The Best Indie Breakup Songs For the Ultimate Anti-Valentine’s Day
“The Cue,” “Lots of Nothing,” “Cutting My Fingers Off,” and “Bones” are certified heartbreak bangers.
In the words of Nicole Kidman, “somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” Though the movie star was referring to the magic of AMC theaters, the feeling is not exclusive to the big screen.
Love songs may abound in February, but sometimes the hearts that ache the most amidst the Valentine’s season are the ones that find the deepest resonance in music. Whether your preferred flavor of heartache is somber ballads or rage-filled pulsations, here are some of the best indie breakup songs to get into the anti-Valentine’s mood.
“Cutting My Fingers Off” by Turnover
Jane Flautt, Music Extras Co-Editor
If you need an album to get you through the throes of a breakup, look no further than Turnover’s Peripheral Vision. And the crowning jewel in this trove of heartbreak? The opening track, “Cutting My Fingers Off.” The song is as visceral and bloody as the title suggests, with vocalist Austin Getz taking listeners on a raw journey through the brutal revelations that can be found in picking over the remains of a dead relationship.
The lyric, “Losing you is like cutting my fingers off,” uses an effective image to capture one of the most basic human emotions, grief, and the blunt nature of the metaphor is intentional, for what is more quotidian yet excruciating than heartbreak? With dreamy electric guitars and urgent drums, Turnover’s “Cutting My Fingers Off” encapsulates what makes so many indie rockers’ breakup songs irresistible: a catchy melody overlaid with lyrics that leave you devastated by their ferocity.
“Sinking Ship” by The Backseat Lovers
Harmony Robinson, Contributor
The Backseat Lovers caused a rift in the indie-space time continuum with their 2019 hit “Kilby Girl.” However, when it comes to breakup songs, we’ve gotta give more flowers to “Sinking Ship.” Its dynamic buildup, heart-wrenching lyricism, and tender vocals make "Sinking Ship" the perfect song to tame any post-breakup frustration. The track centers on a worn-out relationship, as two people try to salvage what’s left. The pre-chorus sings, “Your eyes used to wander, but now they sit in place,” highlighting how cracks in the relationship that were once overlooked became increasingly hard to ignore. The relationship, once filled with excitement, is now strained. The ship that once sailed, now sinks.
“Many Times” by Dijon
Reegan-Tate Johnson, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Dijon’s “Many Times” is alternative-indie heartbreak in motion: fractured guitars, a chaotic piano break, restless and panicked vocals. There’s something addictive about how frantic it is. With such a rare honesty, the heartbreak is documented in great detail. “I've been here a thousand times / One thousand and one won't be so bad,” he sings, stuck in a cycle of conflict, bowed heads, fake smiles, and the exhausting whiplash of being pushed away only to be pulled back in. It’s not closure, but it’s definitely confrontation – no matter how much he doesn’t “really want to talk about it.”
Watch hemlock perform “Bones” on YouTube.
“Bones” by hemlock
Mitchell Stewart, Staff Writer
On “Bones,” hemlock has stripped all that isn’t necessary away and has left just the bare minimum — their guitar, drums, and gut-wrenching vocal talent. “Do you know the kind of evil little thing that love can do?” they asks in the chorus. Throughout the track, hemlock sings of a lover that doesn’t look at them the same way anymore, instead looking at others with the same passion once reserved for them.
“I take the posters off the wall / I’m gonna move across the country or down the hall,” they sing in the second verse, relaying that in the immediate aftermath of a breakup, what can we do but pack up our things and move on? It doesn’t matter if we’re uncertain. The posters must come down, and we have to uproot our lives and continue living despite it all. “Bones” is perhaps hemlock’s most stripped-down and vulnerable song, and eloquently captures the tumultuous time immediately after a breakup.
“Lots of Nothing” by Spacey Jane
Mckenzie Blasi, Senior Staff Writer
"Lots of Nothing" by Spacey Jane earns its place as a top-tier indie breakup anthem by trade-marking the specific, messy frustration of post-relationship stagnation. The song brilliantly avoids clichés by focusing on the "nothingness" that follows a breakup — the hollow space left behind when a routine with another person suddenly vanishes. Caleb Harper’s distinctive, melodic vocals carry a sense of exhaustion that feels incredibly authentic to anyone who has felt stuck in their own head after a split. Musically, the bright, sun-drenched guitar riffs provide a sharp irony to the heavy lyrical content, capturing that strange feeling of a beautiful day clashing with a broken heart. The driving, upbeat tempo gives the listener a sense of forward motion, even as the lyrics describe the feeling of being unable to move on. Ultimately, it’s a standout because it doesn't just mourn the loss of a partner, but honestly explores the loss of self that often follows.
“The Cue” by Sarah and the Sundays
Brooke Shapiro, Music Extras Co-Editor
It’s easy to turn inwards after a breakup and end up in a cycle of self-loathing. What’s satisfying about Sarah and the Sundays’ “The Cue” is that lead vocalist Liam Yorgensen takes listeners with him as he shifts from a sort of deprecating denial to stage two: anger. In the track’s pre-chorus, he sings, “When will I learn / It’s always the same / It’s not fun anymore / I don’t like this kind of pain,” over sparse instrumentation and production, before the entrance of a steady drum beat in the chorus darkens the mood with the lyric, “I think I deserved a kinder goodbye.” By the bridge, the intensity has been turned up with a wandering, whiny guitar line and the addition of guitarist Brendan Whyburn’s unrefined backing vocals punctuating the lyrics, “‘Cause I was being nice and now it’s too late to be mad.” Having acted as the encore for the five-piece’s 2025 tour, the catharsis of “The Cue” is undeniable.
“phone sex - demo” by Jordan Tomasello
Madelyn Aiken, Contributor
Never let any man, woman, or algorithm stop you from finding gut-wrenching indie music by small artists. “phone sex - demo” is a delicate looking glass into the emotional grave-digging that’s done when a relationship doesn’t pan out the way you hoped. Jordan Tomasello, a singer, filmmaker, and writer from Tallahassee, pens their innermost feelings about lost love and heartbreak in this two-minute melody. They sing, “Fingers in my mouth and the earth / Buried you with all the insects / and dead pets / and phone sex.” The intimacy of the track cuts through the duality of the human experience by simultaneously touching on pain and pleasure, and love and loss.
Watch the music video for “August” on YouTube.
“August” by Flipturn
Mckenzie Blasi, Senior Staff Writer
"August" by flipturn earns its place as a quintessential breakup anthem by masterfully translating the heavy, golden haze of a fading summer into a metaphor for a relationship’s end. The track utilizes a slow-burning build that mirrors the humid tension of a season's final days, making the eventual emotional release feel both inevitable and explosive. Dillon Basse’s raw, soaring vocals convey a desperate kind of nostalgia, articulating the pain of watching a person you love become a memory in real-time.
Unlike songs that focus on bitterness, the track leans into the poignant beauty of what was, acknowledging that some connections are destined to be seasonal rather than permanent. The intricate, shimmering guitar work creates an atmospheric backdrop that feels both expansive and claustrophobically intimate, echoing the isolation of heartbreak. Ultimately, it resonates so deeply because it treats the conclusion of a romance not just as a loss, but as a profound and transformative transition.
“Sadness As A Gift” by Adrianne Lenker
Elena Cabigas, Contributor
“Sadness As A Gift” is a quietly devastating breakup song grounded in the idea that heartbreak doesn't need to be fixed, only felt, even when it becomes unbearably heavy. Carried by Adrianne Lenker's notable voice, piercing lyricism, and a fragile violin line, the track settles into the ache of a love that couldn't last. Lenker’s writing captures the despair of losing someone you truly wanted to stay. One of the song's most heartbreaking moments comes from the subtle shift in the lyric, “You could write me someday and I think you will,” to “I bet you will,” before finally landing on, “I hope you will,” a gentle unraveling of certainty into longing. Rather than pulling away from the pain, the song lingers inside it, honoring the weight of what remains after love ends.
“Flip Your Pillow” by Runo Plum
Mitchell Stewart, Staff Writer
Sometimes, in love, we realize that we are the thing harming our partner; we aren’t what makes them happy. We can try as hard as we can, but we’ll never be as good as the feeling of a cold pillow. “Flip Your Pillow” is all about the separation of love, how you return to these places you visited together, alone, and as a single parent. Its haunting guitar distortion and Runo Plum’s soft-spoken vocals make it seem like she’s a ghost haunting her loved one. It’s a short song, but despite that, it manages to examine a love lost, not over some big dramatic event, but over the lack of happiness you bring to someone else. It’s a must-listen for those who wouldn’t mind one less cold pillow if it meant sleeping next to someone you loved again.
“When The World Stopped Moving” by Lizzy McAlpine
Jackie Fortis, Music Reviews Editor
When heartbreak is mentioned, Lizzy McAlpine is a common name that comes to mind. The singer-songwriter is a breakup anthem machine and the title track from her live EP, When The World Stopped Moving, is a prime example. Stripped down to solely her voice and an acoustic guitar uttering a gutting plucking pattern, she sings, “It’s so hard to watch you be happy / It’s so hard to know that I’m not.” The lyrics of this song express the feeling of having to learn how to live again without that special person in your life post-breakup. She calls out the way you become accustomed to that significant person being there for you through the good, the bad, and the ugly: “And when the world stopped moving / you weren’t by my side / and that didn’t feel right.”
Watch the music video for “Remember Me” on YouTube.
“Remember Me” by Suzy Clue
Logan Goettemoeller, Senior Staff Writer
Sometimes what you need out of a good breakup song is just to wallow in the horrible cacophony of emotions you’ve been left with. They’re intense, and they’re ugly. If these pent up feelings are making you feel like you need to punch your pillow until your knuckles bleed or sob into it until the rivers of your tears go dry, “Remember Me” by Suzy Clue is the perfect place to go for all of your chaotic breakup catharsis.
This ruminative ballad blends together the grunginess of metal with the dreaminess of shoegaze as Clue’s fragile yet piercing vocals get lost in her own thoughts and the noisy ambience. She delicately asks, “Do you remember me? / Are you fond of me still? / Are my pictures on your phone?” still feeling hung up on the conclusion of a relationship that used to be full of love — or at least one that felt like it. If you’re feeling the need to blare this track this February, I’m deeply sorry; on the bright side, you at least got the better music taste in the breakup.