This segment features artists who have submitted their tracks/videos to She Makes Music. If you would like to be featured here then please send an e-mail to helen@shemakesmusic.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!
Issin in Bloom
Issin in Bloom is an artist from Oslo, Norway. ‘Why Haven’t I Already Gone?’ is the fourth song she has released as a solo artist. ‘Why Haven’t I Already Gone?’ is a song born out of the anger and despair which can arise from being in a situation where one feels used and at the same time feel like it’s nearly impossible to stand up for oneself and leave. “I sat down by the piano one evening when everything felt completely hopeless, and I just started singing and playing, and this song just came to me,” she says. “That’s what it felt like, the lyrics and the chords just poured out of me. It’s a very honest song about how I felt at that time, and because of that, it’s both scary and comforting to me to release it into the world.” The song was recorded at Urban Sound Studios in Oslo, Norway with producer and musician Henrik R. Fossum. Listen below.
SAL
SAL is an Irish singer-songwriter with a difference. Her music explores the many colours in the spectrum of folk music, always showcasing her own versatility as an artist, whilst maintaining her pop sensibilities. ‘Tough’ is a defiant yet tender anthem, embracing vulnerability in a world that often demands toughness. In this stripped-back, acoustic track, SAL returns to her roots, blending folk-infused melodies with her signature pop sensibilities. With minimal production and raw emotion, ‘Tough’ celebrates choosing sensitivity over suppression and living with an open heart. Vulnerable and gentle, the song reflects SAL’s journey back to the core of her sound, offering a heartfelt reminder that tenderness is a true act of rebellion. Listen below.
Izzy MacArthur
Emerging artist Izzy MacArthur continues to bear-all in her formidably powerful and elegant songwriting and storytelling skills. The New York native admits a sense of helplessness, disconnect, and mental health struggles on her newest single ‘Landmines’. With a powerful chorus, “I know I can’t be the driver through the landmines you got in your head / We’ve got some distance to cover, and it’s not over yet”, MacArthur delicately addresses the listener, while also instilling reassurance that they’re both “in this together.” ‘Landmines’ counterbalances her other three singles, all of which are uptempo and energetic indie alt-pop/rock records, with a stripped back acoustic-guitar ballad, weaving in vocoders and chilling harmonies. The track nods to artists she’s cited as influences like Bon Iver, Lorde, and Phoebe Bridgers. Izzy explains: “Someone really close to me and I went through a serious event together that has really impacted us both, and we were dealing with the aftermath of it on our own. We were attempting to work through our feelings in isolation, instead of together. We both are total opposites, but really care about each other, but were trying to cope with our feelings in our own ways. I wanted to acknowledge how I could see they were hurting, and wanted to help, but didn’t know how to help them in the way they needed me to be there for them.” Listen below.
Collette McLafferty
Collette McLafferty is a professional singer, activist, and writer. Her former band edibleRed put out music independently until 2007’s Select Records’ Welcome to My Bad Behavior. edibleRed disbanded and McLafferty turned to session singing until a P!NK tribute band gig thrust her into a frivolous lawsuit for $10,000,000. The New York Post covered the case with a “fake news” headline; “Singer Sued for Being Too Old and Too Ugly for P!NK Tribute Band”. This story went viral worldwide, prompting a long break from the music world. The result was a detour into legal reform and a book documenting her journey in the music industry Confessions of a Bad, Ugly Singer (New Haven Publishing). But music eventually called her back- she recently teamed up with multi-instrumentalist/producer John Serrano with the indie synthwave track ‘Mind Game (3:33)’, a song about signs and synchronicities. The song questions if telepathy goes both ways- or if it is a solo experience and just a “mind game” after all. Listen below.
Club Ruby
New Zealand Indie Rock/Pop Punk band Club Ruby releases ‘Dear Diary’. “It’s funny how something that started as scribbled thoughts in a notebook has now become this—our new single, ‘Dear Diary’,” say the band. “This song is like pulling back the curtain on all the things we usually hide—body image struggles, anxiety, and what it’s like to live with a brain that doesn’t always fit the mold. But the truth is, that’s the reality for so many people, and we wanted to give a voice to those feelings.” Listen below.
Jess DeLuca
Folk pop artist Jess DeLuca is excited to announce the release of her new single, ‘He’s Not A Bad Man’. This deeply emotive track is the first single from her highly anticipated album, Skylark arriving this November. ‘He’s Not A Bad Man’ explores the complex dynamics of a troubled relationship, addressing subtle themes of domestic violence and denial. The song presents a striking contrast between its upbeat, lively instrumentation and the heavy, introspective lyrical content. This poignant juxtaposition enhances the dissonance between the outward appearance of a relationship and the internal struggles it can conceal. The double-tracked vocals add a sense of distance, while chaotic fuzzy guitars in the outro reflect the hinted turmoil in the lyrics. The lines “He can lift me up and throw me down” and the repeated assertion “No, he’s not a bad man” build a powerful narrative of love overshadowed by emotional instability. DeLuca notes that while the song was created with personal anecdotes in mind, it feels particularly relevant given the current climate. “Unintentionally, this song is coming out when there is heightened awareness and fear around domestic issues, especially for women. It feels like a story that needs to be told” she explains.The lyrics, including “I’ll just learn what not to say, then he will love me every day,” delve into the painful self-reckoning that can accompany such relationships, transforming personal struggle into universally resonant music. Meanwhile the closing line “Better check myself before I’m dead” starkly captures the harsh reality of living with fear and self-blame in such relationships. Listen below.
Emanuela
Emanuela is an Italian alternative pop singer-songwriter based in London. After leaving Sicily at the age of 18, she decided to use her years of experience in jazz and classical music to give her own personal spin to the wave of mainstream pop we are used to listening to on the radio. Alongside her original project, Emanuela is also a session backing vocalist. The artist will graduate in 2025 at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London, where she studies to refine her songwriting and performance skills. Her new project is out now: the new album is titled You Had It Coming and it is a collection of sleepless nights compositions in which the artist faces a journey through rage, pain and forgiveness. Stand out track ‘Enemy’ is “a song I wrote about a very difficult breakup, which made me realise how vulnerable we are when we love someone, and how fragile and delicate human connections can be,” she says. “‘Enemy’ is a desperate request for someone to stay, even if it hurts, because seeing them go would be even more painful.” Listen below.
Houndstooth
Formed in 2024, Houndstooth from Los Angeles, California was originally created by lead singer Gloria Calamaco. The band also includes Marco Calamaco, Natt Johnson, David Martinez, and Nathaniel Ramirez. Houndstooth does not fall shy of pulling inspiration from different genres like surf, punk, garage rock, jazz, and indie/alternative. Their sound is ever changing and showcases itself in their first single ‘DRUNK EYES.’ Here is a quote from Gloria on the song: “’DRUNK EYES’ was inspired by a multitude of things lyrically. It was originally written as a poem about the experience of growing up in an environment of alcoholism and feeling guilt for drinking for pleasure and trying to break the cycle of generational alcoholism. The song is heavily inspired by the feelings of being under the influence that are represented through the chaotic instrumentals and tempo changes in the song.” Listen below.
Rosemarie Albanese
Rose is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter with a multicultural Haitian and Italian-American heritage. Raised in a musical household, she trained as an opera singer at performing arts schools before pivoting to a successful career in brand strategy, working with major brands like Hinge. Now, Rose is reclaiming her own voice through songwriting. Her music draws from personal experiences of growth, navigating complex relationships, and the emotional impact of parentification in her youth. Her operatic training informs her rich, emotive vocals, while her lyrics explore vulnerability and resilience. Here is her quote on the inspiration for her latest single ‘Heavy Hitter’: “I spent much of my life training to become an opera singer, and one morning years ago, I fell into deep awareness about my life and how opera was not quite contributing to my fulfillment. I pivoted into consulting for intellectual stimulation, but found my heart craving more creative expression—a way to turn the pain from my youth into something tangible and cathartic. Thus came ‘Heavy Hitter,’ a song about getting so lost in the idea of loving someone that you hurt yourself in the process. This theme reverberated in my early 20s and stems from the parentification I experienced as a child.” Listen below.
Áine Duffy
Known for her powerful voice, unique style, and innovative approach to music, Renowned Cork-based singer-songwriter Áine Duffy continues to push boundaries with her electrifying new track—a drum and bass belter infused with a rockin’ riff and a biting sense of humor. ‘Move Along’ was the penultimate release before her new album, Keep Her Lit. ‘Move Along’ is a high-energy anthem, laden with sarcasm and fun, aimed at highlighting the glaring money divide contributing to Ireland’s ongoing housing crisis. Áine, who self-built her own passive home and converted a donkey box into a mobile music stage, is no stranger to challenging the status quo. With ‘Move Along,’ she channels her frustration and creativity into a track that’s as thought-provoking as it is catchy. “The excuses around the housing crisis drive me bonkers,” Áine explains. “I built my own tiny home solo, so I know it can be done with very little. This song is for everyone who feels the same frustration.” Listen below.
Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!
