The early years for a band are always the hardest. The lineup changes, the name changes, the occasional drummer explodes… There’s always something. For someone who dreams of stardom, it can seem frustrating how slowly your career builds early on.

If you want to make it big, you can’t stop looking for new musical inspiration. You can find ideas for songs, acts, marketing, anything just by keeping your eyes open, and listening for stories of what other bands are doing that work.

We’ve picked out three indie bands, all going strong today, that might give you a little inspiration to keep you going when times are tough!

Three Indie Bands Full Of Inspiration For New Musicians

Fun.

I probably don’t need to introduce Fun. and you may even be tired of hearing about them, but if you want some musical inspiration, it’s hard to think of a better place to start. Following their almost-unheard debut album in 2009, Fun. kept at it and then burst onto the scene with their 2012 breakthrough “Some Nights.” The result? Instant worldwide stardom, a popular appearance on Saturday Night Live, and two Grammys (out of six nominations) earlier this year.

Their fusion of 70s and 80s anthemic rock sensibilities with modern electronics and stage presence created an instant hit album, and a band that may well have many years ahead of them.

Dengue Fever

Leaving aside any viral jokes, Dengue Fever has been around on the indie scene for a decade, and they’re still going with their latest album, “In the Ley Lines.” So, what can you learn from Dengue Fever, aside from the benefits of immunization? (sorry.)

Inspiration is where you find it.

The band began when its two founders visited Cambodia and fell in love with the 60s Khmer pop sound. They found a singer, and just a few years later, they had rock pioneer Peter Gabriel backing their work. And this despite the fact that most of their songs aren’t even sung in English!

Hot music today is mostly about finding inspiration and combining old elements to create new sounds. Look for musical inspiration in the unexpected!

Arctic Monkeys

Another mainstay of the indie scene for the past few years, Arctic Monkeys keep putting out viral music videos that go ’round the world. Their new single, “Do I wanna know?” is currently one of Spotify’s most viral tracks, cementing their reputation as Internet darlings.

In fact, they generally get credit for being one of the first “Internet Bands.” Most of their early fans were online, and the Monkeys happily encouraged file-sharing by giving away demo CDs at their concerts. The result was widespread online popularity that translated into a career that’s still going strong today.

The lesson? Always look for new ways to get yourself heard! Especially in your early days, it’s far more important to get your music in front of people than it is to worry about selling stuff. The money will start to come as more people hear you.