The Best of What’s Next is a profile column that highlights upcoming acts with big potential—the artists you’ll want to tell your friends about the minute you first hear their music.
Nick Llobet might be thirty-six years old and two decades deep into teaching guitar, but his career is just beginning. Tracking success in the music industry in 2026 is hazy, but some of his band youbet’s achievements—an “Artist You Need to Know” profile in Rolling Stone, a handful of placements on official Spotify playlists, and a slew of opening slots with major alt-rock projects like This is Lorelei and Friko—suggest that the many years spent toiling away at the guitar in his bedroom have begun to pay off. “I gave up so many times in my mind and somehow started back up again,” Llobet says. “It was like this little speck that would get a little bigger every time I’d get writing and it grew to be this universe, and now I’m in that universe and it’s so exciting.”
Llobet talks frenetically, his passion often wrangled by self-consciousness. His shyness is balanced out by twenty-nine-year-old bassist Micah Prussack, the other half of youbet, who brings a grounding, convivial energy to the stage. youbet is the first album that Prussack contributed to as a full-time band member, solidifying the act as a duo and creating their strongest body of work yet.
The band fuses the playful with the dark, drawing from Llobet’s eclectic influences—ranging from Nintendo 64 games and the Vertigo soundtrack to the poetry of Leonard Cohen. Produced and mixed by Katie Von Schleicher and Julian Fader, the record is replete with hooks and moments of cinematic splendor. Llobet’s voice, which he describes as a conscious effort to sing more provocatively, is a blend of raspy and breathy, anchored by lyrics that grapple with the messiness of modern life.
The writing on youbet focuses heavily on the realities of travel and touring. While there are moments of darkness, they are often brightened by intricate, deft finger-picking and eerie pop melodies. When Llobet lost his voice on the second night of their recent tour, the band’s resilience shone through as Prussack and keyboardist Jolee Gordon stepped up to lead. It was a moment that transformed Llobet’s biggest fear into a testament to the band’s collaborative strength.
Born and raised in South Florida, Llobet was a self-described “test rat” of his family—nervous and overprotected. His early musical diet included Limp Bizkit and AC/DC, but it was a life-changing experience at a Metallica concert that pushed him to trade his skateboard for a guitar. After a stint at Berklee College of Music and a move to New York, he eventually “cracked the code” of his own sound at age twenty-six.
Prussack describes Llobet as an intensely disciplined player with a contagious work ethic. Unlike artists chasing viral moments, Llobet trusts in the process of writing and refining. This dedication has earned him the respect of peers like El Kempner of Palehound, who has watched the band’s growth with admiration. As they look toward the future, the duo remains focused on sustainability and the simple, profound joy of making music. For Llobet, the dream isn’t a destination—it’s the work itself.
youbet is out now on Hardly Art.
