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!
DZIANA
Indie-pop artist DZIANA creates intimate, diary-like music inspired by artists including Lizzy McAlpine and The Marías. Written from her bedroom while living far from home, her songwriting draws on personal experiences and the emotions that accompany distance, uncertainty and change.
‘lonely boy’ was written during that period away from home, with DZIANA hoping to bring listeners a sense of comfort and reassurance. Rather than overlooking life’s difficulties, the song acknowledges their existence while recognising that challenging circumstances are rarely permanent. At its heart is a simple message about finding moments of light and peace, even when things feel uncertain.
Meital
New York City indie-pop singer-songwriter Meital creates music that feels like reading somebody’s journal, embracing the confessional, introspective and occasionally messy sides of everyday life. Drawing on influences ranging from classic singer-songwriters to contemporary indie pop, her work turns personal experiences into emotionally direct storytelling.
The first single from her debut EP, ‘Insomniac’ was inspired by Meital’s impulsive decision to move to New York following a particularly painful breakup. The emotional upheaval left her unable to sleep, providing the foundation for an angsty indie-pop-folk track built around a repeating guitar riff. It’s a song for those restless early hours when your thoughts refuse to switch off, but you might still find yourself dancing alone in your bedroom at 3am.
Filmstar
Edinburgh alternative rock four-piece Filmstar combine the grit and emotional honesty of ’90s and early-2000s rock with contemporary production and big, guitar-driven choruses. Formed by vocalist Lauren Thompson and guitarist Alasdair MacFarlane, the band channel personal experiences into energetic, melodic rock.
‘Outgrown’, the first single from their forthcoming second EP, was written by Lauren as a message to her younger self. Having grown up painfully shy and insecure, she remembers allowing others to walk over her out of fear of being judged or mocked. Recognising similar struggles among the band’s younger listeners, Lauren wanted to create something encouraging. The resulting track celebrates overcoming insecurity, finding confidence and finally allowing yourself to take up space in your own life.
LEO
Splitting her time between a small coastal town in Normandy and London, singer-songwriter LEO creates intimate soul-folk shaped by the sea and her experiences of living between places. Drawing inspiration from Motown, classic soul and Britpop, her music combines warm analogue textures with vulnerable storytelling.
Opening her EP I Met a Girl (Who Is She), the title track explores the unusual experience of a woman encountering her own double. Wrapped in gentle folk instrumentation and a dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere, the song introduces a project built around personal reflections and emotionally open songwriting. Its playful central idea sits alongside the EP’s wider themes of vulnerability, hope and discovering strength through personal experiences.
Bebe May
Manchester bedroom-pop artist Bebe May creates lo-fi indie music inspired by girlhood, nostalgia and the difficulties of navigating modern life. Drawing from ’60s pop and ’90s indie, she combines a love of analogue recording equipment with dreamy synths, retro guitar tones and intimate songwriting. Her DIY approach extends beyond music into artwork, animation and music videos.
‘Maybe in the Morning’ explores the disappointment of realising life hasn’t turned out quite as you imagined, alongside the understanding that a change in perspective can sometimes make everything feel more manageable. Recorded in her bedroom with fellow musician Henry Smith, the track layers organ, Mellotron and shimmering synths into a woozy, melancholic atmosphere. It’s a song about uncertainty that still leaves room for the possibility of a brighter morning.
Holly Clausius
Toronto singer-songwriter Holly Clausius blends soul, pop and rock influences, using personal experiences to explore identity, vulnerability and self-acceptance. Her latest single, ‘Every Size’, takes a brighter, R&B-inspired direction while addressing the complicated relationship many people have with their bodies.
Drawing on her own experiences of weight fluctuations and believing self-love would arrive once she looked a certain way, Holly challenges the idea that body acceptance is something to be earned. Instead, the track celebrates recognising your worth through every physical change, rather than postponing happiness until an imagined future version of yourself appears. With soulful vocals, playful pop hooks and an upbeat groove, ‘Every Size’ turns a deeply personal reflection into a celebration of the body you’re living in right now.
Cierra Cinti
Independent pop artist and producer Cierra Cinti brings together nostalgic 2010s pop influences, edgy synths and layered harmonies. Taking a completely DIY approach to her music, she writes, records, produces, mixes and masters her songs herself from her bedroom, allowing her to shape every detail of their sound.
Latest single ‘Party Favors’ transforms financial struggles, a failed relationship and feelings of loneliness into an unapologetic party anthem. Beneath its energetic production and singalong chorus, the song explores self-destructive behaviour and the temptation to escape difficult emotions through a night out. Inspired by the atmosphere of summer coming to an end, Cierra embraces nostalgic pop production while allowing the less glamorous reality beneath the celebration to remain visible.
Sydney Millevoi
Pop and R&B singer-songwriter Sydney Millevoi draws on soul, gospel and contemporary pop influences, bringing emotionally direct storytelling into her music. Her songwriting explores personal experiences through a combination of intimate lyrics and expressive vocals.
‘Can’t Have You (All Roads)’, taken from her forthcoming album Eyes On Me, was written while Sydney was competing on The Voice. The track explores the bittersweet experience of continually finding yourself drawn back towards somebody you know you cannot have. Combining pop songwriting with R&B influences, the song captures the tension between understanding that a relationship isn’t possible and struggling to let go of the feelings that keep pulling you back.
GÖRE
Berlin feminist trio GÖRE combine distorted guitars, bass and playful synthesizers with indie-rock energy, danceable pop hooks and unapologetically confrontational lyrics. Their debut EP Crush explores the experiences of young women navigating contemporary society, moving between heartbreak, anger, trauma and solidarity.
On ‘alexanderplatz’, the band confront the aftermath of sexual violence through the perspective of a survivor consumed by anger and fantasies of revenge. Setting the story against Berlin’s Alexanderplatz, GÖRE refuse to soften the uncomfortable emotions that can accompany trauma. With abrasive instrumentation and fiercely direct songwriting, the track gives space to female rage without demanding that those feelings be made more palatable.
Imogen Plunkett-Hamer
Sydney songwriter and producer Imogen Plunkett-Hamer takes a hands-on, experimental approach to her music, bringing together jazz-rock influences with a DIY recording process. Her latest double-sided single was written, recorded, produced and mixed by Imogen herself, with performances from just two friends and fellow music students, Luke Moore and Niya Vohra.
‘Want To Be Close’ explores desire and frustration through heavy, energetic jazz-rock built from a collage of live recordings. Rather than following a predictable arrangement, the track embraces shifting dynamics and unexpected musical turns, balancing experimentation with a concise, pop-influenced structure. It’s a release that reflects both Imogen’s creative independence and her interest in pushing familiar songwriting forms into stranger territory.
Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!
