This feature spotlights 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!
Laurie Black
Morphing from the Fringe cabaret underworld into live music lineups with her live synth setup and modular rig, coupled with tongue in cheek chat, Laurie Black’s notably toured as support for Adam Ant’s UK ANTICS tour (2022) and Professor Elemental (2025), as well as live club sets at Antichrist and Mønster Queen.
Described as the “lovechild of Victoria Wood and Gary Numan”, her punk-electro sound underscores politically-enraged, satirical lyrics. Her latest album Noisebleed was released in February 2026, reviewed as “synth pop which hits you like a freight train”.
Standout track ’Axis’ is about music venues closing down. “According to Music Venues Trust 100 grassroots music venues are closing down every year in the UK, and without them I can’t see how local, DIY, independent, unsigned artists like me will have a career,” she says. “So, the message is: keep supporting your local music venues, and get involved with Music Venues Trust (and Properties) to make sure venues stay open and bands and artists can play music live!”
New Crush
New Crush is a band all about big riffs, raw energy, and giving people an escape from reality with loud, slamming music. Inspired by bands like No Doubt, Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Sonic Youth, and AC/DC, they bring a mix of grit, melody, and pure power to the stage. The band have been friends for years, and came together after lockdown when Aidy Ingram (guitar) and Charles Knox (drums) were talking about starting a new project. At the same time Gráinne Farrell (vocals) had attended a The Pretty Reckless concert and was wondering why she couldn’t do something like that herself? She gave Aidy a call, and despite it being her first band, she quickly found her voice, shaping her sound and stage presence. Aidan McCusker (bass) was originally just hanging out at rehearsals, but before long, he picked up a bass and made the lineup complete.
Their new single ‘So Cool’ is “a massive f u to people who talk behind your back and smile to your face, who make you feel bad for being different to the ‘norm.’ It’s a celebration of non-conformity, uniqueness and authenticity. Hopefully that makes sense,” says the band.
Eleanor Hooper
Eleanor Hooper is a Sheffield based vocalist, visual and theatre artist and composer creating voice-centred music that weaves intricate layered harmony with lyrical narratives, electronic effects and responsive technology. For over twenty years her work has placed music at the heart of performance and public space, touring extensively as an acrobat in circus and with her all female punk band in the 2010’s DIY/Squatted Social Centre movement. With her company Pif-Paf she has co-created productions spanning from large-scale spectaculars to intimate participatory Street Theatre pieces.
FIBRES marks the first release of Eleanor’s music as a standalone recording artist, bringing her long-standing artistic and vocal practice into an intimate, personal form. It was recorded over two years after the birth of her second daughter, between her home studio and Three Galleys Studio in Sheffield where she also mixed the EP with Ric Booth. The EP is composed from many layers of her own voice forming rich choral landscapes interwoven with deep lyrical narratives exploring motherhood, addiction, loss and healing.
The lead track, ‘Every Fibre Of Me Is You’, stands as a fiercely tender vocal composition and a profound meditation on maternal experience. Soaring layers of harmony weave around her children’s prenatal heartbeats and the subtle percussion of Guy Whittaker (Jim Ghedi), creating an intimate space for the raw poetry of her lead vocals to unfold.
She says, “This song is about the first moment I had away from my child after solely breastfeeding and how I didn’t recognise myself. My body was still in the trance of caregiving movement, trying to swim, and I experienced a surreal wonder in that moment that every fibre of her was me. Part of me was grieving for the person I was before motherhood, and the other part reaching for this new skin I needed to grow into— the physical intensity, the exhaustion, and the heart-leaping amazement of my child looking at me with such love, trust, and need.”
Mara Van Dyck
Mara is a Luxembourgish-Bulgarian singer with a cinematic soul and an ethereal voice. Blending dream pop, dark R&B, and ambient ballads, her music creates space for softness in a loud world. With melodies that float and lyrics that cut deep, Mara’s sound is a quiet rebellion, a dark glow in the emotional night.
Mara’s second release ‘Not Alone,’ continues her emotional and cinematic sound while deepening her connection with her audience. In contrast to her debut slow jam ‘Just For You’, she now returns with an innocent and aggressive upbeat song. Blending atmospheric production, soulful vocals, and cinematic textures, ‘Not Alone’ explores themes of loneliness, resilience, and emotional connection. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost, unheard, or isolated, reminding them that they are never truly alone.
Ruby Celeste
Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Ruby Celeste has released her debut single, ‘Melt With You,’ an intimate indie-pop track centred on piano-led production and emotive vocals.
Reflecting on emotional closeness, the song captures the quiet vulnerability of letting your guard down and connecting deeply with someone you love. Atmospheric production supports strong melodic writing and intimate vocal delivery.
Developed with her producer Mark Morrow, ‘Melt With You’ grew from a simple piano demo into a refined, cinematic recording, while the artwork mirrors the warmth and softness of the track.
cate guirguis
Eora/Sydney based indie-pop artist cate guirguis returns with her new single ‘emily’ – co-produced and mixed by Aaron Frost and mastered by Jack Nigro (The Terrys, Rum Jungle, Pacific Avenue) at Sonora Studios.
‘emily’ is a classic tale of ‘you never know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone.’ The indie pop track about realising you love someone only after letting them go opens with stripped back acoustic guitar and vocals, drawing inspiration from Lizzy McAlpine and Olivia Rodrigo. A luscious vocal stack and slide guitar comes in to support the chorus, leading into a fuller second verse and chorus. The energy climaxes in the bridge, with thick backing vocals and dramatic drums, soaring to the final heartbreaking chorus, filled with regret and acceptance.
cate shares the inspiration behind ‘emily:’ “Just before I went travelling for 3 months we stopped dating so I didn’t have to check in with anyone back home and could be fully present while I was experiencing new countries. Little did I know we would end up talking every day and I would be thinking about him the entire time I was away.”
EVADNE
Evadne is a UK-based multi-genre solo artist, singer-songwriter and music producer, who produces, creates, arranges, records and performs her music herself. She is particularly fond of R&B music, however makes music within many different genres.
‘You Want It’ is the second single from Evadne’s first-ever R&B EP Meant To Be, following debut single ‘Date Night’. ‘You Want It’ flips the mood – teasing, lighter, playful and hook-driven and is perfect for upbeat and more chill vibes R&B playlists.
Evadne wrote, produced, arranged, recorded and performed ‘You Want It’ completely from scratch without the use of sample sounds or sample packs, therefore every sound you hear was created by herself.
Tana
Tana is a genre-bending artist and songwriter with Italian-Nigerian roots, proudly representing queer voices from London. Known for her unapologetic, liberating sound, she fuses bold lyrics and rich melodies to champion diversity and authenticity.
Her debut single ‘In Her Eyes’ tells the story of a situationship that started with a match on RAYA—everything felt perfect until hidden truths surfaced. “A month after I returned from a trip, she ended things unexpectedly on my birthday. It’s an honest reflection on modern dating, mixed signals, and emotional blindsides,” she says.
Morjane Ténéré
Morjane Ténéré is a singer-songwriter inspired by folk and blues music. Her voice moves people to tears. Ténéré means “desert” in Tamasheq, the language of the Tuareg people, yet it also evokes vastness, magic and resilience. The Ténéré region is known for its immense seas of sand and for the Tree of Ténéré, once considered one of the most isolated trees on Earth before its destruction. This imagery resonates with the themes explored in Morjane’s songs: the urgency of protecting our planet, honoring our ancestors, and nurturing bonds of sisterhood.
Her new single is titled ‘How Can It Be’. This song is about grieving and transforming pain into light.
Madeleine May
Madeleine May is an 18-year-old songwriter from North Yorkshire making ‘Girl Next Door’ indie pop. It’s the lyrical vulnerability of Lizzy McAlpine met with the moody, northern grit of a UK winter. She blends memorable melodies and cinematic soundscapes with real life issues affecting many teenagers today. Her new single ‘favourite band’ is out now.
“The song came about because I had a really great friend but as we got older we seemed to drift apart,” explains Madeleine. “We used to share so much but especially music. I realised that every time I heard one particular song, I ended up thinking ‘what happened’ and thinking about them. As I was writing it, it made me think about how people split up or drift apart and memories can be affected by music. In the same way that certain songs or bands can evoke memories of very specific good times, they can also remind people of things or memories they don’t want to recall. Ultimately, favourite band is about affecting how you feel about something because of the thought of someone else…
“I’d been playing it acoustically at a few shows last year but I put a small band together for a while. It was really interesting hearing the change in sound with them so I took them into the studio and we recorded this in a couple of sessions. I have been enjoying adding layers to my new music and this one was great – there’s guitars, percussion, piano and even a very old organ. The song builds beautifully and it is brilliant hearing my songs come to life in a different way with a live band.”
Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!
