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No one likes to get dragged along. If someone is going to break up with you, it’s better to just get it over with, and the TV show Friends taught us that taking a ‘break’ doesn’t do any good. In his song ‘Have Fun (Without Me)’, Ari Zizzo is letting his ex go. When Zizzo went off to LA, his partner said that they’d stay together and everything would work out. At some point, his partner’s plans changed. Zizzo was cut out and had to learn he wasn’t going to be a part of his ex’s life anymore. Now, Zizzo thinks back on his relationship and everything they used to do together. It’s not the big things that make him miss his ex, but the mundane things, like sleeping in bed together. Zizzo is working to move on, yet he can’t help but wonder if his ex misses him like he misses them. ‘Have Fun (Without Me)’ is a breakup song that takes you through the artists emotions. During the first verse, Zizzo is accompanied solely by an acoustic guitar. The isolated vocals layered over the guitar create this feeling of loneliness and isolation. When the chorus builds and percussive beats come in, the emotion moves away from a lonely sadness and morphs into an emotional flurry. Zizzo wants to know how his partner is doing but he can’t ask those questions. The emotions from the heartbreak combine with the emotions of this exclusion making the chorus super charged with emotion. After the first chorus the rest of the song is charged with a heightened emotional energy. Zizzo does a great job at creating a breakup song that doesn’t pull the listener down. By juxtaposing the more serious moments with upbeat moments the song doesn’t create a sad feeling. It’s the perfect song when a breakup isn’t fresh anymore but the feelings are still heavy as you try to move on. Upper East Side native Ari Zizzo has always been surrounded by music. His mother, a successful songwriter, and his father, a record producer, greatly influenced his musical pursuits. By the age of 4, Zizzo started to learn instruments. He knew from a young age his dream was to be an artist. Zizzo’s music is influenced by his life experiences, one such experience being the struggle to find your identity. As a transgender man, Zizzo had a different experience than many whilst growing up, but at the core of his growth was finding out who he is. He has said that the struggle to find your identity is a shared experience, even though everyone’s struggle is different. This understanding that life experiences are different, but the general problems are universal, is something Zizzo implements in his work. He creates music that any listener could find themselves relating to. If you liked what you heard, ‘Have Fun (Without Me)’ and Zizzo’s other singles are available to stream now on Spotify. Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW ARI:

Your new single "Hurt You" evokes deep emotions as you sing about a painful breakup experience. Can you tell us what inspired this song? Cate: Yes. It was more the end of a situation than a relationship, but basically it’s about a comically bad experience I had with a guy I liked. I got home from the bar after this interaction and I knew I needed to write about it. The song pretty much explains what happened, and the bridge is basically a step-by-step itinerary of the night. Since it was so specific I made sure I didn’t exaggerate anything in the rest of the song. Everyone in both our friend groups know what it’s about, and until now I’ve never released anything with the intention of having the person it’s about hearing it, but I had a lot of fun with it. You mention on your website that you're a Music Industry major at Northeastern University. What has that experience been like as you combine your passion with academics? Cate: The Music Industry program at Northeastern is great. It’s really nice to be able to take classes I can apply to my life right now—on the creative side I’ve taken production and songwriting classes, and on the business side I’ve taken artist management and marketing classes. Both have been helpful with my music, and my experiences as an independent artist have been helpful with school. So it’s mutually beneficial. What has been your experience with the Boston music scene? Do you plan on staying there after you graduate? Cate: I am going straight back to California after graduation, haha. Boston is great and I wanted to live on the east coast for part of my life, but I feel like I belong on the west coast. The music scene is amazing though, Berklee is right by Northeastern and I’ve met some extremely talented kids and had some cool collaboration experiences. But I’m still going back to California. You mention you got started a bit later in the music industry. What difficulties or challenges have you faced breaking into the industry? How have these shaped your path forward? Cate: I’ve always had a strong sense of self-confidence, but I’d say holding onto that while entering a new industry with people who have been in it for a lot longer than I have has been one of the biggest challenges. But I have learned a ton from practicing that skill. Having confidence in my writing and performing and believing I should be in the room while being open with people that I still have a lot to learn has benefitted me the most so far. Learning to play piano by ear, which you mention on your website, is impressive! What kind of songs did you like to write and listen to as a kid? Cate: I grew up on Taylor Swift and that’s definitely been one of my biggest influences since I started writing. I used to strictly write pop, but I would listen to everything. My dad would always play rock in the car, and I think that’s starting to influence me more right now. I’ve been really into Lenny Kravitz lately, and I’ve started experimenting with adding rock into my own stuff. What song has been your favorite to write and record? Cate: Definitely “hurt you.” It was a weirdly cathartic experience and I love how it turned out. I recorded the demo in my apartment in Boston, and then my producer added live guitar, drums, and bass to replace some of the midi stuff. It came together pretty easily considering I never went into a studio for it. I’m really happy with it. Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW CATE:

Fights happen in relationships. There are bound to be things you and your significant other disagree on. Some of these fights are more intense than others. In the truly bad fights, threats of leaving can be made. In their new song ‘The Weather’, Your Paris tells the story of what happens when those threats are turned into action. A couple has been fighting, and this time, one of the partners has packed up their things to leave. The partner being left is desperately pleading to talk about anything in hopes that things can be fixed. Your Paris is made up of Nick Babcock and Laila Kharouba. In ‘The Weather’, Laila is the primary vocalist, with Nick having a verse after the first chorus. The duo use their individual voices to tell a complex story. Laila is the partner being left and her vocals reflect her sense of loss and desperation. The repeated phrase “let’s just talk about the weather” shows how she’s trying to grasp onto anything to rekindle this relationship. She isn’t ready to give up yet. Nick’s verse shows how this breakup is hard for him as well, but he is done trying to save a sinking ship. “I’m afraid to hear you laughing/ or even think about what’s happened/ I can’t be the one that’s calling.” Nick is trying to distance himself from the situation so he can go through with his leaving. He knows that if he calls Laila first, they’ll end up talking and he might not be able to walk away. In breakup songs you typically get events told through one perspective. I thought it was unique how Your Paris uses each vocalist to tell a different side of the story. Both partners are struggling, this relationship hard on them, bringing that much more emotion to the song. ‘The Weather’ is not your run of the mill breakup song and is definitely worth an addition to any ‘In My Feels’ playlist. Nick and Laila created their pop duo, Your Paris, just two months before the pandemic began. In the time since they have released a handful of singles. If you ask Nick and Laila, they will say their sound is a mix of Fleetwood Mac and Ariana Grande. While a pop group, Your Paris draws inspiration from a large variety of genres including folk and rock. The love the duo has for one another can be heard and felt through their music. ‘The Weather’ is available to stream now on Spotify. Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW YOUR PARIS:

Your new song "Of Blood and Star" evokes chills with haunting, melodic vocals. What's the meaning behind this song? ISYLA: As we moved into creating our second collection of songs Amy tried hard to channel Lizzie's spiritually driven perspective into lyric themes. In one sense this song is a dance between the two of us. Lizzie is hugely rooted in her soul but Amy can be much more head in the clouds. It's also a love song that reflects upon our human need to rely on each other for comfort, strength and rootedness. Humans are made to be a team. When we look at what is happening to our beautiful home we can see what becomes of us if we try to operate on a 'I'll do me and you do you' basis. We are all connected when we share the same sky. What is the meaning and story behind the name "ISYLA"? ISYLA: It's just a pretty word! It sounded soft and feminine to us. Though we did later realise it was a combination of 'Isla', which was Amy's name for the first few hours of her life before her parents did a switch up for a name that was vastly easier to spell) and the iz of Lizzie! From your website, I understand your project aims to raise awareness about climate change. How have you seen that goal realized in the last few years? What kind of plans do you have to continue with this mission? ISLYA: Pretty hard to measure, we would say! We started as artists from a total standing still. Gaining attention is a slow burn. We feel pleased to have got to a point where the music is being heard and enjoyed. We stand by the hope that brought us into being that music is a great way in to the issues as it reaches out in such an emotionally appealing way, Artist Es Devlin says 'The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.' It's got to be, frankly, sexy, to be fighting for people and planet. Or at least this is one way in which people can be mobilised to engage. We absolutely have plans to continue. It kinda feels like we are just getting started as it has taken time for us to get to know each other and where the sweet spot musically between us lies. The next collection will have much more of Lizzie's soulful, ethereal influence, which is very exciting for us both. How do you navigate the generational gap between the two of you? How do you see your age gap represented in your listeners? ISYLA: It has proved to be surprisingly powerful to be able to take ideas and channel them through the lens of two people and two generations. We can't really explain it, but in terms of our bond. there has not been any navigation needed as the 21 years between us fell away over our first coffee together. There's a bit of mothering goes on but it's on both sides as is natural in a friendship. Our listeners span our ages. I think Of Blood and Star has a heavy dose of alt pop and folk influences from across the 60s though to the 90's so will certainly be enjoyed by those who enjoyed them on the first go round. But we hope Lizzie's soft, folkier vocal, fused with a more pop-rooted sound and contemporary, soundscape elements make for a new combination that will appeal to a young audience as well. How do you two go about collaborating on and creating new projects? ISYLA: Of Blood and Star was a more fractured process than we would have liked. With so many new music and industry skills to master and a pandemic raging, collaborative opportunities were squeezed. However, over the last few months we have started on new material, been much braver and tried out various ways to share the creative process, from passing snippets and ideas between us and more recently improvising together at the piano or guitar. It's about taking risks and leaps of faith, letting go of the control we are both used to and also feeling able to be honest. We know that either of us can say, nope that's not for me/for ISYLA without injury. We don't align neatly in our musical tastes with Lizzie gravitating towards vibier, darker beats and layered harmonies and Amy searching for a more structured, hook-driven ride, but we think this works for us as we are always stretching out into the magical space between us where we can both get really excited by something. If you weren't musicians, what do you think you would be doing? ISYLA: Lizzie's art extends into lots of other areas including fire spinning and make up. Amy knows the answer as she had 20 wilderness years away from music! Something else badly is the proven answer! We both love visual media and our brains don't do well at very structured, repetitive tasks. So for both of us the answer is probably something else creative that is always evolving. Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW ISYLA:

I can’t get enough of your infectious new single “To the Stars and Back”! What is the story behind this song? And what was the writing process like? Jordan: Thank you! Writing the record was always going to be about keeping summer in mind and where id wanna hear this record. For me it was those rooftop and poolside parties or those late night dinners downtown looking fresh with the people you love. How did music find its way into your life? Was it something you got into later or has it always been there? Jordan: Yeah music found its way into my life thanks to my parents. Like a lot of us artists and musicians, there was just a lot of variety of music playing, anything from jazz to classic rock and gangster rap, no music was off limits and that was a blessing. If you had to pick, do you prefer producing or performing? Jordan: For me performing is the energy, the style, the personality of all those long hours cooking up in the studio. As much as I love cooking up in a studio, there’s nothing like vibing with fans to your music. What made you make the move to Australia to start your career? Jordan: Australia is far away! (Shouts my aussies tho) It’s not an ideal home base if I want to tour North America and Europe. I always thought to myself that the music industry is a lot like the NBA; if you want to play in the major leagues you gotta go where the major leagues are played. If you could collaborate with any artist in the world, who would you pick and why? Jordan: Amber Mark, Pharrell, Calvin Harris, Silk Sonic, Alicia Keys, Tom Misch, Lucky Daye… want me to continue?? There’s too many to name but it means I wanna work with various people for various reasons. What can we expect next from you? I’m so excited to see where this journey takes you! Jordan: 2022 is dedicated to new music and more shows. It’s on my list to hit up NYC and LA, London and Paris, and of course some bigger shows in Toronto. Interviewed By Sarah Curry FOLLOW JORDAN:

“Sweet Words” is a bouncy electro-synth groove that’s equal parts sultry and mysterious. The sweet words one says when trying to seduce someone is flattering, and it’s fun to play coy and watch as he chases after you. His words, laced with sugar and delivered with enough emotion to feel believable, are easy to say and give you enough validation to fall for him. But just as this song is about the sweet ones that one says, it also serves as a warning: to take a step back from getting caught up in it all and think about this person logically. From the pulsating bass to the velvet-lined voice beside them, Mystic Waxx crafts an alluring atmosphere around temptation. The voice is layered carefully with the background vocals and instruments, taking care not to overpower each other; instead, everything balances delicately on a thread, the instruments emerging almost cautiously in a solo after the vocals fade out. The bass never wavers in the background, setting the beat and tone of the piece. Mystic Waxx is a London-based electronic indie-pop duo, delivering their fans a mix of blues beats with hip hop instruments powered by floating electronic sounds that are influenced by the likes of Pink Floyd, Portishead, The Knife, and Bonobo. Releasing a couple of singles in 2020 and 2021, Mystic Waxx hasn’t run out of steam yet, and it’s clear that their innovative and interesting sounds have heights to go. Written By Megan Cao FOLLOW MYSTIC WAXX:

Your new single “Gravity Kiss” is the epitome of bubblegum pop, and I am obsessed! What was the inspiration for this new track? Mallaigh: Thanks so much! Glad to hear you're "a little bit obsessed"! ;) I was really inspired by pop icons like Carly Rae Jepsen, and the unbridled joy of some tracks off Taylor Swift's Lover album. I wanted to create a song that channelled that rush of emotion and happiness that you get with songs by those artists. When did you start making your own music? And have you always had a passion for music since you were younger, or did it come about later? Mallaigh: I started getting serious about creating original music about a year ago. I had released a song for fun in January of 2021, and then around the springtime of that year was when I sat down and started making music for release. I've always had a passion for music in various forms since I was a kid -- I was 7 when I started doing musical theatre, and it wasn't until I was older, about age 18, that I started learning guitar. I must thank my best friend, Kat Johnson, for encouraging me to make original music when we met in college. What is your favorite thing about performing live? Do you have a favorite performance of yours? Mallaigh: I love the connection I form with an audience when I perform live -- something about the real-time reaction of an audience is so special and heartwarming as an artist. And it's cool to see how some songs consistently connect well with an audience. I find that my song "Second Avenue" usually gets a good reaction at a live performance, so I always try to play that one whenever I do perform live. And recently, I chose an unreleased song to play live only -- so you'll have to catch a show of mine to see this 'secret song'! My favorite performance so far is probably my most recent one that I did on April 23rd at Brooklyn Music Kitchen. I had a few friends come out to see that one and the supportive environment was really nice. Two of my pals came out to the front and performed a little duo dance for my final song -- rumors are circulating that they may do so again. If you could be the opening act for any artist, who would you pick and why? Mallaigh: I would absolutely love to open for Annie DiRusso! Her music is so incredible and she has inspired a lot of my own songwriting. I think it would be such a dream come true if I ever got to open for her. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music and performing? Mallaigh: When I'm not making music and performing, you can probably find me binge-listening to Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, watching a new show (I just finished re-watching Devs on Hulu which is so good), or taking pictures of my cat Fitz when he does literally anything. I'm also determined this summer to learn how to ride a bike, so I'll be taking up that hobby. Not sure how I made it to 22 without that skill. If you could give younger Mallaigh some advice, what would you tell her? Mallaigh: When I started making music, I was constantly comparing my progress to that of my musical heroes, and holding myself to impossibly high standards. I've now come to learn that the progress an audience sees an artist make is usually a highlight reel -- and everyone goes through their own struggles and makes progress at their own pace. So I would tell younger Mallaigh to not be so hard on herself and to enjoy the journey as it unfolds, and that it is more than okay to allow yourself to celebrate all the little moments. Interviewed By Sarah Curry FOLLOW MALLAIGH:

Some loves are meant to last forever. Other loves… not so much. Both of these relationships teach us something, but the ones that end in a breakup teach a special type of lesson. You learn a lot about yourself, both good and bad. Jamie Miller’s new song, ‘It Is What It Is’, tells the story of a relationship that fell apart. Miller fell head over heels for his partner and ended up losing himself in the process. As much as it hurts, he knows he has to move on, and accept that he’s better off not seeing his ex again. In the music video for ‘It Is What It Is’, Miller and his friends are seen driving around California on a sunny day in a topless car. Miller is singing and his friends often join in to mouth along. The director knew the perfect way to showcase the song because you need to sing this at the top of your lungs with the windows down. After one repetition of the chorus you’ll be be hooked, singing along to the lyrics, “I guess it is what it is, wrong place, wrong time/ But I couldn’t resist, those nighttime white lies”. Young love is intense, and Miller does an excellent job at depicting these feelings. He describes his ex as “heaven sent” but then in the next line says, “then we drove off a cliff”. This love story is a rollercoaster that doesn’t come off as jarring, having a consistent build up and release of emotion throughout. The song creates emotional movement, but also a sense of physical movement. An upbeat tempo paired with a driving a drum beat has you nodding your head or tapping your toe the entire time. ‘It Is What It Is’ tells a story of moving on, and as we leave spring behind for warmer summer days, the song is ready to move us into the next season. Jamie Miller is a Wales-born, Los Angeles-based, singer/songwriter. At just twenty-four years old, Miller has over four hundred million streams and is garnering worldwide praise. Miller’s most popular song ‘Here’s Your Perfect’ was the first song he ever wrote (co-written with songwriter/producer Gian Stone), and currently has over two hundred million streams on Spotify. Both ‘Here’s Your Perfect’ and ‘It Is What It Is’ are featured on Miller’s debut EP ‘Broken Memories’. Miller is currently on tour with Jesse McCartney. They have several dates across the United States from now until the middle of June. To find out more about Miller’s live shows and to listen to ‘It Is What It Is’, check out his Spotify, linked below! Written By Maddy Mahady FOLLOW JAMIE:

I love the energy of your new song "Soda"! What's the story behind it? ANNNA: Soda is a song about a girl who arrives at the craziest, sunniest summer party. All her friends only drink beer after beer all the time, but she chooses to drink only lemonade. After all, all her friends are already in good shape while she just keeps dancing, because you don't need alcohol to party. It's a pretty literal story about how I haven't been drinking for more than 7 years since I was 17. In those days it was an exception, everyone kept pushing me to "drink one but all the time" but I didn't want to. Now it's different, I don't have a lot of friends around at all, but before that, it was a problem. Mostly immersed in the fact that, unfortunately, alcohol is too common in families in our country (that was my reason for not drinking;)) but that's why I decided to dig up the anthem for my favourite friend: SODA. What first got you into music? ANNNA: I’ve been doing classical piano since I was 6 for like 8 years straight. What got me into it in terms of how it sounds now? The fact that I could not stop having it in my head all the time while doing political studies at the university. I’d come home and just make something on my piano. It's fascinating to think of what you coin as "sustainable pop". How did you decide to go about combining your passion for sustainability and music? Was it an easy concept for you to imagine and then bring to fruition? ANNNA: Well the thing is, I just feel like we’re living in a more ‘plastic’ world day by day. From clothes, to the things we use. I know that there is only so much a tiny individual, aka me, a young musician can do, but if there’s any chance I could raise the attention about what actually is happening, then I’ll do it. And in this case, it’s my music, my Co2 neutral, organic cotton merchandise line that you can find on my website and all the numerous song campaigns that I’ve done about sustainability. It just nowadays comes naturally to me, that I could stuff some very badass/depressing lyrics in a very uplifting, sunny and positive pop song. I guess that’s where it gets interesting to me, especially when people actually understand what my lyrics are about. Hence, the "sustainable pop’’. What are your hopes for this sub-genre you've really pioneered? ANNNA: That one day I’ll be able to make those crazy plans of mine for each song release come true. Literally, not only singing about sustainability, but also doing campaigns and making products that would help make things better. I know you mention you're Latvian-born but are from Amsterdam. What has your experience been like in the music industry there? Do you plan on staying in Amsterdam for a while? ANNNA: Amsterdam is my home, I’ve been here for such a long time that I kinda call myself half-Dutch. I mean, I speak the language daily as well, so it kinda comes with it. It’s a very dreamy city, with lots of great dance music that has definitely influenced my music a lot as well. I started off right before covid, winning the Amsterdam Dance Event’s demolition with my single ’Stardom/Hater’. Since then I’ve been working with so many DJs and producers on stuff that I’ll now release under my other alias: Might Delete Later. Actually, even while typing the answers to this interview at this very moment, I’m sitting in a session with this incredible Dutch producer Millean ( https://www.instagram.com/millean.fm/ ). On your website, it mentions you're currently on tour, with a stop in Latvia. What do you anticipate it will be like to perform in your country of origin? ANNNA: Yes, we’re actually about to do a whole tour there in the summer. We’ll be playing a couple of bigger festivals in Latvia which is so exciting after having basically more than 30 gigs canceled in these 2 crazy years of Covid. So, yup, we’ll be in Latvia in July and we really cannot wait. I also literally just found out that I’ll be the warm-up artist for the American popstar MIMI WEBB at Melkweg, in Amsterdam on the 27th of May. That just seems like a total dream come true. Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW ANNNA:

It really is the little things in life that make us the happiest. Sometimes receiving a simple "I love you" text makes us feel more loved and happier than receiving a new phone. In Sophia Grace's new single "Little Things," she blends heartfelt lyricism about those golden moments in life with a cheerful melody to create this upbeat piece. In her song, Sophia reveals that she can't be won over with "fancy clothes" and "expensive cars." She would much prefer for a guy to give her quality time and their undivided attention, the real gifts of love. The message of this piece blends beautifully with the melody. Sophia sings about what she truly desires from a relationship, and pairs this idea with a melody that's sure to brighten you up. The message of this song really is powerful and touches on a topic that is so relevant to today's culture. In today's times, it's so easy to allow materialism to take over. This leads people to tie their self-worth to the number of expensive items they own. With this mindset, it becomes a challenge to show gratitude for the simple pleasures that life has to offer. Sophia gives us a good reminder that material items really are not a measure of anyone's happiness. Pursuing smaller, intangible joys is so much more meaningful. Sophia Grace first gained popularity by posting a cover to Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" with her cousin Rosie in 2011. In the years following, she released singles such as "Girls Just Gotta Have Fun," "Best Friends" (which found a place on the Billboard Hot 100), and "Girl in the Mirror." Sophia and her cousin had "Tea Time with Sophia Grace & Rosie" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she got to interview celebrities such as Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. She also starred in her own movie alongside her cousin Rosie in Sophia Grace & Rosie's Royal Adventure. Sophia has been very successful in the entertainment industry and continues to prove that statement with each new content release. Written By Melina Darlas FOLLOW SOPHIA GRACE:

Your new single "Breakaway" is a powerful song about prioritizing yourself and leaving a relationship. Did you write this after a personal experience or did you take inspiration from a general narrative? Martha May: To be completely honest, it was a personal experience. Breakaway is the first song that I have ever written actually, and I find it very connected to that specific experience. Back then, I still haven't seriously thought of myself as a songwriter, but the difficulty of my situation made me think of writing things down, not expecting anything of it. The state of my relationship and thoughts of breaking up were really sad, but as I sat down with my guitar and tried to write, the entire positive side of letting things go came up, and that's how Breakaway was born. Seeing my situation in a different light, Breakaway helped me choose myself! So after seeing how writing a song can heal you, I just had to keep doing it:) On your website you mention you're from Croatia. What was the transition to the UK like for you? Did you perform much in Croatia before moving to the UK? Martha May: Yes, I have moved to the UK at the age of 18, to pursue my love for music and theatre. Starting my undergraduate studies in Musical Theatre in Chichester, UK, I have to say it was quite a big change for little me. Being away from home for the first time, I have to admit it took me a couple years to figure out what it is that I really want. Ending my second year of doing Musical Theatre, I started noticing I was more excited about singing pop music than anything else. I flew to Croatia to spend my summer there, and started singing sets of covers in local touristic restaurants with a guitarist. This job was something I really enjoyed, so I did it next summer too. Doing that job made me see myself as a pop artist, and not long after I started writing my own songs. Looking at it all now, I think both the UK and Croatia, helped me become an artist that I am today. How do you balance being in graduate school with your music career? Martha May: It is actually quite simple, because I am doing a Master's Degree in Popular Music Practice, so naturally my career and my school are intertwined. I have chosen my course because I wanted to learn all about the Music industry, releasing music and building my brand and fan base as an artist. So far I have gotten a lot of music knowledge at my school, and I am using it to the best of my power in all my music projects. The good side of it is that I can then use those projects (songs, performances, collaborations) as part of my exams portfolio! What has been your most memorable live performance? Martha May: Wow, good question. As I have just recently started performing in a full band setting, it seems to me that every new gig I play is the best I have ever done haha. But as a truly special experience, I would point out my recent performance at The New Noise Festival in The Old Blue Last in London. That one I am especially proud of because the event was put on by my BIMM colleagues and myself as a part of our module. It felt super special to participate in creating the event from scratch and then also perform my music as a part of it to a very excited and supportive audience! What is your songwriting process like? Martha May: I have to be fully honest with this one, I am not entirely sure. It is always different. Sometimes I play with chords on the guitar or ukulele, and the melody and lyrics simply follow, but sometimes I'll have a melody stuck in my head and I just have to find lyrics suitable for it. As I consider myself to be a "newbie" songwriter, I believe there is so much more for me to learn and explore in terms of songwriting. Where do you see your career going after you've finished your program at Fulham's BIMM college? Martha May: I see myself building a name for myself as a pop artist, and not much else really ahaha. I plan to release a lot more music quite soon, and I believe that will open more music possibilities for me. I intend to stay in London after I graduate, keep performing live, writing and releasing music, to show the world (and myself) what my music is all about. Interviewed By Hannah Conkin FOLLOW MARTHA:

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretzky said that, and the phrase can apply to many scary situations. Dating is definitely one of them. You work up the nerve to put yourself out there for that special person. If fear holds you back, they will never know how amazing you are. There is also potential for them end up with someone else. In “Just My Type,” Kyle Hume takes the plunge by confessing his feelings of love in a song. The guitar in the song is light and happy and has a rooftop party song sound. While listening to it, I wanted to wave my hands in the air. Hume's vocals have the nostalgic sound of a 2000's punk/rock band. Putting your feelings into words can be hard, but Hume expresses his emotions very clearly through the lyrics. The story of the lyrics does not seem to have an ending. I want to know if Hume’s hard work paid off. At just 23 years-old, Kyle Hume is an artist and producer. He has a combined total of 1.8 million followers on his social media platforms. If you enjoyed “Just My Type,” Hume writes many other songs about being young and in love. In contrast to “Just My Type,” “If I Would Have Known,” is a song about a break-up. The instrumentation is predominantly just his vocals and piano meaning that the listener gets to hear even more emotion. Written By Kelli Dixon FOLLOW ARTIST: