Her forthcoming EP, It All Comes To End, draws from diaries, relationships and experiences spanning the past four years, with its seven songs forming individual snapshots of love, heartbreak, identity, money and expectation. From the memories woven through ‘Red Velvet’ to new single ‘A Confession (I’m Broke)’, which playfully punctures the illusion of having everything together, the record captures an artist learning to be present, embrace imperfection and take control of her own story.

That sense of agency has followed Essence since she left a tennis scholarship in the US and returned home to pursue music, putting herself “in the driver’s seat” of her life for the first time. We caught up with her to talk about songwriting as self-discovery, finding freedom in honesty, learning from the artists she’s shared stages with and why, ultimately, she wants her music to make people feel truly seen. Read the Q&A below.

For anyone discovering Essence Martins for the first time through this interview, how would you describe yourself as an artist – and what is it about songwriting that you feel compelled to keep coming back to?

“I was always a creative kid. I had a whimsical imagination and I loved to draw and create any type of art. I wasn’t great at English in school but I adored the creative writing classes. My mind would often be away with the fairies until something pulled me back down to earth. Telling stories and self expression is a big part of who I am and songwriting is the best way I know how! I think I write in search of the truth so a lot of my artistry is based around my honest feelings and thoughts which are constantly changing and evolving. There’s so much to navigate in this life so there’s so much that brings me back to songwriting!”

Before pursuing music, you were on a tennis scholarship in the US and ultimately made the decision to return home and follow songwriting instead. Do you remember the point when making music stopped feeling like something you loved and became something you knew you needed to pursue?

“Yes! When I came home after my freshman year I quite literally had all day and night to learn my favourite songs, work on my songwriting, get better at piano and guitar and more importantly watch my favourite live performances on YouTube for hours. The time spent doing all of that really showed me what I felt I needed to do. I became so inspired watching artists on my screen living a dream that felt so far away and after some months the penny dropped and I got in the drivers seat in my own life for the first time.”

Emotional honesty seems to sit at the heart of your songwriting, with your upcoming EP It All Comes To End drawing from diaries, relationships and experiences from the past four years. Does writing give you access to feelings or parts of yourself that you sometimes find harder to understand outside of music?

“It does! I feel like my songwriting often knows me better than I do! It sometimes feels like a portal to my own emotions that I haven’t even yet realised or processed. I can write a song where I’m not really sure what it’s about and then after a few months realise so clearly what situation I was talking about or what experience I’m pulling from. I think it helps me be brutally honest in a way you wouldn’t in real life. You can write a song that’s truthful or fictional and no one really knows but you, and that allows you to go really deep or playful without it feeling too personal because it’s a song after all and it doesn’t have to be serious or true if you say it isn’t.”

‘Red Velvet’ captures how tiny, everyday things can become loaded with meaning after we lose someone. Are you naturally someone who holds onto those little details and memories, and do you think that shapes the kind of songwriter you’ve become?

“I love to reminisce and I especially love to hold onto fond memories. I think I’m good at that but when it comes to something negative I’m rather good at forgetting – It’s funny how our brains protect us! What I’m trying to say is that I’m selective about what I choose to remember and what I forget and it likely does shape what I write about!” 

‘A Confession (I’m Broke)’ is funny and playful, but underneath it is a very real experience of looking like you’re doing well while privately struggling to make ends meet. As an artist in an industry where visibility and appearances can feel so important, was there something freeing about puncturing that illusion and simply saying, “Actually, this is what my life looks like”?

“I had so much fun writing and producing this song with Jay!! It was definitely a highlight for me! It was so fun to feel completely free in the studio and just speak my mind. After we wrote it though I wondered if it was too honest and had a few doubts but I just enjoyed the process so much and knew that an honest message like this would resonate with people so we had to run with it! There’s so much beauty and strength in honesty and it’s important to puncture the illusion of perfection every now and then we’re all humans just trying to get by.”

You’ve described It All Comes To End as a lesson you’re still learning yourself – that life is finite, so we should live it – and talked about wanting to become the “front seat driver” in your own story. Do you feel that making these songs has helped you understand what taking control of your own life actually looks like?

“There’s always gonna be lessons to learn and I’m sure there will be in every song or EP I put out. But I still feel like I’m in a very formative part in my career so everything feels so dramatic and far away and like you’re running out of time. So because of that it’s so important to remind ourselves to slow down, be in the moment but also don’t let life pass you by. Each song has a little lesson and the EP encompasses the idea that life is precious so we must take control and be present. I think that I’m learning how to be that more and more with every project I put out.”

You’ve spent a lot of time performing alongside other artists over the last few years. What have those experiences taught you about the kind of performer you want to be when you step onto a stage as Essence Martins – and what does sharing such personal songs with an audience give you in return?

“I’ve been so privileged to open for so many incredible artists in the last few years such as Rachel Chinouriri, Maisie Peters, Ellie Goulding, MIKA and so many more. I even had the opportunity to play in Birdy’s band. I’ve been able to watch and learn how they hold themselves on stage and how they give so much to an audience. I’ve been inspired so many times and I’m learning how to do that myself in my own way. It’s truly been an honour to witness.

“I know that I want to be the type of performer who leaves an audiences feeling hopeful and inspired but also one that provokes thought and deep emotion. I want people to feel bigger when they leave a show than when they came in.

“If I can do that, that’ll be the best gift I can receive, a genuine mutual understanding between two people.”

As your music reaches more people, what do you hope someone finds in your songs that perhaps you once needed to find in music yourself?

“Woahhh what a question! I hope that people find true understanding. There’s nothing quite as beautiful as truly being seen. The human condition is so complex but our experiences all overlap and when we find that sweet spot of perfect compassion, empathy and understanding, we will all be okay.”

It All Comes To An End is out October 29.

The post Getting To Know… Essence Martins appeared first on She Makes Music.

While previous releases have leaned into heavier punk territory, ‘fairies’ sinks into a softer 90s alternative-rock sound. Gentler passages sit alongside fuzzy, grunge-soaked choruses, while grooving drums steadily intensify through the bridge before erupting alongside the guitars. A low, dirty distorted bass emerges through the middle eight, adding further weight to an otherwise melancholic, floating backdrop.

That contrast makes BEX’s words particularly affecting. Her delivery can feel detached one moment and raw or defiant the next, allowing the emotion to surface without overwhelming the song. A homemade video intersperses live footage with candid behind-the-scenes moments, adding another layer of intimacy. ‘fairies’ doesn’t attempt to tidy painful experiences into an easy story of triumph; instead, it marks the moment BEX feels ready to tell that story at all.

The post BEX breaks her silence on ‘fairies’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Distorted guitars and driving drums keep things upbeat and bouncy, creating an immediately catchy backdrop for considerably messier thoughts. Leigh’s conversational delivery carries shades of exhaustion and wry humour as she questions four years spent focusing on empty seats and whether she was ever good enough. The recurring transformation from “Miss Independent” into “Miss Leave Me Alone” provides the song’s sharpest hook, gradually revealing just how disconnected she has become from herself.

Its homemade visualiser matches that scrappy immediacy, cutting between Leigh playing guitar and dancing around her room and taking her frustrations outside for some target practice on cans. For all its self-recrimination, ‘Miss Leave Me Alone’ never wallows. Instead, Leigh turns an identity crisis into the kind of indie-rock toe-tapper that leaves your head nodding while its questions quietly linger.

The post Odie Leigh turns the spotlight inwards on ‘Miss Leave Me Alone’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Playful spoken vocals introduce the track alongside indie guitars before straightforward rock drums push it into punchy pop-rock territory. The instrumentation keeps things relatively simple, leaving Wild’s personality to provide the real spark. Lo-fi spoken-word passages capture her growing frustration and exasperation, her distinctly Australian delivery becoming increasingly snotty while retaining the sense that she’s fully aware of how ridiculous she sounds.

That affection beneath the envy becomes even clearer in the accompanying video. Wild and her friend happily browse clothes and mess around together, while scenes of Wild alone in a graffiti-covered alley provide an outlet for her internal monologue, complete with exaggerated expressions and spectacular death stares directly into the camera. Funny without becoming mean-spirited, ‘So Annoying’ celebrates the kind of friendship strong enough to survive the occasional irrational urge to find someone deeply irritating simply for having their shit together.

The post Holly Wild embraces her petty side on ‘So Annoying’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

A subtle, funky bassline runs beneath the track’s smooth R&B groove, joined by keys, drums and bongos that bring an almost bossa nova feel to its gently off-kilter rhythm. Jazzy trumpet flourishes add further colour, while Anna’s silky, soulful vocal moves effortlessly through the loose arrangement. There’s no conventional chorus; instead, repeated phrases drift naturally through its playful neo-soul landscape before Chloe George joins later in the track, her equally smooth vocal slipping neatly alongside Anna’s.

That sense of fluidity continues into the colourful video, where Anna and her real-life friends enter a shared dream state before the camera moves through their individual inner worlds. George eventually appears on a platform, surrounded by hazy solar flares. Relaxed, sensual and quietly experimental, ‘Chameleon’ finds beauty in allowing yourself to change.

The post Mai Anna embraces change on playful new single ‘Chameleon’ feat. Chloe George appeared first on She Makes Music.

Far removed from the muscular rock of previous releases, ‘Precious’ opens with sparse piano before Kenzie’s voice enters alongside a swell of prominent strings. Gentle melodic piano adds colour as the arrangement gradually unfolds, with understated drums quietly driving the latter verses. As Kenzie’s delivery becomes increasingly emotional, the percussion rises with her, while layered, ascending vocals give the song its most powerful moments without disrupting its delicacy.

The accompanying video is similarly restrained, placing the sisters and a piano in the middle of a green field as deer wander peacefully in the background. It’s wonderfully simple, allowing the song’s bittersweet warmth to speak for itself. Rather than dwelling solely in loss, ‘Precious’ finds comfort in the way love continues to enter our lives even as we say goodbye.

The post Girl Tones show their tender side on ‘Precious’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Layered, theatrical vocals introduce the song before a funky guitar riff and punchy drums establish its sexy, upbeat pop-rock pulse. Synths bring a glossy sheen to the verses, while Magdalene swaps some of the sneering sleaze of previous single ‘Super Lucrative Jukebox Baby’ for something softer and more sultry. There’s still plenty of bite beneath the polish, with shades of MARINA in its combination of theatrical delivery, sharp pop hooks and knowingly exaggerated femininity.

The accompanying video pushes that performance to its limits. Magdalene writhes on a bed surrounded by women before the fantasy gives way to a trailer-park setting and increasingly invasive cameras. Dragged through a crowd of paparazzi before eventually appearing lifeless, she turns public scrutiny into something grotesque and darkly camp. ‘Mattress Actress’ may revel in being watched, but beneath all that glossy provocation lies the uglier question of what the spotlight ultimately takes in return.

The post Magdalene chooses the spotlight on ‘Mattress Actress’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Danz also shares today two new singles, ‘Animal’ and its non-album exclusive B-side ‘The Captain.’ On the Michael Jordan-inspired ‘Animal,’ Danz sings of stepping into a room with unapologetic purpose over avant-pop organ, pulsing drum breaks, and cosmic synth delays. ‘The Captain’ is playful, channeling the breezy charm of 70s soft rock while telling the tale of a drunk sea captain who falls overboard.

The Interdimensional Extraterrestrial Time Travelers Society is a wondrously crafted alt-pop triumph. Written, produced, and recorded entirely in Danz’s home studio, it channels a raw, organic energy by blending her signature analog workflow of Moogs and vintage-style outboard gear with live guitars, organ, and drum machines and breaks. Capturing the full, dynamic scope of Danz’s production and songwriting, the record fuses that heavy, guitar-driven energy of alt rock and new wave with sweeping synths, navigating the highest highs of escapist pop and the lowest lows of existential weight.

The Interdimensional Extraterrestrial Time Travelers Society:

1. Animal
2. TV Dinner
3. Bontempi Pop 3
4. Ruler of Nothing
5. The Sound of LUM
6. Antarctica
7. A Violent Power
8. Universal Call Center Operator
9. Over the Ocean
10. Blue Velvet Moonlight
11. In the Shadows
12. Insomnia

The post Danz CM announces new album The Interdimensional Extraterrestrial Time Travelers Society; shares ‘Animal’ / ‘The Captain’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Alongside the announcement, Stark shares the album’s first single, ‘Colorado,’ accompanied by its official video.

Written during three snow-covered weeks in Aspen, Colorado, MUSE was created alongside close friends and collaborators in an environment that gave Stark the space to write without knowing where she was going. Removed from the noise and surrounded by the stillness of the mountains, she found herself accessing a new kind of emotional clarity.

The resulting record introduces a familiar sonic language for Stark, quite like some of Stark’s earlier releases. While the darkness and cinematic instinct that have long defined her work remain, MUSE strips things back and opens them up. The production is rawer and more spacious, the vocals more exposed, and the songwriting more direct, bringing elements of melancholic Americana, bruised rock and unvarnished singer-songwriter intimacy into her world.

Her new single ‘Colorado’ serves as the first vulnerable introduction to that evolution, setting the emotional tone for the album to come. The song carries the same purity and openness as its landscape. Simple, melancholic guitars sit beneath a dry, intimate vocal, while the production remains deliberately minimal, leaving much of Stark’s original vocal untouched.

Stark describes Colorado as “the womb of the mountains”, both a physical place and a feeling that ultimately became the foundation for MUSE.

There is an unguarded intimacy to ‘Colorado,’ its restraint allowing every fracture in Stark’s voice and every detail of the songwriting to remain exposed. The accompanying video extends that world visually, capturing the sense of isolation, romance, stillness and emotional suspension that runs through the song and the wider album.

Across MUSE, Stark embraces a kind of daring emotional free fall, something she credits to the freedom she found while creating the record in Colorado. Allowing her femininity to lead.

MUSE:

1. beautiful goodbye
2. chaos
3. colorado
4. the raven
5. she is a flower
6. hollywoods afraid of love
7. muse
8. sugar crash
9. when I knew I should go
10. loves not dead
11. rip
12. age of being honest
13. sundays call

The post Jesse Jo Stark announces forthcoming album MUSE alongside new single/video ‘Colorado’ appeared first on She Makes Music.

Ria del Mouro

Portuguese and São Toméan singer-songwriter, author and visual artist Ria del Mouro creates what she calls “Mermaid Pop”, combining pop with sounds inspired by the sea, water and nature. Based in Munich, her work moves between dark, seductive melodies and wider explorations of femininity, stigma and social expectations.

At the centre of Ria’s artistic world is the siren, which she uses as a symbol for women who have been misunderstood and vilified. Latest release ‘Mermaid Arcadia’ turns that idea towards embracing the parts of ourselves that might be considered whimsical or unconventional. Rather than treating difference as a weakness, the track celebrates finding strength within it – and the realisation that there are plenty of others swimming outside the mainstream alongside you.

Vanessa Moussa

Sydney-based vocalist, songwriter and vocal producer Vanessa Moussa blends indie folk with alternative blues influences. After years spent co-writing, producing and performing alongside other artists, her solo project gives Vanessa the opportunity to place her own voice, stories and musical influences firmly at the centre.

Taken from her self-titled EP, focus track ‘Come to Be’ captures the unexpected experience of finding love when you weren’t searching for it. Rather than questioning something simply because it wasn’t part of the plan, the song is about trusting the feeling when somebody unexpectedly fits into your life – that moment of realising you never went looking for them, but you’re very glad they arrived.

Vanessa Tottle

Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland electronic artist Vanessa Tottle creates dense, atmospheric music where industrial grit, trip-hop grooves and darkwave textures meet. Working with loop-driven instrumentation, heavy bass and evocative vocals, she builds immersive soundscapes rooted firmly in shadow and low frequencies.

‘Invisible Rose’ combines moody darkwave synths with downtempo trip-hop, but some of its most distinctive textures come from outside the studio. Vanessa incorporates field recordings captured at a Wellington hotel bar, including background conversation and the sounds of a cocktail being prepared. Woven into the track’s basslines and vocal layers, these everyday noises become part of its late-night atmosphere, grounding its electronic world within the sounds of a real place.

Eliane Nora

German singer-songwriter Eliane Nora creates music from her home in Lapland, Finland, combining indie pop with medieval and baroque-inspired elements. With electric ukulele at the forefront and cello also appearing throughout her recordings, her music looks towards the past while finding ways to move forward.

‘Horizon’ was written during a period of uncertainty, when Eliane found herself caught between countries and existing within an almost dreamlike state. The song captures the fear that can accompany stepping into the unknown, alongside the decision to move forward despite it. Bittersweet but ultimately hopeful, ‘Horizon’ is about recognising that certainty isn’t always necessary before choosing to take the next step.

Imy Ellis

Independent pop artist Imy Ellis creates atmospheric songs shaped by relationships, film, television and the contrasting seasons of her East Coast upbringing. Her music draws on dark, dreary winters and fleeting bursts of summer, bringing those different moods into colourful and emotionally driven pop.

Second single ‘Clementine’ explores the familiar “manic pixie dream girl” trope and what happens when a real person becomes somebody else’s idealised romantic fantasy. Turning her attention towards the consequences of placing a partner on a pedestal, Imy looks beyond the appealing image to consider what happens when expectation and reality inevitably begin to separate.

Noam

London-based singer-songwriter Noam creates dreamy indie shaped by a life lived between cultures, weaving instruments including oud, kemence and darbuka into a contemporary sound that feels both nostalgic and rooted in the present.

‘Kiss from the Sun’ was written as the end of Noam’s visa approached, bringing uncertainty to the life and relationships she had built around her. Blending oud and 12-string guitar into a hazy summer atmosphere, the track reflects on the strange feeling of knowing something meaningful might not remain yours forever. Rather than allowing that uncertainty to consume the present, the song became a reminder to stop counting how much time might be left and experience it fully while it’s still there.

sadspacelord

Georgian independent singer-songwriter sadspacelord creates English-language alternative pop and indie rock with cinematic influences. Working entirely independently from a small studio in Georgia, she writes and develops the project herself, building the musical path she wants to pursue without a label, manager or team behind her.

Latest single ‘Plastic Star’ turns its attention towards artificial perfection and our attachment to carefully constructed illusions. Reflecting on appearances and consumer culture, the track considers what happens when something polished and seemingly flawless becomes an object of admiration despite having little substance underneath. It’s a song about looking beyond the perfectly manufactured surface and questioning what we’re actually being encouraged to value.

Caras Collateral

Caras Collateral began as a side project for members of touring hardcore band Set The Bar Low, giving them an opportunity to move in an entirely different creative direction. Drawing from bands including The Breeders, Cocteau Twins and Veruca Salt alongside contemporary influences, their sound brings together shoegaze, pop and grunge.

First new single in over a year, ‘solder’ marks a step forward for the band while exploring the unsettling feeling of being unable to trust your own nervous system. Vocalist Zoe Pankratz describes doing everything you’re supposedly meant to do yet still finding yourself unable to function properly. Against that vulnerability, the band build ear-catching riffs, hazy textures and a singalong chorus, establishing a clearer direction for where Caras Collateral are heading next.

EMI

Sarajevo independent artist and classically trained pianist EMI creates alternative pop that combines organic instrumentation with modern electronic production. Taking a hands-on approach to writing and producing, her music occupies the space between intimate songwriting and expansive, cinematic soundscapes.

‘U Don’t Know’ explores the quieter frustration of feeling unseen by somebody within a relationship. Rather than approaching that disconnect through grand confrontation, EMI wraps the emotion in dreamy synths, organic textures and an intimate vocal performance, capturing the loneliness that can exist when somebody is physically close to you but doesn’t seem to truly understand what’s happening beneath the surface.

Asteria Queen

Independent artist Asteria Queen begins her musical journey with debut single ‘A Quiet Voice’, creating songs from personal experiences and emotions in the hope that listeners might recognise something of themselves within them.

‘A Quiet Voice’ centres on those moments when you feel unheard or overlooked but something inside you continues quietly insisting that you shouldn’t give up. Turning that internal encouragement into music, Asteria explores finding strength without pretending difficult feelings aren’t there. At its heart, the track is about connection: taking something deeply personal and sharing it in the hope that somebody experiencing the same emotions might feel a little less alone.

Check out more of our recent submissions via the playlist below!

The post Submission Spotlight appeared first on She Makes Music.