This segment features 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 [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
AnnieMUSIC is Leanne Griffiths, a songwriter from Widnes (NW England) whose sound comes in equal parts from a passion for nineties/early noughties pop music and alternative rock. AnnieMUSIC has been performing as a songwriter/guitarist since her teens, leaning more towards influences from bands, majorly the band Idlewild. Similarly, with always having an interest in pop production, AnnieMUSIC has been using time spent at home recently to bring more of this element into her music. âPedalâ and âTomorrowâ are two contrasting songs recorded at home (or Anniesmusicplace) during the summer. Lyrically both songs speak to different ways of feeling directionless and the fear around making changes to take the next step. Whereas âPedalâ presents quite a jarring, darker sound with its choppy fuzz guitar, âTomorrowâ switches between playful verses and a chorus which edges to more of a melancholic feel as the song plays out, continuously asking âwhat are you waiting on?â. The tracks follow two previous releases this year; âControlâ, released as part of a compilation of local artists from Loose Community Records, and prior to this the song âRewindâ, which was put out in the spring. Listen to both 'Pedalâ and âTomorrowâ below.
Outerloop formed in 2019 when Patrick Gough - former drummer of seminal post-hardcore-art-punk band Pitchblende, and the experimental punk trio Imperial China - bumped into his old friend, guitarist Don Potter at a Jesus Lizard show. Â Conspiring to make âoriginal, high-energy, loud, kick-yer-teeth-in kinda stuffâ, they enlisted fellow veteran musician Mike Larmoyeux on bass. Together, the trio began crafting angular post-punk inspired instrumentals while searching for the right vocalist, to find their way through the cacophony taking shape. After a few months of searching, Taisha Estrada -- a Puerto Rican-born, jazz-trained, vocalist -- responded to a Craigslist ad and immediately bonded creatively with the guys over their mutual love of Sleater Kinney, Soundgarden, Savages, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Led Zeppelin and St. Vincent. With their lineup in place, Taishaâs powerful and musically sophisticated vocal lines solidified the bandâs instrumental ideas into finished songs. Unfortunately, COVID-19 struck just as the band began to build up steam, playing only a couple shows before everything shut down. Sidelined but not discouraged, Outerloop resumed writing and rehearsing in late 2020 and earlier this year they visited the Magpie Cage studio in Baltimore to record with the great J. Robbins of Jawbox and Burning Airlines fame. Â Releasing two songs from these sessions - âSeeping Mirrorsâ and âEl Controlâ in early August, the band roared back onto the stage playing a set at the Fort Reno Concert series, in addition to shows at Pie Shop and the Pocket. Listen to both tracks below.
Am3r3 is an artist from Toronto, Canada. They enjoy making music that sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie with lyrics and vocals that reminds the listener of pop-style lyric matter and melodies. They enjoy making the artwork and designing their merch and editing their music videos, so everything is just coming from the same computer, same synthesizer, same vision. Am3r3 started making music at the start of the pandemic. âMaking instrumentals in my basement began to feel more natural and comfortable,â they say. âI found myself always loving very disco-house influence artists such as Daft Punk and The Jackson 5. But I also loved artists like Nina Simone, and I always wanted to combine the two different sides of my musical taste into a project. So I started singing on the instrumentals about heartbreaks or broken relationships or lost friends. Something clicked. There was something romantic about singing on futuristic instrumentals with sad lyrics and auto-tune crooning all over it. Driving around downtown city lights whizzing by in the car window with these songs blasting, I found that it felt amazing. So I thought there must be other people that could relate to this feeling in such a weird time. So I started releasing them.â âDon't Be Afraidâ is the second single from this project. Listen to it below.
Scottish vocalist and rapper Somnia brings us her experimental debut album Tales of Mystery and Imagination, with one of Scotlandâs best electronic hip hop producers in Asthmatic Astronaut. In the seven-track album, Somnia explores horror and fantasy themes and aims to take the listener on a topsy turvy journey through the lens of different characters. She uses her vocals to depict different Lynchian, Cronenbergian worlds with a disturbing and otherworldly delivery. Somnia has been rapping, freestyling for over 10 years and has been creating animation to accompany her music. She has also given talks and lectures about her artistry and has performed around Scotland and abroad. Somnia is also an animator, protest photographer and climate change activist. "âFallingâ is a song I wrote to process a dysfunctional relationship I had been in,â says Somnia. âIt came from the feeling that everything was out of control, that I was being controlled by my subconscious, falling through a never-ending bad dream.â Listen below.
Welsh singer-songwriter living in London, Mared, released her bilingual pop/folk debut album with I KA Ching Records, and was awarded Welsh Album of the Year 2021. The album is a collection of nostalgic and heartfelt songs, written over the course of 7 years, packed with coming of age narrative, rooted in sincerity and a constant search for identity and strength within. âPicturesâ is out now and kicks off a self-released, fresh, soul-pop EP project, resulting from lockdown writing sessions with fellow Welshie, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Nate Williams in Anglesey, North Wales. Punchy guitar riffs and soothing, ethereal synths are tied with gripping melodies and held together by Maredâs unapologetically honest and soulful voice. This new single evokes a growth in Maredâs musical identity, flourishing from her debut in 2020, drawing influences from the likes of Lianne La Havas, Emily King and Eloise. âPicturesâ describes being reminded of what it was like viewing the world through the lens of a child in a golden frame. Listen below.
Following a rebrand earlier this year, alt-pop singer RUBY returns with her new track âSometimesâ, a sultry retelling of a dysfunctional relationship where both parties are harbouring unresolved emotional baggage. Written in 2019, the track has been a labour of love for RUBY. From its conception to production, âSometimesâ slowly but surely came to life over the next two years. With humble beginnings as an iPhone voice note, âSometimesâ was soon recorded by RUBY at home in her bedroom, where the vocals, instrumentation and production were carried out to the trackâs fruition. With the help of producer Leo Jama who mixed and mastered the single, âSometimesâ was finally ready to be shared with the world. The track exudes raw emotion through clever songwriting where laidback verses precede powerful and fiery choruses, showcasing RUBYâs range and versatility. An alluring, jazz-infused melody creates an atmospheric sonic bed that RUBY describes as âRed LED Energyâ, over which she delivers unforgettable, expressive vocals. On âSometimesâ, RUBY explores the insecurities of navigating difficult romantic situations as an LGBT artist, proving relatable for many young queer listeners. Further delving into the trackâs meaning, RUBY said: âSometimes is about wanting someone to be over their ex so badly that you ignore everything and pretend that they are anyway. You cautiously dip your toe in, not expecting the relationship to go anywhere but then youâre forced to deal with the aftermath once you develop feelings.â Listen below.
âYou Shine Brightâ is the first single from Bettieâs self-released EP which will be released in January 2022. Passionate about people, humanity and truth, Bettie is a singer-songwriter from Cardiff, Wales. Ever amazed by the power of storytelling and the ability of words (in both a pure and embellished musical form) to empower, emphasize, and enrich, she notes the power of music to unite when words fail, to spark solidarity when it doesnât seem possible and, always promote hope. Everybody has a story and music often tells a story when words fail or when we are not yet sure where to start. Bettie has crafted a unique ability to arrange words that document, inspire and encourage reflection. She has a profound way of telling a story and her personable approach means audiences feel her warmth as she captivates any room withease. Placing a strong emphasis on connection and collaboration, Bettie doesn't see her music or sound as something 'static' but ever-changing and ever-absorbing new influences and inspiration and sees much beauty in the process. Listen to âYou Shine Brightâ below.
Pearling is a music producer and songwriter from Glasgow, Scotland. New single 'Demiurge' is a punchy, ethereal anthem on love, fantasy and all things otherworldly. âI self-produced 'Demiurge' in my bedroom and am super proud as to how it turned out,â says Pearling. âI learned how to produce music during lockdown since being in shoegaze bands and released my first single in April exclusively on Bandcamp called 'Akoya II'. Since then I have worked hard to hone my sound and image and have played a couple of live shows since they started back up in September.â Listen to âDemiurgeâ below.
From the cobblestoned streets of Bergen, to the ocean breeze of Ipanema. Sheila Simmenes presents elegant compositions that playfully and lovingly blends nordic and brazilian folk music, jazz, pop and soul. âLove Was Easyâ is the sound of waves hitting the shoreline, brazilian rhythms, nordic jazz and sophisticated melodies. The jazz singer from Bergen, Norway has a deep love for Brazilian music. In 2007 she lived in SĂŁo Paulo where she worked as a volunteer with kids, played in a reggae band and also studied Brazilian jazz and bossa nova. In the last decade, Simmenes has evolved in the nordic underground, participating in many constellations within soul, hiphop, reggae and jazz. ââLove Was Easyâ is one of my favorites from this album,â Sheila explains. âIt is a love letter to all my exes and the relationships that did not - and was not meant to - last. Looking back with love and respect for the moment in time were we did love eachother. Noting that though things may not go on forever, it does not make it any less valuable. And you may apply this to most times in our lives. Even who we used to be. We grow. We change. We learn from every interaction with eachother. This is love.â Listen below.
Sheila Simmenes ¡ Love Was Easy
