hemlocke springs is the 24-year-old North Carolina breakout act. Having just completed a master’s degree in medical informatics at the Ivy League ranked Dartmouth College just four months ago, Naomi is now staring at the possibility of an entirely surprising and major music career, based on a flawless series of intoxicating and idiosyncratic pop songs that have not only earned millions of streams but also the admiration of some of music’s biggest names (including Grimes, Toro y Moi and Steve Lacy, who recently called her the most exciting artist of 2023). Her songs — accessible and intricate, poppy and provocative—are much more than 15-second flybys. As she approaches her much-demanded debut project, it’s hard to shake the fantastic feeling that she is, too.