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!

The post Submission Spotlight appeared first on She Makes Music.

ssolana
Ssolana is a 20-year-old queer singer-songwriter and producer from North London who creates haunting, dream-like songs with contrastingly low and high vocals. Her lyrics are full of metaphors to mask the more eerie and serious themes often seen throughout her work. Aside from music, she is a social media influencer who first started gaining popularity for her outspoken approach when it comes to politics and social and economic inequalities, her openness about her struggle with mental health and her fae-inspired style; all of these traits can be heard in her music. Her alternative, dream-pop aesthetic goes deeper than her music as she deems the visual art for her songs as equally important to her storytelling. Her latest track ‘from the grave’ has a spooky, sinister feel as she expresses the aftermath of her self-isolation due to issues with her mental health and ADHD. The song follows her as she attempts to emerge back into the world, however, things feel different now, she feels different. Listen below.

Rhiannon Leonard
Rhiannon Leonard is a singer-songwriter from the West Midlands. Last year she released an emo/pop-punk album, a kind of love-letter to the early 00s music she loved so much. Her new EP however is balls-to-the-wall pop; 5 songs influenced by some of her favourite female pop-stars. “I’ve gigged acoustic for years (and continue to do so), but decided to go full pop production when I returned to the studio this year” she explains. Stand out track ‘Ex-Lovers Mixtape’ came from a conversation with a horrible ex, that Rhiannon basically turned into a petty song reflecting on previous relationships, then named the EP after it. “I’ve often jokingly referred to myself as the Black Country Taylor Swift – if you get involved with me, you get a song written about you. This EP was another fun way for me to push the trope.” Listen below.

Vero Noah
In a nordic pop universe, infused with soul, Gospel, and electronica, you’ll find Vero Noah. At a young age, she found comfort in music as safe haven. From a small southern town in Norway, she started her musical journey with her own music. Despite her young age, she has a lot of experience being a songwriter for other artists and as a touring performer. The long-anticipated debut of Vero Noah is here, with the third single from her upcoming EP. She pulls you in with her velvet-mellow vocals with honest lyrics inspired by her own life with the hope that her music will help others the way it helped her. ‘Swing Your Bat’ is an uplifting soul jam with an inspirational message about being aware of where you go when you need comfort. If you’re a fan of artist like Tori Kelly, Allen Stone and Alessia Cara, we’ll definitely think you’ll vibe to this new track by Vero Noah. Listen below.

AMY.D
From the age of 12 years old AMY.D had started to create tracks in her bedroom using only her laptop, microphone and mini keyboard. From 2019 she has been in the studio making tracks with Cassius Clifford (CC On The Beat) where she has developed and grown to find her own unique sound which is a mixture of acoustic and alternative/electronic pop. AMY.D is an advocate for positivity and growth, with the objective to connect with and help the community’s that are close to her like the LGBTQ+ , POC, the adolescents, people suffering from mental health and anyone who feels outcasted or unseen. Listen to her new single ‘I Wish’ below.

Shallise
‘Natures Best’ is the first single off Shallise’s extended project T.R.I.A.L.S DELUXE. It features London guitarist Otta Bayley who Shallise has worked with previously on her track ‘The Way’ (also featured on T.R.I.A.L.S EP and Deluxe). Shallise uses the power of similes to describe a toxic and destructive relationship. She describes the desperation to walk away but finds it has too much of a strong hold on her. ‘Natures Best’ was written and sung by Shallise, produced by London based GLSUoA, mixed by sound Engineer MixedbyHarlequin along with assistant engineers SANA.J and Leonard Ramershoven and mastered by Joshua Diamond. Along with a featured guitar solo played and written by Otta Bayley. Listen below.

Holly Clausius
Holly Clausius is a queer Toronto artist blazing a trail of her own. Her soulful songwriting emulates the ballads of Feist, the honesty of Amy Winehouse and raw onstage talent of Alanis Morissette. Blending the genres of pop, rock, soul and folk – there is a flavor for everyone in Clausius’ music. Holly released her debut acoustic EP Sunflower in 2020, rock-pop LP Rose Garden in 2021 and has been working hard on a new project, forget-you-not focusing on different sounds like pianos/synths, live drums and horns. Some of the biggest inspirations behind these songs include Vulfpeck, Maggie Rogers, Taylor Swift and Julia Jacklin. This EP is a reflection on past relationships and the choice between growth and holding on to pain. Throughout the journey we go from long-distance betrayal to the heartbreaking decision to let someone go. “Flora – the periwinkle haired character is who I share this story through and is a symbol of love and forgiveness” explains Holly. “Being a queer artist, I chose to create a character that not only accepts you for your tough decisions but who also relates to feeling different and outcasted. My producer Alex Purcell and I worked tirelessly on this for 6 months and recorded vocals from my home studio, something we perfected during the pandemic. We play with synths and 80’s inspired sounds on the lead single ‘forget-you-not’ – a song that reflects on my earlier relationships with family, friends and the people who bullied me throughout my teenage years. Listen below.

Kate Fear
Kate Fear’s debut single, double A-side ‘Sylvia’ and ‘The Beat Goes On,’ is out now. A slice of post-punk indie disco, ‘Sylvia’ is driven by razor-sharp snares, bouncing bass and hook-laden synths. Lyrically, the song is about how the world treats female artists. Kate says “When a woman is a troubled genius, the world focuses on the troubled, not the genius.” Written and recorded by Kate throughout 2020 and 2021 at her home studio, with vocals recorded at Hove’s Church Road Studios, Kate’s music takes influence from Talking Heads, Blondie, Pulp, Erasure, Pins, Stereolab and Kraftwerk. Kate says: “I want to make music that means something but that will make you dance round your living room as well. These songs give you the option to engage with the lyrics or just do your thing to four-to-the-floor rhythms with snappy snare and funky bass.” Listen to ‘Sylvia’ below.

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

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.