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Interviews & Features

GEM Magazine •

Interview with Kamille and Will Sass

Kamille has been a defining presence in the UK music scene for over a decade, penning hits for the likes of Little Mix and Mabel while building a solo career grounded in soul and empowerment. Born and bred New Yorker Will Sass, on the other hand, is still in his breakout phase — though you wouldn’t guess it from the polish of his production or the conviction in his sound. ‘Happiness’, a feel-good tune with a deeper, more personal meaning, marks their second collaboration after their previous rel...
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: Jack Dean

24-year-old multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and once-in-a-generation vocalist Jack Dean unveils his brand new single ‘Angel’ today, which marks his second release off his debut album and was co-written and produced by Mike Needle (Tom Grennan, Niall Horan, Rag’n’Bone Man). These past few years, Dean has not only made a name for himself as a songwriter and producer for other UK artists – including Eden Rain, Caity Baser, and Henry Moodie – but also by showing off his strong vocal ski...
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: August James

Los Angeles-based August James is an aspiring indie singer-songwriter from Minnesota, whose brand-new EP is set to be launched in April. The first single, ‘Montana River Beds’ was released on January 31st and deals with the struggle of romantic distance, set in the American West. We sat down with James to chat about his musical journey, starting with his father’s bluegrass band and his mother’s piano playing, his early influences, such as Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga, and how he wants to emphasise...
GEM Magazine •

In Conversation with Valley

Canadian band Valley – consisting of lead singer Rob Laska, bassist Alex Dimauro, and drummer Karah James – has been releasing music for a decade now. Still, nothing has seemed quite as intimate and personal as their 2024 record ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden’. The album explores topics of grief and resilience and also marks the group’s first project as a threesome after lead guitarist Michael “Mickey” Brandolino announced his departure last spring. This year, after having successfully fi...
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: Natasha Hunt Lee

Natasha Hunt Lee is a rising Los Angeles-born and bred singer/songwriter, whose strength lies in raw and honest storytelling paired with cathartic pop sounds. In the past couple of years she has released her debut album ‘The End of the World’, been placed on multiple playlists such as Spotify’s New Music Friday and Fresh Finds, featured in diverse magazines like The New York Times and NYLON and independently sold out her debut headline show in her hometown LA. On January 10th, Lee released her s...
GEM Magazine •

Interview with Dhruv

Dhruv emerged into the international music scene in 2019 after his single ‘double take’ went viral. His music career has been skyrocketing since, having released his debut album ‘Private Blizzard’, toured multiple parts of the world and performed live on US and UK Television at Jimmy Kimmel and Jools Holland all this past year. We spoke to the London-born, Singapore-raised creative of Indian descent about how his multicultural upbringing impacted his music likings, how writing his debut album helped him untie the knots in his head and how he used his obsession with Amy Winehouse to train his singing voice early on.
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: Eden Rain

2024 has been a busy year for upcoming indie artist Eden Rain, who has released multiple singles, played numerous gigs, been recognised by BBC Radio 1, and dropped her third EP, ‘Anyway, how are you?’ just last week on November 15th. We sat down with the London-based creative to discuss her musical upbringing, her creative process of bringing visual ideas to life, and Eden Rain essentials.


Even before moving to London, the Yorkshire-raised artist was heavily impacted by music, as Eden thinks...
GEM Magazine •

In Conversation With Almost Monday

San Diego trio almost monday, consisting of lead singer Dawson Daugherty, guitarist Cole Clisby and bassist Luke Fabry, emerged from garage jams and DIY gigs right into the 2020’s indie pop music scene, with their catchy tunes and infectious energy that embodies a sunny day in California. The past few years have been particularly exciting for them, having released their debut EP, supported multiple artists and bands on tour, such as Kings of Leon, Dayglow, and The Regrettes, and played different...
GEM Magazine •

Interview with Áine Deane

London-based singer-songwriter Áine Deane first started gaining traction on TikTok in 2021 during the COVID lockdown, uploading covers and originals straight from her university bedroom out of boredom, which eventually resulted in almost 300k followers and being recognised by mainstream artists, such as Sam Smith, Little Mix and Ed Sheeran. She has since graduated, amassed over 6 million streams on Spotify, performed at multiple festivals, and supported some of her favourite artists live. In ant...
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: SOMOH

While 2023 was thoroughly successful for rising indie pop artist SOMOH, 2024 continues to take her to new heights with a first-ever sold-out headline show at London’s The Grace in March, while her latest EP ‘Problem Child’ was released on the same day as the concert and has been featured across multiple Spotify playlists, including the famous ‘New Music Friday UK’. We talked to the indie riser about her musical beginnings, her main inspirations and how she learned to embrace her queerness in her...
GEM Magazine •

Interview with Caity Baser

Ever since emerging from TikTok throughout the pandemic years, Caity Baser has become a pop staple to the UK music scene. Her ‘say it how it is’ approach to songwriting, together with her bubbly persona and recognisable Y2K fashion sense, has gained her an adoring Gen-Z fanbase and an ever-growing audience, on and offline. Baser’s latest and highly acclaimed mixtape ‘Still Learning’ was released in March, and we sat down with her to discuss all things music, girlhood, situationships and what she
GEM Magazine •

In Conversation with Blake Rose

Hailing from Australia and now rooted in Los Angeles, singer-songwriter Blake Rose has been captivating audiences with his music over the last few years, amassing a dedicated following on social media along the way. Drawing inspiration from the dual forces of love and heartbreak, he unveiled his latest EP, ‘Suddenly Okay,’ on March 22nd. In a candid conversation on a bleak Wednesday afternoon, Blake shared insights into how his mother’s passion for Elvis Presley subtly influenced his musical sty
GEM Magazine •

Exclusive Interview with Drax Project

After having toured the world in the past few years, with Camila Cabello, Ed Sheeran, Lorde and more, New Zealand-born four-piece Drax Project recently released their sophomore album ‘Upside’ this November, which blends elements of pop, RnB and jazz-inspired sounds. Their creativity and attention to detail led them to become one of the biggest bands to ever come out of New Zealand and into the worldwide mainstream. We spoke to members Ben O’Leary and Sam Thomson about the potentially awkward fir
GEM Magazine •

Exclusive Interview with Peach PRC

Peach PRC, aka Sharlee Jade Curnow, Australia’s new pop sweetheart is on her way to take over the world with her sparkling pink fairy universe. The singer, whose artist name is a homage to Nintendo’s Princess Peach, first rose to fame on TikTok, captivating her audience with her quirky persona and her outspoken approach to mental health and queer sexuality, later on introducing them to her talent. In 2023, she released her first EP ‘Manic Dream Pixie’, embarked on her first world tour – with Lon
GEM Magazine •

Exclusive Interview with Henry Moodie

After the release of his debut single, ‘you were there for me’, in 2022, it’s only been going up for 19-year- old newcomer Henry Moodie. This year, the young artist supported The Vamps, Busted, Mimi Webb and Lauren Spencer Smith on tour across Europe and the UK, while releasing three more original songs and growing an adoring fanbase on social media. Over a long-distance Zoom call from Paris to London, Moodie shared his experiences of attending the music university BIMM, discussed his admiration
GEM Magazine •

Hidden GEMS: Natalie Shay

After a busy festival summer, having performed at Latitude Festival, Victorious Festival, SXSW Festival, and The Great Escape, North London newcomer Natalie Shay is back in the studio, working on her third EP ‘Champagne’, set to be released next year. Excited about her most recent single ‘Figure of 8’, which was released on October 6th and deals with being trapped in an unhealthy relationship, we spoke to Shay about her early beginnings at BRIT school, the unexpected heartbreak of losing friends
GEM Magazine •

Interview with Kamille

Kamille has been a part of the music industry for over 10 years, became one of the most successful songwriters in pop music, has won a BRIT, a Grammy and an Ivor Novello Award for her outstanding work on other artists’ projects — and has now finally decided to step into the spotlight as an artist herself to release her debut album K1. The album was written, produced, mixed and mastered by the Londoner creative independently and while she was expecting her first child. We sat down with the multif
GEM Magazine •

In Conversation With New Hope Club

After two years of silence and COVID disruptions, the British pop trio New Hope Club – consisting of Blake Richardson, Reece Bibby and George Smith – are finally back on the road and in the studio, working on their sophomore album which is said to be released in spring 2023. This year, they released six singles, each of those in pairs of twos, with ‘L.U.S.H.’ and ‘Walk It Out’ being the most recent ones. In a new press conference, we got insight on their songwriting process, their development as
GEM Magazine •

Press Conference with Maggie Lindemann

Every member of Gen Z probably remembers jamming to the chart-topping song ‘Pretty Girl’ at every single house party in 2016 – even if not to the original version, then to the remix by Cheat Codes X CADE. But what happened to the pretty girl next door from Texas that gave the song its vocals? Nowadays, she finds herself “still the same, (baby) but just way more real”, as she messes around with friends in empty parking lots and skate parks in L.A., her signature clothing style and thick black eye
The Forty-Five •

Mallrat: "It's important to have an understanding of production – especially as a girl"

After releasing a trio of EPs – ‘Uninvited’ (2016), ‘In The Sky’ (2018) and ‘Driving Music’ (2019) – and making a name for herself not only as a singer/songwriter but also as a producer, 2022 is going to be yet another exciting year for Australia’s Mallrat and her fans. The 23-year-old bedroom pop pioneer is releasing her highly anticipated debut album ‘Butterfly Blue’ and embarking on a tour across Europe with her friend and fellow rising artist Conan Grey. Grace Shaw AKA Mallrat is more confid
LDN Magazine •

BIMM Introducing: jelia

‘each time you fall’ is the debut single from 20-year-old Julia Wyszkowska, aka jelia. With a dream of pursuing her music career, the Warsawian moved to London last year to study songwriting at BIMM London. Her musical influences are a diverse mix of old jazz artists, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, and new queens of ballads, for example Adele and Jorja Smith.

Lyrically, the song is a reflection on past, and possibly future, love affairs. It portrays the process of being a little bit
GEM Magazine •

Introducing: Melina Blanco

The past year we have heard enough about the negative influences lockdown has on artists, fans and the creative industry in general – but what happens when you find inspiration in an unfortunate situation like this, and develop some kind of ambition to create something, something bigger than you’ve ever done before? It becomes the origin story of Melina Blanco’s first EP ‘i told myself i wouldn’t write another sad song’.

Blanco, born in Buenos Aires, raised in New York City and now based in Lon
GEM Magazine •

Hidden Gems: Mandalane

The COVID-pandemic has affected everyone in the music industry, especially upcoming acts who were supposed to embark on their first touring adventures in 2020 and the last few months – including the Viennese band Mandalane. Vicky Madzak spoke to the lead singer Niklas Budinsky about how his band had to replace their live shows with performances being uploaded to their Instagram account and took a trip down memory lane, providing insight on the band’s highlights of the past few years.

Ever since