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!
Midnight Dive
Cheyanne Sawyer is a 21-year-old, African-American, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter who goes by Midnight Dive for her music releases. She is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California with a minor in Songwriting, and will be attending USC’s Gould School of Law in the fall for Entertainment Law. She recently released her debut single, ‘Vetta (demo)’. The song is about feelings of envy and heartbreak, while the title is a play on words and is supposed to be reminiscent of the movie title V for Vendetta. Her genre is a mix of bedroom pop, singer-songwriter, and soft indie. She physically recorded the track in her college dorm room, solely utilizing Logic Pro and her guitar. It contains soothing vocals and an intentionally reverb-heavy mix. As a black woman, Cheyanne aims to provide a new face to the bedroom pop sound in order to reframe who listens to and creates this style of music. Listen to ‘Vetta (demo)’ below.
Annie Liang
Versatile New York based dance pop artist Annie Liang returns with her new single ‘Silly Girl’. Liang takes a look at relationships with ‘Silly Girl’. “Relationships are about the love of two people, and this is an imaginary love story that takes a look at relationships that feel perfect – not forced” she says. Her third self-released single this year, ‘Silly Girl’ shows the versatile artist’s creative vision and allows the listeners to take a look into her world as she is playing the role of a Silly Girl. Listen below.
Cristii
After ten years learning in the classical world Cristii is now perfecting her cello skills in the contemporary music scene. She left her hometown, Madrid, to chase her dreams in the busy city of London. Her very emotional music characterised by melancholic strings and moving vocal arrangements make room for introspection. Whether accompanied by a heavy production or the raw and empty sound of her pizzicato, her songs talk about the meaning of love, growth and loneliness. Her latest single is called ‘Things You Did To Me’. “As someone getting out of an abusive relationship, this song is the catharsis of that journey,” she says. “It starts pretty empty and gets more chaotic as the message comes across. Kind of atmospheric and an almost cinematic arrangement, it reaches its peak at 02:09 and keeps growing until the very end.” Listen below.
Bea Maher
‘Can’t Love’ is the second single taken from Bea Maher’s forthcoming debut EP. South London based, Bea Maher’s musical journey began as a fusion of the vibrant sounds and eclectic cultures that surrounded her. Influenced by the soulful rhythms pulsing through the city and inspired by the storytelling prowess of legendary artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lianne La Havas and Cleo Sol, Bea found her voice in the heart of funk and soul. Reflecting on the moment of inspiration that led to ‘Can’t Love’, Bea Maher shares: “Can’t Love” is my heart spilled out in song. Its soulful melody, wrapped in heavenly harmonies, mirrors the complexities of unrequited love, a journey I intimately understand. With every lyric, I lay bare the highs and lows of love’s emotional rollercoaster. This track is my soul poured into music, resonating deeply with the rawness of human emotion.” With a magnetic presence and an infectious likeability, she commands the spotlight, captivating audiences with her soulful voice and dynamic performances. Whether backed by a full band or armed with nothing more than her guitar, Bea’s live shows are a testament to the power of music. This is a journey you will want to come along for. Listen to ‘Can’t Love’ below.
Eternalize
Eternalize is a Polish singer songwriter, arranger and producer. Her songs mainly focus on expressing nostalgia, longing for what’s to never come back, suffering but also searching for beauty. Musically she is inspired by broadly understood rock including gothic rock, alternative rock, shoegaze, especially in the ’90s and early ’00s. She likes mixing heavy sounds with soft vocals and synths floating in the guitar wall of sound. Last month she released the single ‘Came to life’. “The main theme of this track, including floating gothic-rock inspired guitars, breakthroughs, heavier riffs, groovy bassline and soft synths is about a rebirth, waking up anew to a fresh start. It’s a cycle resulting in regaining vitality and all the colours of a brand new reality again,” she says. Listen below.
Blondine
Honing their craft over the last 2 years on the Manchester circuit, BLONDINE has developed an unhinged, energetic and feral stage presence, and following support dates with some of the UK’s most exciting emerging acts including The Oozes, The Menstrual Cramps, and Wych Elm, BLONDINE has unleashed their debut single ‘Leech’ – a track that takes inspiration from 90s grunge, and industrial/‘Berghain’ techno to create something that is haunting, melodic, dancey and disgusting. Speaking more on the inspiration behind new single ‘Leech’, vocalist/guitarist and lyricist Evie Saunders said: “’Leech’ is about unrequited love. When you know it’ll never happen so you leech off the other persons personality traits and almost become them, in order to feel close to them. Like a parasite. It’s about how the fake scenarios and the fake relationship you have created inside your head is better than reality, so you get lost in it. ‘Leech’ looks like dancing inside a dirty and packed warehouse with sludgey green lights and sweat dripping off the walls, feeling both euphoric and crying your eyes out. Lyrically I am very inspired by Kristin Hersh and Stevie Nicks, the lens in which they write in tends to look quite spacey and dreamy and cryptic, and that seems to be the lens I have adopted!”. Listen below.
Tori BLK
In the wake of personal tragedy, emerges a poignant melody of resilience and introspection. Tori, an unsigned rising singer-songwriter, found solace and strength in her craft after the heartbreaking loss of her beloved mother earlier this year (February 2024). In a vow whispered to her departing mother, Tori pledged to persevere, honoring her memory through the power of music. So, ‘A-Okay’ came to life—a heartfelt tune that’s like a roadmap through the twists and turns of grief, faith, and finding yourself. This electro-pop ballad, tinged with subtle pop-punk influences, serves as a raw and honest narrative of navigating the tumultuous seas of loss. Tori’s lyrical prowess intertwines the strands of sorrow and hope, offering listeners a cathartic journey through the complexities of the human experience. ‘A-Okay’ transcends mere notes and chords; it’s a beacon of empathy for those traversing their own emotional storms. Tori’s unflinching portrayal of vulnerability resonates deeply, providing solace to a diverse audience seeking solace and understanding amidst their own struggles. With ‘A-Okay,’ Tori invites listeners to embrace the messy beauty of life’s trials, finding strength in the midst of chaos. Through her music, she offers a comforting reminder that, even in our darkest moments, we can find a flicker of light to guide us home. Listen below.
bela
bela is a ghostwriter turned artist originally from northeast USA (New England) and now based out of LA. She has just released her new single called ‘now what?’ and it’s a follow up to her first track ‘push,’ released back in March. She grew up the middle child of five in a small town and spent her young adulthood constantly grappling for an identity outside of the safety of her family. Most of her focus since moving to Los Angeles has been centered on creating pop with a conscience. Since then, she has lent her words to a few amazing artists but the songs that stuck with her became a part of her personal project. It’s been 7 years in the making and spans the course of two very different but equally toxic relationships – one before she moved to the west coast/came out to her family and friends and one after. While the journey of self-discovery is far from over, the steps she has taken so far led her to the realisation that she has done everything possible to avoid searching for answers within herself and instead try to find them through the eyes of the people who love her. Her upcoming EP is an exploration of those feelings and an attempt at letting them go. About the ‘now what?’, bela had this to say: “Since moving to LA, I’ve found myself living somewhere between existentialism and idealism. I push the boulder up the mountain and it falls, but I do it again because trying means something to me. But also, maybe one day, it won’t fall. This song is for anyone whose inner voice has ever begged them to juggle a million things because they’ve been taught “you’re only as good as what comes next” and for everyone who has ever felt the high wear off, the clock reset to day one, and wondered what it was all worth. It’s my ode to trying, failing, trying again, and failing again…and again and again until one day, I make it up to a plateau, see how far I’ve come and ask, “now what?” Listen below.
Klaudia DG
Claudia Di Giandomenico aka Klaudia DG is an independent singer-songwriter, she manages to eradicate her suffering by singing, claiming that singing is her psychologist. Since she was a child she has participated in various singing festivals in her region of Abruzzo, also working as a singer in various tourist villages. Her single ‘Somebody to love’ is out now. “The song is the dialogue between a real person and a non-real person that represents the love always dreamed of,” she explains. “The author imagines how beautiful it would be if he had a person to love with whom he could share the light of day or the lights of a nightclub and then perhaps touch the stars and fly romantically to the moon. Unfortunately all this happens in his dreams, if he opens his eyes there is no one in front of him. The funky disco sounds of the song will transmit positive energy mixed with cosmic romanticism.” Listen below.
Anna Mae
Whether it’s your first time hearing her name or not, it’s likely you’ve already heard her voice on TV. Nashville-based alternative pop artist, Anna Mae, has long been recognized by her raw, distinct, and anthemic vocals. Integrated with both her songwriting and artistic vision, she is a musical powerhouse on the rise. She’s landed over 150 different placements on major networks and trailers and has spent the last year working on her sophomore album, Heatwave Heaven. The entire project is female-created and both cowritten and produced by the talented Carobae, along with a notable supergroup of writers, including EJ Saftner (Suki Waterhouse), Emily Haber (Andy Grammer), and Megan Redmond (Charlotte Sands.) “Heatwave Heaven is basically all of my teenage summer daydreams come to life. It’s dripping with 90s/00s nostalgia and just like my journal pages, it walks the line between extreme confidence and tender emotion. ‘Fever Dream’ is definitely one of my favorites. The project ranges from extreme confidence to tender emotion and I really feel like this track is a product of both of those things. As soon as me and my producer (Carobae) wrote this one, we both knew it would be a focal point of the album. It’s intimate, bold, and feels like driving down Pacific Coast Highway on a summer night.” Listen below.
Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!