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!
LILAC
LILAC are a floral indie band based in Reading. Their latest single ‘Losing Myself(In You) is out now. LILAC consists of Beth on vocals and guitar, Lewis on guitar, keyboard and backing vocals and Olly on drums. Beth and Lewis began creating music as LILAC remotely in the summer of 2020 during lockdown by sending each other recordings of bits of songs. They eventually came together and recorded in Lewis’s DIY bedroom studio. It was not until a year later that Olly joined the band on drums and LILAC made their live debut. LILAC have made their way around their local area playing venues around Reading and Guildford since the start of 2022. ‘Losing Myself (In You)’ is Lilac’s second single, adding to the floral indie disco. The single was recorded and produced by Lewis in his DIY bedroom studio, with further production and mixing by Joshua Rumble. The track was mastered by Fluid Mastering. Listen below.
Lou Mclean
Scottish riot grrl bedroom pop artist Lou Mclean has shared her new single ‘RBF’. “Continuing my exploration of pop songwriting, ‘RBF’ is a catchy, dreamy, synth-laden soundscape, poppy and fun to sing,” she explains. “It’s about how women are judged for having ’resting bitch face’ but actually, when you think about it, there’s a lot for us to be annoyed about. It’s got a banger of a sing-along chorus so I hope people enjoy listening to it.” The single was produced by Jen Athan. Listen below.
Susy K
Susy K is a Scottish singer-songwriter with a soulful sound. Brought up in Edinburgh by opera-singing parents, the singing bug caught her at an early age. After immersing herself in the music of legends including Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Mica Paris, Michael Jackson and Chaka Khan, Susy soon found out that soul music was her true passion. Now, she is a professional vocalist, songwriter, session musician and vocal coach. Her career lives between Scotland and London with her performing, recording and writing for numerous projects centred around neo soul, jazz and dance, with influences from the likes of Lianne La Havas, Jazmine Sullivan, Yebba, Moonchild and Blue Lab Beats. The first single from Susy K’s Hear It From Her EP project, ‘Heal’, was written to amplifying the importance of finding your own truth and self-reassurance over seeking validation from others – something Susy herself has taken a long time to learn and heal from. With powerful soulful vocals, funky horns and synths, and drum grooves and bass lines dripping in soul, ‘Heal’ will make you fee; empowered whilst getting down to Susy’s distinctive soul sound. Listen below.
Christabel
Christabel, the independent UK artist, is bringing an alternative sound to the music scene. Writing and recording all her songs in her bedroom studio, she then works alongside her producer, to create the nostalgic modern sound which makes her stand out from the crowd. Musically inspired by the likes of the Eagles, Dua Lipa, and her own dreamy imagination, the luscious layers of guitars, keys, saxophone and vocals, throws her musicality into new dimensions. Her new single ‘Take Me Home to the Palm Trees is out now. “This song reminisces on a time when I lived in California and my dream to return to the palm trees,” she explains of the track. “Filled with summery upbeat vibes, it will transport the listener into a California dreamin state of mind.” Listen below.
Démira
Démira is a Dutch singer, songwriter and producer. Once a fervent guitar player, she redefined her own sound after neurological problems caused by a tumor. Producing music became a new means of catharsis, and soon she was signed to Electric Lady Studios in New York City. However always working autonomously, Démira has been releasing and creating music as an independent artist since the age of 14. She played shows at festivals and clubs throughout New York, Denmark, The Netherlands, Malta, Sweden and Germany. In new single ‘Metropolis,’ Démira sings about gaslighting and her struggle with an eating disorder from age 19 to 24. Hinting to Alanis Morisette’s ‘You Oughta Know’ and ‘Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl’ by Carrie Brownstein, Démira tries to reclaim the subject in artistic terms to challenge a contemporary sexist trope, self-doubt, shame and the self-involved hoax of social media. Démira wrote the song in Amsterdam and produced the track with BAFTA crew composer Marli Wren in Manchester. ‘Metropolis’ is the third single leading up to Démira’s debut album titled Iggy which will be released in the Autumn. Listen below.
Wera Stasiak
Wera Stasiak is a Berlin-based artist whose music belongs to the world of pop. However, it is nothing short of influences from various other genres such as RnB, Jazz, Electropop and Dance. To the Polish-born singer, Amy Winehouse has always been a significant figure within the industry. However, her current idol Charlotte Cardin’s style is what really drove Wera to make music in the first place. In her songs, the singer-songwriter writes about past and present experiences which she describes as “polarising”. The lyrics are bold and the sound is a fusion of emotions. Wera’s new single ‘Watch Me’, a song about the relationship of desire and lust, is out now and sets the tone for her debut EP release planned for 2023. “‘Watch Me’ is a song about lust, passion and denial,” explains Wera. “It is the feeling of sensual connectivity and desire between two people. A build up of emotions, a cluster of passion with no space for relief. While your crush denies the lust and chooses to self-sabotage his feelings, you are confident that you’re all he wants.” Listen below.
Kara Cold
Meet Kara Cold, a self proclaimed weirdo, beatmaker, mother, preschool teacher, amateur sneakerhead, okay skateboarder, and sunglass collector. Inspired by producers and artists such as Mac Miller, DJ Shadow, Gramatik, Felly, Calvin Harris, and many more, Kara Cold creates instrumental music blending multiple genres from lofi and boom bap to Chicago house. Fresh off the release of her debut album, Kara Cold currently enjoys stepping outside and making more of her special brand of drunkenly chilled dance music. Her track ‘Stepping’ is Chicago 2-step meets 70s funky bass all under a melody of fun upbeat vocal chops. “The minute the bass comes in I cannot stop prevent my soul from smiling, my heart beat from increasing, and my feet from stepping,” she says. Listen below.
Gianna Branca
Gianna Branca is an American pop singer-songwriter, actor and performer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 20, Gianna launched her own independent label, Gianna Branca Music, while also pursuing a degree in Musical Theatre Performance at Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia. She has just released her debut single ‘conversation’ with support from artist development partners DNT Entertainment and OC Hit. Using her music as an outlet for her feelings and thoughts, similar to that of a journal, Gianna makes a point of being unapologetically honest in her songwriting. Her hope is that people will connect not only with the melodies in her song, but also with the story it tells. “When I was 14, I was going through a hard time, and an adult told me to try journaling,” she says. “I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t seem to find the right words for what I was feeling. I knew I loved music though. So, one day, I sat down at my piano in my living room and I tried writing my feelings over some chords…and I’ve been doing it ever since. I think of all my songs as journal entries, and I always try to make them personal and specific. I think there is something so cool about a song’s ability to let a stranger into your heart or into a specific moment in your life. My debut single, ‘conversation’ is (hopefully) one of those songs.” Listen below.
helly
helly is a 21 year old independent female artist and producer from Norway. She has always been into music and has been singing and writing songs all her life. It wasnt until two years ago in lockdown that she started learning how to produce. Her new single ‘Feel like this’ is about not quite feeling like yourself, but also not wanting to acknowledge it. “I really just took inspiration from myself, and how i felt at that moment,” she explains. Listen below.
Check out more of our recent submissions on the playlist below!
