Audrey Bangay

Invercargill/Waihōpai indie-folk singer-songwriter Audrey Bangay draws inspiration from artists including Joan Baez, Carole King and Lizzy McAlpine, combining intimate storytelling with simple guitar melodies and emotionally expressive vocals. Her debut EP, Five More Minutes, is the result of three years of work and follows a relationship from the uncertainty of early romance towards the realisation that loving somebody shouldn’t require losing yourself.

The title track takes a different perspective, serving as a love letter to Audrey’s past, present and future selves. Reflecting on the inadequacy that has accompanied her journey into adulthood, the song deliberately avoids offering an easy resolution. Instead, it acknowledges that insecurity may continue to change and evolve, while recognising that those feelings don’t diminish the love she’s cultivated for herself or the possibility of further growth.

Sekinue

Brighton-based trans, queer and autistic harpist and multi-instrumentalist Fior Anderson creates music under the name Sekinue. A self-taught harpist who unexpectedly discovered the instrument following a breakup, they draw on lived experiences of gender identity, neurodivergence and loss to create deeply personal songwriting.

Taken from their upcoming debut album Soft Places, ‘Sunflowers’ explores Fior’s experiences of living as a trans person before top surgery. Inspired by Jasper Behrends’ artwork Growing Pains, the track uses sunflowers as a metaphor for their chest, reflecting on the physical and emotional weight of transitioning and being perceived by others. Through whispered vocals and delicate, dreamlike instrumentation, Sekinue gives voice to an intimate experience while acknowledging the wider pressures of the current climate surrounding trans rights.

Josephine Peppink

Danish-born, London-based producer, rapper and songwriter Josephine Peppink has built her musical identity through a fiercely independent approach. Having moved to the UK to pursue music, she began performing at open mic nights and busking around London, creating beats through live looping while rapping and singing over them. Her sound draws from hip-hop, R&B and soul, reflecting years spent developing her craft through performance.

‘Free Thinkers’ centres on the importance of questioning expectations and choosing your own direction rather than following the path society has laid out for you. It’s a message that reflects Josephine’s own unconventional journey, celebrating independent thought, personal freedom and the confidence to pursue a life that feels authentic, even when it looks different from everybody else’s.

khokkosh.

Kolkata alternative/electronic artist khokkosh. is the project of producer and visual artist Yashomati Parveen, who takes a completely DIY approach to her work. Writing, producing, mixing and mastering her music while also directing videos and creating artwork, she combines abrasive electronic textures, industrial rhythms and layered vocals with unexpected pop influences.

Taken from her album Public Fluid and Digital Remembrance, ‘GODDESS’ examines the treatment of women within patriarchal society through imagery drawn from the worship of religious idols. Comparing the reverence shown to goddesses with the expectations imposed upon real women, the track forms part of a wider project exploring femininity, ownership, surveillance and the ways identity is constructed in a digitally connected world. Through distortion and experimental production, khokkosh. challenges the boundaries between electronic noise and pop music.

Lisa Nora

Dutch-born, UK-based singer-songwriter Lisa Nora combines indie folk, Americana and country influences with intimate, narrative-driven songwriting. Drawing inspiration from traditional storytelling, her music explores relationships and the complicated emotions that often exist beneath seemingly ordinary experiences.

‘Her, Rose’ unfolds within an early-1900s-inspired world of handwritten letters and old-fashioned romance. When the narrator discovers love letters addressed to a mysterious woman named Rose, all signed by her own partner, she begins questioning how well she truly knows the person she loves. Inspired by Lisa’s frustrations with situationships and commitment-avoidant dating, the song uses its historical setting to examine distinctly modern anxieties surrounding trust, jealousy and emotional uncertainty. As the story develops, the discovery raises questions about self-worth and whether the relationship she believed in ever existed quite as she imagined.

Saachi Mendon

Singer-songwriter and guitarist Saachi Mendon moves between Western retro pop and Bollywood influences, combining expressive vocals, guitar-driven arrangements and personal storytelling. Her music reflects a willingness to explore different styles while drawing inspiration from her own experiences.

‘Wrong Side of the Road’ was inspired by Saachi’s journey to the opposite side of the world and the changes in perspective that accompanied it. The song explores the observations, experiences and adjustments that come with finding yourself somewhere unfamiliar. To capture that sense of looking backwards while moving forwards, the recording features a 40-year-old Russian upright piano, its distinctive character bringing an additional layer of nostalgia to the track.

Laguna

Dutch musician and songwriter Bente Hout creates atmospheric alternative pop under the name Laguna, combining dreamy synths, layered vocals and intimate storytelling. Having previously fronted dream-pop band Sväva, her solo project offers a more personal space to explore identity, vulnerability and the experience of making yourself heard.

Taken from her EP You Speak More Than You Listen, ‘Silent’ confronts the expectation that women should remain quiet while men dominate conversations. Wrapped in dreamy electronic textures, vocal harmonies and a melodic pop chorus, the track challenges that imbalance without sacrificing its softer musical qualities. It’s a song about refusing to make yourself smaller simply because somebody else expects to occupy all the space.

Auxphelia

Florida-based singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Danielle Nicole Drucker creates music under the name Auxphelia, blending cinematic alternative pop with organic instrumentation and contemporary electronic influences. Having written and produced music since her teenage years, Danielle takes a completely independent approach to her work, writing, performing and producing her releases herself.

Debut single ‘Wonder’ combines electric guitar, thick synth bass and trap-influenced drums with an intimate reflection on a relationship that never entirely disappeared from memory. The track circles the unanswered questions that can remain long after a connection ends: where somebody is now, who they’re spending their time with and whether there’s still something worth returning to. It’s a song about the lingering curiosity that makes moving on more complicated than simply saying goodbye.

Robyn Maddox

Belfast singer-songwriter Robyn Maddox draws inspiration from old Hollywood glamour and classic mobster films, combining cinematic storytelling with dark humour and self-deprecating observations. Her music brings together indie-rock influences, theatrical vocals and a fascination with reframing everyday experiences through a vintage, film-noir lens.

‘RUBBERNECK’ is the lead single from her forthcoming EP HEIST, a project that explores personal mental health struggles through the atmosphere and imagery of crime cinema. Co-written and produced with Darragh Tibbs, the track combines a swaggering indie-rock groove with Robyn’s dramatic vocal delivery and sharp wit. It introduces a record that turns intimate experiences into something larger, darker and deliberately theatrical.

Tahlia Crnjac

Australian-born, Berlin-based singer-songwriter Tahlia Crnjac blends R&B, soul and pop, combining intimate vocals with contemporary electronic production and jazz-influenced instrumentation. Her music explores emotional connection through a sound that moves between warmth, sensuality and introspection.

Debut single ‘Get Me There’ brings together shimmering synths, expressive saxophone and bossa nova-inspired rhythms to explore the desire for intimacy. While the track celebrates pleasure and connection, its deeper message considers the importance of understanding and accepting ourselves before building meaningful relationships with others. It’s an exploration of vulnerability that recognises self-connection as the starting point for the connections we form beyond ourselves.

Meital

New York City indie-pop singer-songwriter Meital creates music that feels like reading somebody’s journal, embracing the confessional, introspective and occasionally messy sides of everyday life. Drawing on influences ranging from classic singer-songwriters to contemporary indie pop, her work turns personal experiences into emotionally direct storytelling.

The first single from her debut EP, ‘Insomniac’ was inspired by Meital’s impulsive decision to move to New York following a particularly painful breakup. The emotional upheaval left her unable to sleep, providing the foundation for an angsty indie-pop-folk track built around a repeating guitar riff. It’s a song for those restless early hours when your thoughts refuse to switch off, but you might still find yourself dancing alone in your bedroom at 3am.

LEO

Splitting her time between a small coastal town in Normandy and London, singer-songwriter LEO creates intimate soul-folk shaped by the sea and her experiences of living between places. Drawing inspiration from Motown, classic soul and Britpop, her music combines warm analogue textures with vulnerable storytelling.

Opening her EP I Met a Girl (Who Is She), the title track explores the unusual experience of a woman encountering her own double. Wrapped in gentle folk instrumentation and a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere, the song introduces a project built around personal reflections and emotionally open songwriting. Its playful central idea sits alongside the EP’s wider themes of vulnerability, hope and discovering strength through personal experiences.

Holly Clausius

Toronto singer-songwriter Holly Clausius blends soul, pop and rock influences, using personal experiences to explore identity, vulnerability and self-acceptance. Her latest single, ‘Every Size’, takes a brighter, R&B-inspired direction while addressing the complicated relationship many people have with their bodies.

Drawing on her own experiences of weight fluctuations and believing self-love would arrive once she looked a certain way, Holly challenges the idea that body acceptance is something to be earned. Instead, the track celebrates recognising your worth through every physical change, rather than postponing happiness until an imagined future version of yourself appears. With soulful vocals, playful pop hooks and an upbeat groove, ‘Every Size’ turns a deeply personal reflection into a celebration of the body you’re living in right now.

Sydney Millevoi

Pop and R&B singer-songwriter Sydney Millevoi draws on soul, gospel and contemporary pop influences, bringing emotionally direct storytelling into her music. Her songwriting explores personal experiences through a combination of intimate lyrics and expressive vocals.

‘Can’t Have You (All Roads)’, taken from her forthcoming album Eyes On Me, was written while Sydney was competing on The Voice. The track explores the bittersweet experience of continually finding yourself drawn back towards somebody you know you cannot have. Combining pop songwriting with R&B influences, the song captures the tension between understanding that a relationship isn’t possible and struggling to let go of the feelings that keep pulling you back.

Imogen Plunkett-Hamer

Sydney songwriter and producer Imogen Plunkett-Hamer takes a hands-on, experimental approach to her music, bringing together jazz-rock influences with a DIY recording process. Her latest double-sided single was written, recorded, produced and mixed by Imogen herself, with performances from just two friends and fellow music students, Luke Moore and Niya Vohra.

‘Want To Be Close’ explores desire and frustration through heavy, energetic jazz-rock built from a collage of live recordings. Rather than following a predictable arrangement, the track embraces shifting dynamics and unexpected musical turns, balancing experimentation with a concise, pop-influenced structure. It’s a release that reflects both Imogen’s creative independence and her interest in pushing familiar songwriting forms into stranger territory.

Harlow Reign

Melbourne singer-songwriter Harlow Reign blends dark pop with alternative rock, drawing inspiration from bands including Evanescence, Paramore and Killing Heidi. Her self-titled debut EP explores self-doubt, heartbreak, emotional struggles and the process of finding strength through difficult experiences.

Focus track ‘Save Me Now’ explores the battle against inner darkness and the overwhelming desire to escape it. Rather than focusing solely on those feelings of desperation, the song also acknowledges the persistent inner voice that refuses to give up. Combining emotionally direct songwriting with rock influences and contemporary pop production, Harlow captures the tension between wanting to surrender and finding the strength to keep moving forward.

Georgia Alexandra

British singer-songwriter Georgia Alexandra creates indie pop rooted in personal experiences, pairing emotionally direct lyrics with melodic hooks and guitar-driven arrangements. Her debut album marks a particularly independent chapter in her career, with Georgia creating almost the entire record herself, aside from contributions from friends on two backing tracks.

‘Did You Forget’ explores the painful realisation that somebody you love might not feel quite the same way about you. Written from the perspective of someone questioning whether their relationship ever meant as much to the other person, the track combines nostalgic 2010s pop influences with electric guitars and an emotionally charged vocal performance. At its centre is a simple but difficult question: did you forget what we had?

Z.u.z

Swedish-Polish singer-songwriter Zuzanna Korba, performing as Z.u.z, introduces her solo songwriting with debut single ‘Hold On’. Written entirely by Zuzanna, the pop track explores the internal battle against self-doubt, fear and outside negativity, encouraging listeners to remain connected to their ambitions and sense of identity.

During recording, Zuzanna and backing vocalists Ebba Hagström, Johanna Johansson and Frida Nordh performed their vocal parts blindfolded, an unusual creative decision intended to prioritise emotion and intuition over appearance. The resulting track brings together powerful pop production and an underlying message about vulnerability, perseverance and continuing to pursue the things that matter, even when uncertainty threatens to take over.

Lucy That Sings

South Wales independent singer-songwriter Lucy That Sings draws on decades of songwriting and live performance, creating music that places honest storytelling and personal connection above polished perfection. Her songs explore relationships and everyday experiences with a directness that reflects her preference for keeping music human.

‘Champagne By The Pool’ takes a particularly fed-up look at modern dating, inspired by Lucy’s experiences with people more invested in defending their own version of events than building a genuine connection. Rather than dwelling on those near misses, the song celebrates the satisfaction of leaving unsuitable relationships behind. Recorded with Red Chair and at Northhouse Studios, the track also features Lucy’s eldest child on drums, adding a personal touch to a song about knowing exactly who doesn’t belong in your life.

CEDER

Swedish singer-songwriter and producer CEDER blends indie pop, indie folk and contemporary alternative pop, bringing together delicate acoustic instrumentation, warm production and emotionally reflective songwriting. Her music often explores vulnerability and everyday experiences, creating space for both melancholy and hope.

The title track from her latest EP, ‘As Long As We Dream’, introduces a lighter, more uplifting side to her sound without abandoning that emotional honesty. Layered harmonies, expressive vocals and cello details accompany a song about the freedom to keep dreaming, hoping and enjoying life. Balancing intimate acoustic textures with fuller pop production, the track celebrates holding on to possibility while finding pleasure in the present.

Alexia

Bergen-based independent artist Alexia combines dark electropop, alternative pop and club-driven electronic music, bringing together atmospheric production, pop melodies and darker electronic influences. Writing her own lyrics and taking an active role in her creative direction, she has developed a sound that draws from both contemporary pop and underground electronic music.

Taken from her EP Control, ‘God Complex’ explores the complicated relationship between confidence, insecurity and the pursuit of fame. Its energetic electronic production and club influences provide the backdrop for a song that examines the fine line between believing in yourself and becoming consumed by the desire for recognition.

Hunzz

North Wales queer-fronted five-piece Hunzz bring together funk, jazz and pop, combining smooth basslines, rhythmic guitar, keyboards and dynamic drums with saxophone, flute and layered vocal harmonies. Their music draws on classic influences while embracing the energy of contemporary pop.

Latest single ‘Slay’ was inspired by vocalist Rosie Hamilton’s experience of attending Tonnau music festival with her friends. Capturing the simple pleasure of dancing alongside people you love, the track celebrates stepping away from everyday responsibilities to enjoy music together. It’s a reminder of the connections that form on dancefloors and the importance of making time for those shared moments.

KEEP YA NOSE OUT

London alternative/electronic duo KEEP YA NOSE OUT combine punk attitude with an increasingly experimental approach to electronic music. Following their story-driven debut EP, the pair are moving towards a new chapter in which individual singles provide opportunities to explore different sounds and influences.

Their latest release, ‘YA DELETED’, takes aim at the patriarchy through a chaotic collision of jungle drums, distorted synth bass, punk guitars and furious shouted vocals, contrasted with R&B harmonies. Described by the duo as a diss track, the song channels its confrontational message into an energetic combination of genres, marking the beginning of a more experimental direction for the project.

Cindy L. Chatwin

Utah-based songwriter and author Cindy L. Chatwin explores womanhood through vulnerability, identity, grief and generational strength on her album Beautifully Crazy. Combining soft rock, indie influences and poetic storytelling, the record examines the different emotional experiences women navigate throughout their lives.

Focus track ‘You Are a Warrior’ is dedicated to women carrying responsibilities, struggles and emotional burdens that often remain invisible to others. Rather than presenting resilience as an absence of difficulty, Cindy’s songwriting acknowledges exhaustion while recognising the strength required to continue through challenging circumstances. It’s a reminder that feeling worn down doesn’t diminish everything somebody has already overcome.

Cassidy Taylor

Independent artist Cassidy Taylor explores the disconnect between appearing sociable and feeling like you genuinely belong on her self-produced single, ‘Life of the Party’. Despite its upbeat, danceable sound, the song draws from a period when Cassidy felt she hadn’t yet found the people she truly connected with.

Written and recorded in Montreal, the track contrasts that loneliness with the happiness of eventually finding her community. In a particularly fitting detail, two of those friends – fellow artists Kirstin Corbett and Kyle Jensen – contribute backing vocals to the recording. Their involvement gives the song’s message an additional layer of meaning, turning a reflection on not belonging into something created alongside the very people who helped change that feeling.

Vanessa Moussa

Sydney-based vocalist, songwriter and vocal producer Vanessa Moussa blends indie folk with alternative blues influences. After years spent co-writing, producing and performing alongside other artists, her solo project gives Vanessa the opportunity to place her own voice, stories and musical influences firmly at the centre.

Taken from her self-titled EP, focus track ‘Come to Be’ captures the unexpected experience of finding love when you weren’t searching for it. Rather than questioning something simply because it wasn’t part of the plan, the song is about trusting the feeling when somebody unexpectedly fits into your life – that moment of realising you never went looking for them, but you’re very glad they arrived.

Eliane Nora

German singer-songwriter Eliane Nora creates music from her home in Lapland, Finland, combining indie pop with medieval and baroque-inspired elements. With electric ukulele at the forefront and cello also appearing throughout her recordings, her music looks towards the past while finding ways to move forward.

‘Horizon’ was written during a period of uncertainty, when Eliane found herself caught between countries and existing within an almost dreamlike state. The song captures the fear that can accompany stepping into the unknown, alongside the decision to move forward despite it. Bittersweet but ultimately hopeful, ‘Horizon’ is about recognising that certainty isn’t always necessary before choosing to take the next step.

Noam

London-based singer-songwriter Noam creates dreamy indie shaped by a life lived between cultures, weaving instruments including oud, kemence and darbuka into a contemporary sound that feels both nostalgic and rooted in the present.

‘Kiss from the Sun’ was written as the end of Noam’s visa approached, bringing uncertainty to the life and relationships she had built around her. Blending oud and 12-string guitar into a hazy summer atmosphere, the track reflects on the strange feeling of knowing something meaningful might not remain yours forever. Rather than allowing that uncertainty to consume the present, the song became a reminder to stop counting how much time might be left and experience it fully while it’s still there.

Caras Collateral

Caras Collateral began as a side project for members of touring hardcore band Set The Bar Low, giving them an opportunity to move in an entirely different creative direction. Drawing from bands including The Breeders, Cocteau Twins and Veruca Salt alongside contemporary influences, their sound brings together shoegaze, pop and grunge.

First new single in over a year, ‘solder’ marks a step forward for the band while exploring the unsettling feeling of being unable to trust your own nervous system. Vocalist Zoe Pankratz describes doing everything you’re supposedly meant to do yet still finding yourself unable to function properly. Against that vulnerability, the band build ear-catching riffs, hazy textures and a singalong chorus, establishing a clearer direction for where Caras Collateral are heading next.

Asteria Queen

Independent artist Asteria Queen begins her musical journey with debut single ‘A Quiet Voice’, creating songs from personal experiences and emotions in the hope that listeners might recognise something of themselves within them.

‘A Quiet Voice’ centres on those moments when you feel unheard or overlooked but something inside you continues quietly insisting that you shouldn’t give up. Turning that internal encouragement into music, Asteria explores finding strength without pretending difficult feelings aren’t there. At its heart, the track is about connection: taking something deeply personal and sharing it in the hope that somebody experiencing the same emotions might feel a little less alone.

Strawberry Punch

Winnipeg all-femme queer band Strawberry Punch blend the sweetness of ’60s girl-group pop with ’90s indie rock and riot grrrl garage punk. The four-piece rotate instruments during their live shows, bringing together shimmering guitars, four-part harmonies, raw energy and an ear for memorable pop hooks.

Closing their self-titled debut album, ‘Bathsheba’ begins in the territory of unrequited love and obsession before building towards an eruption of female rage. Drawing parallels with the biblical figure Bathsheba, the song considers the ways lust and desire have historically been used to villainise women, turning a haunting album finale into an exploration of blame, obsession and femininity.

Facelift

Sydney pop-punk band Facelift grew from vocalist and songwriter Sarah Bonnet’s desire to recapture the community she remembered from the city’s pre-COVID scene – house shows, record-store gigs and friends simply getting together to play energetic music. Joined by Marty Cornford, Tahlia McLennan and Joshua Mackay, Facelift bring that DIY spirit into everything they create.

Debut single ‘Ceiling Fan’ explores feeling trapped while everyone around you appears to be moving forward. Sarah began writing the song during an earlier period of stagnation, only to find its meaning resurfacing years later as her long-term band ended and other parts of her life shifted. Forming Facelift and finally releasing the song became her own first step towards moving on.

Ragnara

British-based cinematic pop artist and songwriter Ragnara blends contemporary production with orchestral textures and subtle folk influences. Her songwriting explores the ways people process emotion through memory, symbolism and the stories they construct around themselves.

Dark-pop single ‘Afterlife’ began with its opening synth before developing into a cinematic exploration of desire, illusion and the unknown. Its protagonist enters a world that resembles a film set, where everything feels staged, while questioning whether she has found the afterlife she imagined or something altogether darker. Rather than offering an answer, the track sits within the uncertainty between surrender and self-preservation, questioning whether what we desire is always what we actually need.

Nordly

Swedish/Danish duo Nordly turn towards their most personal story on latest single ‘LEO’, written directly to their son Leonel. The track captures the collision between intense anxiety and overwhelming love that accompanied their journey towards becoming parents.

After receiving confusing and unclear information from healthcare professionals during pregnancy, the couple found themselves navigating a period filled with uncertainty and worry. Those emotions fed directly into ‘LEO’, alongside the profound connection they already felt with their unborn son. Rather than smoothing over the difficult parts of the experience, the track holds fear and love alongside one another, ultimately celebrating the strength and life that emerged from such an uncertain time.

daschan

London-based artist, songwriter and producer daschan creates ethereal alternative pop built around atmospheric production, layered vocals and introspective storytelling. Her work explores presence, memory, heartbreak and the ways our minds can become caught between what has already happened and what might happen next.

Written in Kazakhstan while daschan was ending a relationship, ‘time’ initially felt like a message of strength intended for somebody else. Looking back, she realised she had written the reminder for herself. Inspired by ideas around living in the present, the track reflects on the tendency to become lost in past pain or future anxieties while overlooking the beauty that exists now, turning heartbreak into a meditation on gratitude, presence and emotional renewal.

særa

Budapest-based singer-songwriter særa blends atmospheric, spacey indie-pop with an ’80s flavour and intimate storytelling across French, English and Hungarian. Her three-track EP Embarquement Nécessaire explores one-sided relationships, situationships, emotional abandonment and break-ups through dream pop and alternative electronic sounds.

‘L’Aéroport’ captures the confusion of a completely unexpected breakup through the metaphor of an airport. One person suddenly doesn’t follow the other through security, leaving no opportunity to turn back or make sense of what has happened – only the need to keep moving forward. Despite its painful inspiration, særa packages the experience into something altogether funkier: music for dancing while crying, or simply dancing.

Reva K

Musician, producer and graphic designer Reva K blends ’90s-influenced pop-rock with melodic guitars, hook-driven songwriting and a distinctly DIY approach. Written and produced entirely by Reva, debut album Welcome to 20 Something captures the contradictions of young adulthood through humour, honesty and introspection.

Focus track ‘In Too Deep’ reflects on toxic relationships and the patterns that can become clearer only once you’ve escaped them. Looking back can bring uncomfortable questions about how warning signs were missed, but Reva rejects the idea that vulnerability makes somebody foolish. Instead, the track recognises how pain can leave a person open to somebody willing to take advantage of it.

Mallow Avenue

Mallow Avenue is the project of Bristol songwriter and producer Phoenix, whose music draws from folk, psychedelia, jazz and pop. After stepping away from music partly because of the pressures and expectations surrounding women getting older, she is returning at 31 with a renewed determination to share the songs she wants to make.

‘All of Our Luck’ is a folky chamber-pop track featuring a violin rescued from Phoenix’s wardrobe after years without being played. The song explores those difficult but necessary conversations that sometimes have to happen within a relationship, marking both a musical return and a reminder that there is no expiry date on creativity.

Gretchin

London indie-pop singer-songwriter Gretchin takes a detour into country-pop on latest single ‘Cowboy’, written and produced alongside her brother Joe Hamberger. Inspired by the likes of Shania Twain and Ella Langley, the song began after a night at a buck and bull – and Gretchin’s own experience of dating a cowboy. A London-based one, admittedly.

Part breakup anthem and part imaginary final comeback, ‘Cowboy’ gives Gretchin the opportunity to say everything she didn’t manage to say at the time. Like replaying an argument in the shower and suddenly discovering the perfect cutting response hours too late, the track turns heartbreak and a bruised ego into something playful, empowering and made to be danced to.

Sapling

Based between Providence and Worcester, Sapling describe themselves as a “bitchpop and art rock” band, combining pop hooks with experimental chaos, complex instrumentation and a sense of humour that refuses to take itself too seriously.

‘No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service’ began with a deceptively simple riff that proved surprisingly difficult to finish before a full horn section helped transform its direction. The resulting summer song – there are bongos, so naturally it qualifies – is about being thoroughly sick of dealing with your own problems but still having to get up and continue with the day. All proceeds from the track will be donated to New England Justice For Our Neighbors, which provides free legal support to immigrants seeking humanitarian visas in Massachusetts.

Ryn-Ro

London singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryn-Ro has been playing guitar since the age of seven, alongside a lifelong love of singing, writing and performing. Now beginning to establish her own musical identity, she combines guitar-led songwriting with the sounds and emotions that excite her as a young artist.

‘Wipe Your Tears’ explores what happens when distance suddenly separates you from somebody close to you. Reflecting on missing someone, adapting to change and trying to preserve a connection when circumstances have shifted, the track balances its emotional subject with an underlying sense of energy.

.ivy

Electronic artist .ivy brings her classical vocal training into the art-pop world, creating ethereal compositions built around atmospheric electronic production and introspective lyricism. Her music is designed as a dreamlike escape, blurring the boundaries between the everyday world and something altogether more otherworldly.

Upbeat alternative pop track ‘be my angel’ turns its attention towards the digital world and the increasingly uncertain relationship between online spaces and reality. Exploring how technology can blur and distort our perceptions, the track places a distinctly modern concern within .ivy’s immersive electronic soundscape.

Amelie Davie

Melbourne singer-songwriter Amelie Davie draws inspiration from the changing experiences of everyday life, transforming personal moments into songs she hopes listeners can recognise within their own stories.

‘wishbone’ was inspired by a long-distance relationship and written after Amelie learned that her then-partner would be moving away. Her uncertainty over whether she was worth the effort required to maintain the relationship becomes symbolised by a nine-hour drive, while the central wishbone motif carries a more poignant meaning: something has to break before a wish can be made. Featuring spoken audio from the former partner who inspired the song, ‘wishbone’ captures both a relationship and a version of herself beginning to fall apart.

April Day

Bay Area indie-rock artist April Day began exploring her own songwriting after previously performing in a cover band in Arizona. Having spent years immersed in different genres and live music, debut single ‘Floater’ marks the beginning of a more personal creative chapter.

Written while April was overwhelmed by decisions and the unavoidable changes that come with growing older, ‘Floater’ explores avoidance, vulnerability and resistance to change. Inspired by her own experience of moving to the Bay Area and struggling to confront a new reality, the song recognises that escaping difficult circumstances can only work for so long. Eventually, as its central metaphor suggests, the waves will catch up with you.

Stormy-Lou

Kaurna/Adelaide pop-punk outfit Stormy-Lou revisit their own past on ‘OLDER’, breathing new life into a song that first appeared in their live sets back in 2021. Now a five-piece, the dual-fronted band combine Alex Taylor’s post-punk vocals with Mik Stoker’s dynamic harmonies as they return to their playful pop-punk roots.

Originally written at the apparently “ancient” age of 19, ‘OLDER’ looks back at teenage life while considering how our priorities and understanding of ourselves shift as we grow. Reworked five years later with more energy and a distinctly mid-twenties perspective, the track balances nostalgia with the recognition that growing up doesn’t mean abandoning the joy of who you used to be. Think bikes, sleepovers, back aches and coming-of-age movie energy.