Cosvar

Romanian trans artist, producer and singer Cosvar creates dark, alternative electronic music where spirituality, embodiment and queerness intersect. Balancing introspection with movement, their work explores identity, presence and transformation while creating something that can be experienced both emotionally and physically.

‘Stripper’ is the focus track from new album Exuvia, a project rooted in that same relationship between inner reflection and outward expression. With a simple message at its heart – “love yourself” – the track embodies Cosvar’s interest in self-awareness and acceptance while retaining the danceable energy running throughout their music.

Strawberry Punch

Winnipeg all-femme queer band Strawberry Punch blend the sweetness of ’60s girl-group pop with ’90s indie rock and riot grrrl garage punk. The four-piece rotate instruments during their live shows, bringing together shimmering guitars, four-part harmonies, raw energy and an ear for memorable pop hooks.

Closing their self-titled debut album, ‘Bathsheba’ begins in the territory of unrequited love and obsession before building towards an eruption of female rage. Drawing parallels with the biblical figure Bathsheba, the song considers the ways lust and desire have historically been used to villainise women, turning a haunting album finale into an exploration of blame, obsession and femininity.

Isla Mae

Based between Leeds and Cambridge, singer-songwriter Isla Mae moves freely between pop, indie, folk and jazz, using songwriting to transform both personal reflections and everyday observations into stories. Her latest work continues that genre-fluid approach while returning to the fictional storytelling she explored on her first EP.

Self-recorded and produced by Isla, ‘Round and Round’ observes the kind of relationship where two people seem unable to stop finding their way back to each other. Blending pop with folk, jazz, soul and R&B influences, the track looks at the repetitive pull between a couple whose story never quite seems to reach its ending.

Facelift

Sydney pop-punk band Facelift grew from vocalist and songwriter Sarah Bonnet’s desire to recapture the community she remembered from the city’s pre-COVID scene – house shows, record-store gigs and friends simply getting together to play energetic music. Joined by Marty Cornford, Tahlia McLennan and Joshua Mackay, Facelift bring that DIY spirit into everything they create.

Debut single ‘Ceiling Fan’ explores feeling trapped while everyone around you appears to be moving forward. Sarah began writing the song during an earlier period of stagnation, only to find its meaning resurfacing years later as her long-term band ended and other parts of her life shifted. Forming Facelift and finally releasing the song became her own first step towards moving on.

Shy Blossom

Southwest Florida indie alternative band Shy Blossom blend rock, folk and pop into atmospheric music made for self-described deep feelers, overthinkers and hopeless romantics. Fronted by singer Adriana McDonald alongside bassist Nicole Alberti and drummer Julie Copithorn, the band centre emotionally raw songwriting within a cinematic alt-rock sound.

Written during the isolation of COVID, ‘Eternity’ was the first song Adriana ever wrote on guitar and eventually became the foundation of Shy Blossom itself. Exploring loneliness, reflection and the search for connection through atmospheric instrumentation and vulnerable vocals, the track now introduces the band’s next musical chapter – and marks the first Shy Blossom song created with a producer.

Ragnara

British-based cinematic pop artist and songwriter Ragnara blends contemporary production with orchestral textures and subtle folk influences. Her songwriting explores the ways people process emotion through memory, symbolism and the stories they construct around themselves.

Dark-pop single ‘Afterlife’ began with its opening synth before developing into a cinematic exploration of desire, illusion and the unknown. Its protagonist enters a world that resembles a film set, where everything feels staged, while questioning whether she has found the afterlife she imagined or something altogether darker. Rather than offering an answer, the track sits within the uncertainty between surrender and self-preservation, questioning whether what we desire is always what we actually need.

Amy Aytchi

Glasgow independent artist Amy Aytchi builds her forthcoming album around an ambitious narrative: an overwhelmed young woman runs into a storm, is struck by lightning and develops a mysterious illness called cyclosis, forcing her to revisit buried trauma as she gradually transforms into a tornado that unleashes itself upon her town’s wrongdoers.

‘Young Girl’ explores the difficult transition from childhood into womanhood and the realisation that, despite remaining fundamentally the same person, others begin to perceive you differently. Inspired by Amy’s childhood relationship with her great-grandfather – when gender roles felt largely absent from their time together – the track reflects on growing older, changing expectations and the eventual distance that developed between them.

Nordly

Swedish/Danish duo Nordly turn towards their most personal story on latest single ‘LEO’, written directly to their son Leonel. The track captures the collision between intense anxiety and overwhelming love that accompanied their journey towards becoming parents.

After receiving confusing and unclear information from healthcare professionals during pregnancy, the couple found themselves navigating a period filled with uncertainty and worry. Those emotions fed directly into ‘LEO’, alongside the profound connection they already felt with their unborn son. Rather than smoothing over the difficult parts of the experience, the track holds fear and love alongside one another, ultimately celebrating the strength and life that emerged from such an uncertain time.

Claudia Tripp

Originally from Kalgoorlie and now based in Perth, singer-songwriter Claudia Tripp brings contemporary pop production together with country storytelling. Having begun writing songs as a child, she continues to centre emotionally recognisable experiences within her country-pop sound.

‘High Stakes’ explores the gamble involved in opening yourself up to love when you know exactly how much it could hurt if everything falls apart. The central lyric – “loving you is high stakes” – came to Claudia during her early days in Nashville and became the starting point for a song about vulnerability, excitement and deciding that some emotional risks are still worth taking.

daschan

London-based artist, songwriter and producer daschan creates ethereal alternative pop built around atmospheric production, layered vocals and introspective storytelling. Her work explores presence, memory, heartbreak and the ways our minds can become caught between what has already happened and what might happen next.

Written in Kazakhstan while daschan was ending a relationship, ‘time’ initially felt like a message of strength intended for somebody else. Looking back, she realised she had written the reminder for herself. Inspired by ideas around living in the present, the track reflects on the tendency to become lost in past pain or future anxieties while overlooking the beauty that exists now, turning heartbreak into a meditation on gratitude, presence and emotional renewal.

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

The post Submission Spotlight appeared first on She Makes Music.

Claire Marante
Claire Marante is a singer and songwriter based in Malta. Her music tends to be about her personal experiences and any events that stir up strong emotions in her. Themes include struggles with identity, motherhood, relationships, social issues including corruption, and human alienation from nature. She is an introvert and her songs tend to be introspective and self-analytical. ‘You Want Me’ is the first single from an EP which she plans to release in September. It is a song about sexual violence and abuse which was inspired by the Elvis Costello song ‘I Want You’ and the movie of the same name by Michael Winterbottom. Listen below.

mayday mae
mayday mae is about honoring what’s inspired and raised her: the queer artists who came before her, whether it be through music, film, etc.. For her growing up, there were few pockets of sapphic representation, even fewer as a person of color. Overall, her music and new project seeks to close that representation gap for herself and others, by being her “silly little lesbian self” and being direct through her lyrics. Her EP MPDHR is a collection of life experiences, told through the lens of a love letter to queer pop culture. ‘Ms. desert hearts’ is about taking off the rose tinted glasses and seeing that your perfect, first sapphic relationship wasn’t so perfect after all. The name “desert hearts” is a reference to the 1985 film Desert Hearts, a story about a college professor moving to Reno, Nevada for 6 weeks to establish residency for her divorce, while simultaneously falling in love with the daughter of her host family. “This film was the favorite of someone in a previous chapter of my life, and I actually wrote ‘ms. desert hearts’ before I had seen the film itself. So in a way, it’s about my perception of what I thought the film was and what I thought the relationship could be before it fell flat on its face,” she explains. “The writing of this song played a huge part on my moving-on process and overall, it’s about leaving behind the last chapter of your life and looking toward the vast and unknown future before you.” Listen below.

Bessy Ewa
Born and raised in London by a Nigeria father and Ukrainian mother, Bessy Ewa always felt at home by her piano. Every heartbreak, every win, every lonely moment that Bessy has experienced comes with lyrics and a melody sung over unexpected chords. Bessy is an actress who can often be found hiding behind characters on stage. But this is her, you feel her through her music. New single ‘Dream’ is cinematic and dramatic. Think Bond film but a little bit jazzier. It’s the perfect song to shed a tear to whilst pretending you’re in a film. “Stylistically I would say it’s similar to Adele or Lana Del Rey, or both if they had a baby,” she explains. “Like many aspiring musicians I spent my youth and teenage years fantasying about my discovery. Every diary entry of mine predicted my rise to fame. Britains’s got Talent? Applied, auditioned, rejected. The Voice? Applied, auditioned, rejected. It started to become clear to me that my romanticised idea of discovery wasn’t happening but my desire to pursue my dream very much remained. So here I am! 25 with matters well and truly in my own hands. ‘Dream’ isn’t a grab for attention or an attempt at fame, my prefrontal cortex has developed and I’m over that! I’ve been writing songs for years and ‘Dream’ is such a good example of the vulnerability I express when I write and I’m ready to let people in.” Listen below.

Amanda
Amanda is a 23-year-old pop artist hailing from the beautiful country of Finland. Currently, she is pursuing her studies in the vibrant city of London, which has greatly influenced her musical journey. She has just embarked on her music career, diving headfirst into the dynamic world of pop music. Her sound is a unique blend of her Finnish roots and the eclectic vibes of London, aiming to create melodies that resonate with a wide audience. She sing the songs and her friends Nick and Tim are in charge of the production. The song ‘Dancing Through The Night’ was inspired by Finnish artist Mirella. “I wanted a similiar vibe that she has in her songs to it and I think it was almost as good :D” she says. Listen below.

The Delve
The Delve, an emerging artist, composer, and producer, introduces herself to the music industry with her debut single, ‘Disclosure.’ This captivating track blends pop-forward elements, sultry vocals, and a fusion of trip-hop and R&B influences, featuring powerful bass, a commanding aura, and scattered reversed percussion that exude a message of self-confidence, assertiveness, and individuality. Exploring her emotions and forging a direct connection through her music, The Delve reveals the personal significance behind her moniker. “Delve” is more than a name; it’s a conduit for her innermost thoughts and desires, born from a time of introspection and growth. Her unwavering dedication to her artistic expression shines through in this inaugural release. Inspired by diverse musical luminaries, including Nina Simone, Yves Tumor, FKA Twigs, Beyoncé, and SOPHIE, The Delve’s journey has been one of challenges and triumphs. From struggles finding her musical DNA through unfruitful collaborations with producers to her self-taught expertise in Ableton, her unique approach utilizes her rich vocals as instrumental elements, focusing on bass and a blend of hard and soft sounds. With ‘Disclosure,’ she is establishing a position that effortlessly highlights her versatile abilities. Listeners can anticipate an enchanting realm where seductive bass intertwines with The Delve’s warm, lush tone and opens with a siren call that moves you to listen. She is the “code” for the object of her affection, boldly asserting her name and inviting you into her world. Listen below.

Elly Kace
Elly Kace, baroque pop indie artist, acclaimed and internationally renowned opera singer and sound healer, is thrilled to share details of her forthcoming self-produced EP if i ask enough could you love me, which is due for release on December 1. The EP explores recovering from perfectionism and self reclamation in the classical music industry and employs an impressive collection of classically trained talent. Inspired by Chopin’s prelude in e minor, ‘Prelude (I did my best)’ out now, jumps head first into a hypnotic auditory swirl, led by the siren of Kace’s voice, complimented by a virtuosic and urgent violin solo by Darian Donovan Thomas and layers of frenzied guitars by Jack Broza, angelic synth and piano flourishes (Kace), experimental and conversational upright bass by Isaac Levien, cymbal flourishes and epic drumming via Aaron Edgcomb all sitting nicely on top of sound healing frequencies. Kace’s lyrics, sung over layers of her own voice and an epic, wild backing track, are yearning and full: “Can’t put breath in my ribs now / a house of cards in my heart / how artless to think you could love me / even so / I did my best.” Speaking on the song’s origins and meaning, Elly Kace recalls “’Prelude (I did my best)’ is a composition about recognizing perfectionism from a space of self forgiveness. It’s also an attempt to rebalance the divine feminine and masculine, inspired by Chopin’s prelude in e minor. Achieving excellence as a substitute for my own inherent worth was a big accidental part of my classical training I work hard daily to release. I did my best. I do my best. Sometimes it seems never enough. I still struggle to believe in enoughness due to my mind’s attachment to the messaging I’ve always received in my training – that I am not good enough yet” She continues, “I wanted the music to swirl and bend in a more flexible, feminine way, resisting the structure of the steady eighth notes that permeate the space. You will hear blooms of sound throughout the song that reach away from the predictable. Despite all this, the song has a very rhythmic feel to it, and ironically, the more freedom each musician added to the pot, the more structure the piece needed. At the end I just allowed it to completely turn to noise – it felt like all the musicians involved just needed to let it out. Me included.” Listen below.

Stilla
Meet Stilla, the emerging Naarm/Melbourne pop princess whose sonic world is made up of relatable, cheeky lyrics and funky-pop anthems. Through her luminous soprano vocals and edgy production, you may get a taste of her influences, Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa. However, Stilla’s music speaks for itself in its uniqueness, with her triple threat arsenal of vocals, songwriting and production, she brings a fresh perspective to the Australian pop scene and beyond. ‘UNDER THE WEATHER’ is a deep dive into a relationship that is plagued with toxicity and an abundance of emotional turbulence. Throughout the track, Stilla touches on the moment in a relationship when you’re past the point of romanticising and start feeling frustration and resentment, detaching from a partner whose erratic behaviour aims to make you as miserable as they are. The feeling of being “under the weather” in this context relates not just to physical health, but to the emotional rollercoaster and negative emotions in the relationship, symbolising the desire to escape its cloudy atmosphere. “I really wanted to capture that moment where you quit putting up with someone’s BS, and start focusing on you and your happiness and freedom to be your best self,” she explains. Listen below.

Isla Mae
Isla Mae is a teenage singer songwriter from South Cambridgeshire. Her latest single is called ‘A letter to the Moon’. “I wrote this song a year ago, at the age of 16, during a period of significant change,” says Isla Mae. “It’s the most personal and exposing song I’ve ever written but it helped me to process a very specific part of my anxiety so I encourage listeners to seek their own personal meaning, comfort and/or identity in the lyrics.” Back in March, she entered it into Song Academy’s Young Songwriter Competition 2024 and learnt recently that the judges (including Naughty Boy, Cathy Dennis and Plested) have selected it as a Top 10 finalist in the UK/Ireland age 16 – 18 category. The winner will be announced in September at a live Showcase event in London. ‘A letter to the Moon’ is the first and only single from her second EP Halfway to the Sun which is a fully self written, recorded and produced six song EP out now. Listen below.

Augustina
Augustina is a lithuanian singer/performer, based in Boston, MA. She started her music education at the age of 4, which led her to the Netherlands, where she released her first album Terapia. Right after that she got an opportunity to study at the Berklee College of Music with a full scholarship combined from the college and a competition that she won. Being in the USA inspired Augustina to release a second album Déjà Vu. Augustina’s music is a combination of neo soul, rnb and jazz music styles. She is passionate about performing, composing and connecting with her audiences. ‘Heart Calls’, from the album, is about following your inner voice, letting your heart lead your way. “Follow where the wind blows, listen when your heart calls”. Listen below.

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

The post appeared first on She Makes Music.