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!
WOLFS
WOLFS is made up of Hannah Castell (guitar, vocals) and Rhi Waller (drums, vocals). The duo met online through Gumtree in 2016 and despite living over 100 miles apart, they’ve been making music ever since. They now both live in London and are finding their place in the music scene there. Their new song ‘Take Me On’ was originally written a few years ago and has been a live favourite at their shows, but they felt the song was no longer fitting the sound of WOLFS as they had grown over the years, so they rewrote the chorus last year before recording it. “It’s a short but punchy track channeling the frustrations of sexism and those who underestimate you- something we all know too well,” say the pair. “The song was originally called ‘Make A Sound,’ which is what we’re here to do!” Listen below.
Chloe Jones
Chloe Jones is a singer-songwriter from Manchester, UK. With thoughtful storytelling and rich, lilting vocals bound to captivate any music fan, Chloe has a unique sound that lends itself fittingly to the style of music she delivers, which is a luscious blend of folk, Americana and country. Chloe’s music takes you to places you may never have been, and is often inspired by experiencing life to its fullest and adventuring to faraway places, along with the personal hardships and highs that these journeys may bring. Her song ‘Big Man Says’ is an exploration of spirituality, reason and relationships. “The name is inspired by an ex-boyfriend who would relate to God as ‘the big man’ and the song is an expression of my curiosity regarding people’s beliefs, whilst also being a navigational tool for my relationship at the time,” she explains. Listen below.
GHADA
GHADA is 23 year old artist from Tunisia. She has always loved music ever since she was a child, thanks to her uncle who was a musician. “But funnily enough, I only discovered that I had the talent when I was 13,” Ghada explains. “So basically, I have been singing ever since I was 13 years old. But, I was always scared to take a step towards actually making my own music and having it out there for everyone to hear. But now that I took that first step, I don’t think I’d ever stop moving forward.” Her latest song is called ‘Uhh papa’. “When I started writing ‘Uhh papa’ the words were literally flowing, it was so effortless,” she says of the track. “The song is in French and that’s because I wanted to write a song as an appreciation to my father, and I wanted to write it in a language he understands. The song describes the role of my father, my absolute gratitude towards him and his influence on shaping the person I am today. A second main inspiration for the song was my uncle, who passed away early January and who also was a father figure to me. His loss impacted me greatly and I wanted to also keep his memory alive in my heart through this song.” Listen below.
EM
EM is a singer-songwriter and producer from Nottingham, UK. She started writing songs at 11, after teaching herself to play the piano and guitar, and producing on GarageBand at 13. She now writes and produces all of her music using the process as an emotional outlet. ‘Catch me if you can (falling)’ centres around indecision and uncertainty around where to go in life and feeling as though you will never find where you are meant to be. “This feeling never hit me (and my friends) as hard as after we finished university; the conversations we had around this time inspired this track,” EM explains. “The tempo and instrumentation of the track gives it an uplifting feel, conveying that although we may feel so unsteady, we have to keep going, and not let the negativity and fear catch up to us. Omari’s verse brings such a human aspect to the song, championing real connection as the key to belonging. Omari and I met on a music project which aims to improve the mental health of young adults. The project really changed how I viewed making music, increasing my love for writing and the Nottingham music community. ‘Catch me if you can (falling)’ captures this change via Omari’s verse and the lyric changes in the final chorus, changing the tone of the story from hopeless to hopeful.” Listen below.
MBG
MBG is the alt rock project of Canadian multi-instrumentalist Leena Rodriguez. With two new singles out and an EP release in the future, she is about to break out in the Toronto indie rock scene that’s so heavily dominated by boy bands with her own loud, edgy and unique sound. Her new single is called ‘I’m Not In Luv’. “Originally when I started writing the verses I was just complaining about my friends being in love and feeling like a third wheel,” explains Leena of the track.”Once I got to the chorus, I had mad writer’s block and didn’t know how to continue until I thought to myself, “What if it’s not really about me hating being the third wheel but rather being jealous because I secretly have a crush on my friend?” I felt in complete denial about it but eventually these feelings became so strong that I couldn’t ignore them. I took that intention and finished the song so quickly. I think at one point in our lives, we’ve had little harmless crushes on our friends and I feel like as a queer person having these feelings for your friends of the same sex while still trying to figure yourself out is a little wild and scary and this song is a little bit about that.” Listen below.
Lesley Pike
Lesley Pike’s new song, ‘Paper Thin,’ is a gentle reminder – for herself as much as anyone else – that we can make a choice at any time to shift a dynamic, to engage in a different way; and sometimes even just changing the scenery can be enough to help facilitate this. “Its inspiration came from a night I spent in a magnificent hotel in Leeds, England, kept awake by a couple screaming in a nearby room,” she explains. “It was so distressing and uncomfortable to overhear such a personal row between total strangers, but it also made me think, ‘Oh god, have I ever sounded like this?’ I wrote ‘Paper Thin’ with folk duo The Dunwells in 30 minutes the next day. The production has a tender delicacy and vulnerability to it, which I love as it feels like the antithesis of the aggressive energy of the hotel fight. We laboured over these lines, wanting to strike a balance between fragility and hope. I really feel that the whole experience of writing this song has shifted my perception of conflict. The message of ‘Paper Thin’ is simple, urging us to take a pause and a few deep breaths before engaging. Listen below.
Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!