CAYDEN WEMPLE

Cayden Wemple is a 24 year-old Los Angeles based singer/songwriter. After starting guitar lessons at just 8 years-old, he became enamored with the instrument and continued playing into his early teens. It wasn’t until the untimely passing of a family-friend that inspired Wemple to start writing his own songs. Gathering musical inspiration from artists such as Bon Iver, Bright Eyes and Phoebe Bridgers, Wemple pursued his songwriting endeavors through high school and into the collegiate level where he attended the University of Colorado- Denver and earned his degree in both songwriting and music business. 

During college, Wemple played primarily with his indie/emo band, Keep Off the Grass, where he spent the better part of four years writing and playing shows with his bandmates. While his days with the band were coming to an end, Wemple began to start writing songs again that were reminiscent of his indie/folk roots. With his newfound appreciation of emo music and still maintaining his indie/folk flare, Wemple bunkered down in the Summer of 2022 and recorded a group of singles that would be released under his solo project moniker, Portra. 

After garnering some attention via TikTok, Wemple’s debut single under his solo project, “not to catch you by surprise” has received nods from Spotify editorial playlist curators and landed a spot on their Fresh Finds Folk playlist. Wemple achieved this feat again with a later single, “but then i just stopped growing,” which in addition to landing on Spotify’s Fresh Finds Folk playlist, landed on their Fresh Finds playlist as well. 

Today, Wemple continues to write with a passion and vulnerability that has his music being compared to the likes of his heroes: “It’s no small feat to be compared to the likes of Elliott Smith, Alex G, or Pinegrove – especially when such greats are your musical inspirations. Upon first listen to his recent discography, Cayden Wemple’s similarity to such artists is uncanny and such comparison is not without merit.”- Miles Campbell, Atwood Magazine.