Miranda’s ethereal, mesmerising vocal floats above it all, while increasingly prominent layers of backing vocals gather towards the track’s conclusion. There’s an underlying tension running through the arrangement and just enough sensuality to complement its situationship subject without overwhelming the longing and frustration beneath. The accompanying visualiser keeps things suitably intimate, showing Miranda lying alone in bed in the dark as she lip syncs the lyrics. It’s simple but incredibly fitting, capturing that late-night headspace where there is nothing to distract you from everything you’re trying not to feel.

Miranda explains that the song followed “a few back to back casual dating situations”, admitting that she would convince herself she was happy keeping things casual so the other person would continue coming back: “Usually, I was lying to myself and them.” That contradiction sits comfortably within the darker sonic world of ‘Favourite Friend’, making this first glimpse of The Bar Is In Hell an intriguing indication of where Miranda is heading next.

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Speaking on ‘Been Here Before’, Miranda says “‘Been Here Before’ is a song about the downside of situationships and dating without labels. What happens when you get attached and want more? I think it’s driving us all a bit crazy.

“When I wrote it, I was reckoning with myself from inside a situation that was hurting me. Part of me knew that the person I was ‘dating’ would never choose me, but other parts of me still hoped that he would, and it kept me waiting around. I don’t decide to walk away from him in the song. Of course, that would have been the right thing to do. But the song isn’t about doing the right thing or helping yourself, it’s about being stuck.

“’Been Here Before’ was produced by Cian Sweeney. It’s a two-track release with our last single, ‘Patience’, which I released in June 2025. Both songs start stripped and folky, and build to cinematic folk-pop soundscapes. I love capturing the drama of my songs in that way, pushing the vocal layers as far as I can.”

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Speaking on ‘Patience’ Miranda says “at its core, ‘Patience’ is a song about the downside of ‘living for the plot’. It’s about chasing immediate, exciting experiences, rather than figuring out what you really need and pursuing that. The latter is often slow work without immediate reward, requiring patience. I wrote it in a blur one evening in July. I found myself in a messy romantic situation identical to one I’d been in a month before, both of my own making, and I was really angry with myself. I was questioning why I act this way, and that’s where the song came from.

“‘Patience’ was produced by Cian Sweeney. We started working on ‘Patience’ shortly after I wrote it, and I think the raw emotion behind it was captured. Cian produced my debut EP Rise & Run, which was a mix of folk, alt pop, and rnb influences. With ‘Patience,’ we went for a cinematic folk-pop production, building a swirling soundscape around dark, slow piano melodies, delicate layers of acoustic guitar, and stacked vocal layers. I’m proud of this one. I feel exposed by it. I’m very excited to share it.”

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Speaking on Holding Me Back, Miranda says “‘Holding Me Back’ is a song about overwhelming, suffocating love. It’s about meaning too much to someone, to the point that you can’t give them what they expect of you. They’re also blurring your mind, so you can’t see the situation clearly. You know that they’re hurting you, but you can’t break free; you can’t unwind yourself from them.

“Most of its lyrics came from a poem I wrote a few years ago about family. I used it to write ‘Holding Me Back’ about love last year. I was playing around with chords and wrote a sad little waltz, and the song came from there. It was produced by Willem van Dijk, a friend and producer from The Hague. It’s our first release together. We started stripped and folky, and built to an upbeat, alt pop vibe. Listening to it now, it feels fun but sad – the lyrics came from the heart and it hurts me a little to hear them, but in a cathartic way. I like to do that with my songs; to make them bright and sparkly, but try to catch listeners off guard with darker lyrics they can connect to.”

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Speaking on ‘You Would Have Let Me Down’, Miranda says: “‘You Would Have Let Me Down’ is a song about ending a relationship in the early stages before someone can hurt you. Your rationale for doing so is vague. You think you’ve seen some red flags in their behavior, and you feel vulnerable to being hurt by them, you want to protect yourself. But you also wonder if you’re leaving too early, running from imagined problems, because you’ve let someone get close and it scares you. Still, you’ve chosen to leave, and you’re facing the consequences of that. It’s addressed to the person you’re leaving, as an explanation and an apology of sorts.

“I wrote it in May when I was right in the middle of deciding to leave a romantic situation. I hadn’t figured out what I thought or wanted yet, so it came from a confused and vulnerable place. I recorded it shortly after and didn’t rewrite any lyrics with more clarity or perspective, and I think that that has given it a truthful temperance. It was produced by Cian Sweeney. At a peak, there are 23 layers of harmony on the track; I wanted to build a warm, swirling vocal wall. Cian then filled the track with dark, atmospheric layers of piano, acoustic guitar, synth, strings, & percussion, building from a stripped intro to a dramatic peak. We tried to convey the emotional drama of that moment of leaving someone.”

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“I wrote it for myself and for my friends who I saw struggling,” explains Miranda. “I wanted to set their suffering within the bigger context of a fast-paced, rapidly changing world, where community and continuity are fading. Ultimately, ‘Renegade’ is uplifting, promising that the way home is always within your reach if you look within.

“I arranged ‘Renegade’ to create a crescendo of atmosphere. I started with bare guitar and vocals, and added layers of bass, piano and backing vocals. It was recorded and mixed by Michael Richards and Rossa Healy and mastered by Michael Richards. I wrote, arranged and performed all parts.”

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Hayley Siano
New York based singer-songwriter Hayley Siano (she/they) wants to be real and honest. Whether she’s taking ugly feelings and making them beautifully palatable or mixing genres to get to the root of the song, Hayley creates music that holds up a mirror to their trauma and reflects vulnerability and strength. Their sound is marked by lush harmonies, fierce belting and candid lyrics that express her experiences as a queer person figuring out life and hoping to give joy to some people along the way. Her lyrics weave stories about failed love, queer love and navigating your twenties, all with sincere vulnerability at the heart of her piercing voice and powerful belt. They take their childhood influences (the absolutely iconic fab five pop icons Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton and Kelly Clarkson) and meld them together with the influences of their teenage years/young adulthood (Yebba, Regina Spektor, Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlile, The Chicks, Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, Indigo Girls, Sufjan Stevens, among others), and make shimmering, dynamic, multi instrumental and vocally powerful indie-folk pop songs that’ll make you want to dance, smile, and feel. She has just released her new single ‘Get To Know Her’. Here is what she had to say on the offering: “I wrote this song about rough breakups, particularly the queer experience of melding your life together with another femme person and the specific type of attachment that closeness holds. I wanted to write from the perspective of how hard it is to end something even when you know it’s toxic, and how there is light on the other side that can help you get through the pain – the scary but exciting prospect of getting to intimately know the person you were before all over again. The song was produced by Devin Lewis.” Listen below.

Nausicaa
Nausicaa (naw-sik-uh) are an Alternative Rock duo from Melbourne who create Night Music. The duo have released their first single ‘Night Vision’. ‘Night Vision’ is about losing yourself at night to dreaming, another person, a place, love, an idea, anything. Its haunting melodies are inspired by Cocteau Twins, while its slow burn is influenced by Spiritualized. Why Night Music? Kristen and Dave both have a strong sense of the “joy of the blues” – preferring melancholic and haunting music that explores the dark, but lifts you up at the same time. “The night is an endless source of inspiration and symbols: stars, moon, the unknown, the gothic; as well as dreams, rest, and comfort,” they say. Listen to ‘Night Vision’ below.

Miranda Faul
Miranda Faul is a twenty-two year old singer-songwriter based in Dublin. Her music blends genres, incorporating elements of folk, blues, soul, indie pop and rock. She has just released her second single, an end-of-year Blues song called ‘Can’t Get No Break From The Blues’. “The backbone of the song is a guitar riff which I wrote in minor blues, drawing influence stylistically from Lindsey Buckingham and Hozier,” explains Miranda. “I wrote the lyrics with the trauma of the last two years and the fundamental shift this has caused in our collective psyche in mind, but it is open to interpretation.” Listen below.

Rachel Kerry
Rachel Kerry is a Manchester based pop artist. A single day in Strongroom Studios is all it took for Rachel and the band Cosmorat to pen the Arlo Parks meets Charli XCX lovechild of a song. ‘Birthday Suit Barbie’. Cosmorat brought the central lyric, and the idea of an inanimate, naked Barbie doll was immediately familiar to Rachel. “You played with me and abused me. You even threw your toys out of the pram when I hinted at the idea of revenge. It begs the question; would your mum be proud?” Listen below.

Alisha Michelle
Alisha Michelle is a rising, innovative dark/alt pop artist based in London. She started songwriting and fell in love with music at a very early stage in her life. Alisha’s fans gravitate towards her authenticity and her candid lyrics. She takes inspiration from her life’s experience in hopes of connecting and resonating with her audience. New single ‘Worst’ is a dark pop anthem that speaks about the mentally draining aspects of a toxic relationship weather it is in the form of romantic relationships, friendships or even the way we treat ourselves. “I wrote ‘Worst’ based on the way a family member was treating me as they constantly belittled me and my goals,” explains Alisha. “The repetitive line “you bring out the worst in me” expresses how i was changing my personality to become someone I’m not just to please them and the idea of me they had in their head. The song serves as a reminder to everyone that listens : to cut toxic people out of their lives as they deserve so much better.” Listen below.

Caitlin Lavagna
Born in the Rhondda with strong Gibraltarian roots, Caitlin has developed a huge passion for percussion. With a strong, rich vocal and a knack for instant pop hooks, Caitlin blends honest songwriting with an exciting rhythmic core. Caitlin cites her influences from a wide range of Indie rock/pop and reggae artists beginning with bands like Sting and Fleetwood Mac all the way up to Florence, Pink and Adele. Her latest single ‘Night Bus’ is out now. “‘Night Bus’ is about being a young creative in a big city with life getting in the way of that creativity. Working 40 hours a week, burning money on everything apart from your career, going around in circles and seeing the worst of a city you thought would give you your big break,” explains Caitlin. “As a young Welsh Actor Musician, I experienced this recently when deciding to finally leave London and move home to the Rhondda. It was a difficult time, because after all, everyone says you won’t be successful unless you’re in the City. That was not my experience at all. I was so tired. When I did have time, I would be burnt out from work or supporting other musician and actor friends in shows and gigs I couldn’t really afford to go to. I hope people can relate to this track and that it provides them some comfort and escape. It is both angry and triumphant with a catchy melody and beat!” Listen below.

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

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GIGSY
GIGSY is an independent electronic rock/pop musician who blends the classic dark synth sound of the 80s, the brash female vocals of the 90s and the rise of electronica pop from modern day. Writing, recording and producing all her own tracks, she is unafraid to experiment, often being compared to the likes of MARINA, Lady Gaga, Grimes, Kate Bush and Gwen Stefani. GIGSY is a self taught musician, having always been very DIY and independent. At the age of 15, she wrote and released her first song via SoundCloud and over the last 5+ years has been working on her craft to make it the best it can be sonically and visually. GIGSY has gone by other alias’ such as MARGO & KHLOE, before changing her stage name back in January 2022. Finally feeling like she found her sound, style and artistic direction, GIGSY has released her new EP MODESTA. Stand out track ‘Deja Vu’ explores the human response to world tragedies and how we’ve become desensitised to some degree by online media. Listen below.

Kadi Louise
Kadi Louise has unveiled ‘State of mind’, the lead single from their upcoming debut EP. Raised listening to Ariana Grande, Adele and Billie Eilish, for Kadi Louise, music has always been a big part of their life. Having written their own songs since the age of 13, they never focused on anything but music. Kadi Louise released music at the beginning of 2021 but due to a difficult time, all the music was deleted and here they are to start over. Now with a new dark pop sound, Kadi feels they have really truly found themselves in their new music and they can’t wait to share it. Listen to ‘State of mind’ below.

Allegra Jordyn
The musical journey of 20-year-old pop artist Allegra Jordyn is orchestrated with deep sonic layers – spectral keyboards, inventive drum samples, and a chorus of voices. Shortly after moving to Boston to study at the famed Berklee College of Music, the pandemic redirected her back home to Toronto and led her down a new path. Having begun her music career in her early teens, her new music reflects a new chapter in her creativity and demonstrates her desire to impact and bring beauty to the world. Allegra commands her art, imagining an expansive and eclectic sonic palette to complement her powerful storytelling. In 2021, Take It From Me, I Know relaunched her new sound with a suite of songs that are deeply significant to her story and her truth. Hidden in her bedroom with a notebook and pencil, Allegra spent her childhood writing poetry, short stories, and scripts before lyrics became her outlet. With a precise narrative arc, she has pinpointed the perfect balance between letting the words flow and polishing and revising them until perfection. An artist in the truest sense of the word, Allegra is energized by new ideas and her vivid imagination and genuine passion brings out captivating visuals to accompany each release. Her new single ‘Dreamstate’ blends dark and heavy lyrics about depression and escapism with an uplifting and ethereal electropop sound. Listen below.

Christy Bellis
Merseyside pop vocalist Christy Bellis has returned with her epic, first single of 2022 – ‘This Girl’. Her first release since her debut EP Human Nature back in October 2021, ‘This Girl’ is Christy’s most personal, intimate song to date. Sonically inspired by the power ballads of 80s pop-rock acts, and female singer-songwriters of the 00s, the track follows the story of Christy herself fighting with existential anxiety and feelings of lowness shared by an entire generation. With intimate, stripped back verses juxtaposed by uplifting anthemic choruses that beg you to turn that phone light on and wave along, Christy is back with a bang. Speaking about the track, Christy said: “It began almost as a diary entry, away to clear my thoughts and bring myself out of a really low time in my life. As a lot of 20 somethings seem to be doing, I was battling with thoughts of failure and confusion about my path in life. It felt as though my dreams were getting further and further out of reach. It was also as if I was portraying ‘Christy’ to the entire world, yet on the inside I didn’t even recognise myself. I wrote this song to help me recognise the need for something to change; my mindset needed to shift. I often come back to the song now if I ever feel myself slipping back into that place.” Listen below.

Miranda Faul
Miranda Faul is a 22 year old singer-songwriter based in Dublin. Her music blends genres incorporating elements of folk, indie pop, blues and soul. Her debut release ‘Rise Above It’ is an indie pop-rock ballad. It’s about the importance of seeing and being influenced by environments beyond the one you were born into. The opening line ‘there’s a poverty of life and ideas around this deadbeat town’, was something her Dad said as they drove through his small town in the West of Ireland, and it inspired her to write the song. Listen below.

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

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