 weeks in the US and firmly asserting her presence with nominations for Breakthrough Artist and winning at London’s Heavy Music Awards. Having shared stages with acclaimed acts like My Chemical Romance and 5 Seconds of Summer, Charlotte’s electrifying live performances have made her a standout on tours all across the globe. In 2024, she embarked on a highly successful global headline tour in support of her debut album can we start over? which symbolizes her personal and career growth, marrying introspective lyrics and dynamic live energy. The album is a snapshot of where Charlotte stands in her career and her life, capturing both her vulnerabilities and newfound confidence. “I hope this album conveys strength, confidence, and power within vulnerability,” Charlotte says. “It feels like holding a mirror to myself, reflecting exactly how I feel right now in this phase of my life. I feel more secure in who I am as a person and as an artist than ever before.”

As 2025 unfolds, Charlotte is gearing up to release new music and embark on another tour, continuing to evolve and captivate her growing fanbase. Through it all, Sands remains true to her personal mission of “creating a safe space for all to feel accepted and celebrated for their weirdness and diversity.” And as evident by the overwhelmingly positive comments that flood her social media, her fans take pride in championing her as they recognize how she champions them.

Growing up in the early 90’s & 2000’s pop punk/ pop rock scene, for Taylor Acorn it was never a phase. Hailing from the small North Central Pennsylvania town of Wellsboro, Taylor had always dreamed of a career in music and in 2014, dropped out of Kutztown University to pursue just that, setting her sights for Nashville in 2017.

With her infectiously relatable releases of “Do That Again”, “In My Head” and “Shapeshifting”, Taylor is now leaving her own footprint in the pop punk community giving her fans a place to feel safe and to feel heard, by tackling tough subjects such as mental health by sharing her own personal struggles. She wants to give her listeners a space where they can feel free and vulnerable, a place where healing is accepted no matter who you are or where you’ve come from.

RAIN CITY DRIVE makes vibrant and dynamic alternative rock n’ roll, with strong roots in the post-hardcore subculture and unapologetically ambitious swings into contemporary pop. Described by Distorted Sound Magazine as “a melody machine” and in Metal Hammer as “a band you need to hear,” Rain City Drive builds a musical bridge between heavy riffs and soaring, intimate, earnest pop. Armed with arena-ready anthems ready-made for long drives, workouts, intimate clubs, and massive festivals alike, the Florida-based group built a reputation as an engaging live act. Nearly 700,000 fans around the world listen to the band on Spotify each month. The songs “Talk to a Friend” and “Heavier,” from their 2020 album To Better Days, account for 40 million streams between them alone. “Cutting it Close” from their 2022 self-titled follow-up (released in a deluxe edition with bonus cuts in 2023) quickly cracked the Top 5 on SiriusXM radio’s Octane upon release. Rain City Drive warps the boundaries between post-hardcore and aggressive melody. On the adventurous Rain City Drive and beyond, the group’s spirit of resilience connects with fans old and new, resonating deeply with all who struggle and find the will to push forward.

For alternative pop trio Arrows in Action, nostalgia is not only a double-edged sword but also the thread that binds their highly-anticipated second album, I Think I’ve Been Here Before. Arrows in Action, which consists of Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals, Guitar), Matthew Fowler (Guitar), and Jesse Frimmel (Drums), are undoubtedly in a place of reflection as they look back on their whirlwind journey since forming in 2017. Following their critically acclaimed debut full-length album, Arrows in Action have amassed legions of die-hard fans captivated by their infectious music, charismatic stage presence, and ability to fuse razor-sharp hooks with sincere and evocative performances.

Coinciding with the announcement of I Think I’ve Been Here Before, Arrows in Action have shared the anthemic track “Feel It Again,” which touches on the relatable feelings of looking back at the snapshots of life and ultimately diving headfirst into the intoxicating effects of nostalgia and past relationships.

Of course, there is a light and dark side to nostalgia, hence the reason why Arrows in Action will release I Think I’ve Been Here Before in two parts: The first being the lighthearted Side A which will drop on 5/16 — as well as its darker, more introspective Side B, coming Fall 2025 via the band’s partnership with Nettwerk Music Group.

I Think I’ve Been Here Before is essential for anyone who is looking for a metaphorical lighthouse to guide the way through life’s most impactful moments.

Four piece metalcore outfit from Harrisburg, PA, If Not For Me, delivers their own brand of catchy choruses, driving riffs and hard-hitting breakdowns with an explosive live performance to match. While the band has an enticing fire lit underneath them, relatability is an important element to include. “I like to write about things that are going on around me in the world. If someone can relate to the things that we’re saying, that’s the best part of it.” Lead vocalist Patrick Glover says about their writing process.

If Not For Me has cemented themselves as a fan favorite staple in the emerging metalcore scene. They’ve drawn inspiration from a range of metalcore and post-hardcore influences, including bands like August Burns Red, Killswitch Engage and Bring Me the Horizon. They also incorporate pop and melodic rock into their sound.

If Not For Me released their powerhouse Thriller Records Debut record, Everything You Wanted on March 29.  “A lot of the songs are directed at me and a lot of the songs are directed to other people.” Says Glover about the upcoming album. “We knew with this album we had to push further than we ever have before.”

With their unyielding commitment to their craft and their explosive live shows, If Not For Me are poised to become one of metalcore’s brightest rising stars. Everything You Wanted has achieved Billboard #6 – Current Hard Rock Albums, #21 – Top New Artists, #35 – Current Rock Albums, and #36 – Independent Label Albums.

Hailing from Los Angeles, alt-rock band Beauty School Dropout is redefining the genre with a fresh blend of raw energy, powerful hooks and unapologetic cool.

With a sound that’s equal parts gritty and melodic, they are on a mission to bring rock back to its rebellious roots while capturing the pulse of the modern era. Backed by industry icons Mark Hoppus and Pete Wentz they’ve built a reputation for electrifying live shows and a Growing catalog of anthemic tracks.

One glance at the eye-catching manicure, wavy midnight-colored hair, and trend-setting style, and you know it’s Huddy. However, his music may be even more identifiable. Pumped up by crunchy punk distortion, head-nodding hooks, and the kind of lyrics you get tattooed, the Los Angeles singer, songwriter, and guitarist bulldozes a lane of his own at high speed.

Huddy officially introduced himself with the single “21st Century Vampire.” Fans sunk their fangs into this restless riff-loaded banger, racking up 40 million streams as Los Angeles Times christened him “a snarling singer-guitarist with his own radio-ready songs, following in the footsteps of his longtime idols.” He delivered again with “The Eulogy of You and Me” and the acoustic guitar-laden “America’s Sweetheart.” It seized #1 on YouTube, tallying 15 million views and 35 million-plus streams and counting. “Don’t Freak Out” [feat. iann dior, Tyson Ritter, & Travis Barker] illuminated a knack for stylistic shapeshifting with attitude intact. After racking up 100 million streams in less than a year and receiving acclaim from Vogue, Interview, i-D, PAPER, and Nylon, he asserts himself as just the pop punk idol we need on his 2021 full-length debut album, Teenage Heartbreak [Immersive/Sandlot/Geffen Records].

In his debut year, Huddy was nominated for in iHeart Radio Music Award, was named one of Billboard’s 21 under 21 and was included as one of Forbes Magazine’s Forbes 30 under 30 list.

In July 2022, Huddy released the pop-punk ballad “All the Things I Hate About You”, which took the internet by storm as an anthemic, evocative and emotional track that speaks to anyone who has ever been burned by someone close to them. The song went viral on

TikTok with 35M global streams, #1 TikTok Trending, 268K TikTok Video Creations, 1B TikTok Views, #1 Trending on YouTube, #1 Genius Chart, Spotify US Viral Chart, 50+ playlist adds in under a week, including New Music Friday, Pop Rising, Big on the Internet, Teen Beats, Pop Sauce (playlist cover), Singled Out (playlist cover), POV (playlist cover). When impacting radio, Top 10 most added POP two weeks in a row, TOP 10 most added ALT two weeks in a row.

Huddy wrapped up his album cycle with a string of high-profile performances, making his festival debut at When We Were Young in Las Vegas, before playing Jingle Ball and Poptopia in 2022. He then joined Oliver Tree on a 40-city sold-out U.S tour, performing in 5,000 capacity venues.

Most recently, Huddy took the stage at Lollapalooza 2024, supported Mod Sun & Lovelytheband on their North American tour, and joined Palaye Royale on their European run – where he also collaborated with them on his latest single, “Cyanide.” Now, as he gears up for a bold new project in 2025, Huddy is pushing musical boundaries, exploring new sounds, and tackling edgier themes.