Industry news & advice blog

Time to celebrate! Throughout the whole of August, we’re marking our 21st anniversary at The Unsigned Guide. So what better opportunity than this milestone to recap on some of the amazing emerging artists we’ve championed over the years as part of our Spotlight blog & radio show.

It’s been tricky…but we’ve handpicked 21 incredible bands & artists who’ve been making waves, turning heads and pricking up ears.

So, whack on our 21st birthday playlist, check out what the artists have been up to below. And if you fancy taking a shot at Spotlight, we have a whopping 50% discount running all this month on membership to The Unsigned Guide. 

Ellis D (Featured on Spotlight May 2022)
Ellis D’s super-charged blend of psychedelic indie mixed with traces of krautrock and art punk definitely pricked up ears at Unsigned Guide HQ. Picking up airplay with the likes of BBC 6 Music, smashing European gigs, being awarded funding by Help Musicians, and unveiling a string of fantastic singles and EPs are just some of the milestones he’s smashed since 2022. Having recently finished up bunch of gig dates across the UK, he’ll round it off perfectly with a slot at Kendal Calling this month.

The Lottery Winners (Featured on Spotlight Aug 2013)
Continually smashing it out of the park ever since we first featured them on our Spotlight blog back in 2013, The Lottery Winners have accomplished so much that we simply can’t cover it all. So let’s cherry pick some highlights; touring arenas whilst supporting Rick Astley, Nickelback, Noel Gallagher and Avril Lavigne, bagging a number 1 album on the Official UK Charts with ‘Anxiety Replacement Therapy’ featuring guests Boy George, Shaun Ryder and Fran Turner, plus countless headline shows, tours and festival appearances. The Lancashire four-piece are currently recording at Rockfield Studios as they get to work on their next album.

Wyldest (Featured on Spotlight Aug 2014)
With her mesmerising dreamy guitar music, it’s no surprise that Wyldest is still going strong 10 years on from our Spotlight feature. More recently she has played a UK tour, gigs in Switzerland and the US, plus Glastonbury Festival in 2022. Wyldest was also crowned a PPL Momentum artist and awarded their funding in 2023, and following that was selected to perform at SXSW earlier this year. She’s currently locked away and busy writing new material.




TaliaBle (Featured on Spotlight Feb 2021)
Pushing boundaries with her distinctive rap sounds, TaliaBle has been picking up traction since we featured her single ‘Muzzled Butterfly’ on Spotlight. Followed by more forward-thinking releases, incorporating design, short films and exciting performances, her imagination and vitality has caught the attention of numerous music blogs, radio shows and gig promoters. Check out this interview she recently did with The Line of Best Fit.

Natalie Shay (Featured on Spotlight Feb 2023)
A regular on the BBC Radio 1 airwaves and a variety of Spotify playlists, Natalie Shay just can’t help producing an endless supply of pop bangers. Ramping up over half a million streams on her latest EP ‘Champagne’, she’s also played Liverpool Sound City and has supported Shania Twain at her Hyde Park show last month.

Wojtek the Bear (Featured on Spotlight June 2018)
Showered with praise by the likes of Louder Than War, Atwood Magazine, Fresh on the Net, Snack Mag, plus copious amounts of airplay from BBC 6 Music, Radio X, BBC Radio 1, KEXP and beyond, it’s no surprise that Glasgow indiepop band Wojtek the Bear are going from strength to strength. At the time of writing, the band’s latest album ‘Shaking Hands with the NME’, recorded with legendary producer Stephen Street, has reached No. in the Official Scottish Album Charts.



Nxdia (Featured on Spotlight Sept 2023)
Unveiling smash single after smash single, Nxdia has been on a meteoric rise over the past year; becoming Spotify’s Glow Ambassador with her music featured on their playlist and her face featured on their billboards, having her track ‘She Likes A Boy’ played by Elton John on his Rocket Hour show on Apple Music, playing Liverpool Sound City and Focus Wales, plus being crowned Track of the Week on BBC Radio 1. Coming up next Nxdia will be playing Leeds Festival so look out for that!

Cherym (Featured on Spotlight Sept 2020)
Since championing their single 'Weird Ones' on Spotlight back in 2020, we've witnessed the mighty pop punk band Cherym continue on their path to world domination with Spotify editorial playlist placements galore, a feature in Kerrang!, loads of festival slots including Stendhal, 2000 Trees and Sziget Festival in Hungary, plus their single 'Boss Bitch' has even made its way to Japan after being distributed by Warner Music Japan. We sense even bigger things on the horizon for Cherym!

Junior (Featured on Spotlight Feb 2023)
Distinctive and original, rapper Junior is rising rapidly with his boundary-breaking hip-hop sounds, which encompass soul, Latin harmonies, and offbeat pop. Already a hit with GRM DAILY, Wonderland Magazine, BBC 6Music’s Tom Ravenscroft, and BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, Junior is currently busy creating new material. Embarking on a journey to release a new track every month, created organically from scratch, the songs we’ve heard so far have blown our socks off, so make sure you keep Junior in your sights.



DITZ (Featured on Spotlight Jan 2018)
Making an indelible impact as they tour their fusion of noise rock, post punk and psych sounds around the UK and European festival circuit, the mighty DITZ have been gigging around the clock since we stumbled upon them in early 2018. They completed a European tour supporting IDLES at the beginning of the year, and make sure you look out for them on the line-up at Manchester’s Beyond the Music in October.

Tamzene (Featured on Spotlight June 2020)
Tamzene’s heartfelt soul-pop has been making waves in the years since our Spotlight feature. Not only has she gleaned radio airplay galore from the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6Music, not to mention recently bagging Single of the Week on BBC Radio Scotland, but she’s also supported the one and only legend Tom Jones last year. More recently, she’s begun hosting the Green Lane Sessions to help champion other emerging acts, and was hand-picked by Billy Bragg to play on the Leftfield stage at this year’s Glasto!

Simon a. (Featured on Spotlight April 2024)
Creating exceptional art soul music that’s already piqued the interest of Timeout, Clash, Notion, BBC Introducing, Guap Mag and Wordplay, Simon a. is set to turn even more heads this summer when his mini-album project ‘The Show’ drops. No stranger to gigs of all kinds, he has played everywhere from Notting Hill Arts Club and Sofar Sounds to Tramlines Festival, and made his way onto the Glastonbury Emerging Talent longlist. Look out for him gracing the stage at All Points East at Victoria Park this month.



Youth Sector (Featured on Spotlight Nov 2021)
The past few years have certainly been eventful for the Youth Sector chaps, to say the least. Their album ‘Here Comes The Fear’ came out on Dance to the Radio, and not only have they conquered their own UK tour, they’ve also played a show for BBC Music Introducing Live, plus they’ve supported the Kaiser Chiefs on UK dates at some pretty special venues. All this whilst making matching pink, yellow & green outfits look cool AF. Look out for them at Kendal Calling this August!

Do Nothing (Featured on Spotlight October 2019)
Do Nothing are reaching new heights with their incredible wonky art rock. Boasting a debut album ‘Snake Sideways’ and a remix by Everything Everything of their track ‘The Needle, plus enviable shows at London Calling in the Netherlands, Y Not Festival and Victorious Fest, plus an epic UK & European tour which was supported by Help Musicians UK, the sky is the limit for this band.

Novelty Island (Featured on Spotlight Jan 2020)
We’ve not been able to get enough of Novelty Island’s surreal psychedelic pop since we first discovered it back in 2020. With a vivid and memorable live show brimming with creativity and humour, it’s no wonder they’ve been playing sold out shows around the UK, were handpicked to support China Crisis around the UK, and have drawn praise from the likes of Shindig Magazine, Fresh on the Net, Liverpool Noise, Under The Radar, Psychedelic Baby and beyond.



Hana Lili (Featured on Spotlight July 2014)
Featuring on our Spotlight blog at the tender age of 14, Hana Lili has nailed some serious life goals and achievements since then. Her bonafide pop bangers are a regular on BBC Radio 1’s Future Pop show, and last year she was awarded PRS Foundation’s PPL Momentum Music Fund. She’s also supported the likes of Circawaves, Tom Grennan, and even Coldplay at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, so you should definitely catch her live if you can. With festival slots coming up later this year at Swn Festival and Live at Leeds, there’s no excuse!

Problem Patterns (Featured on Spotlight July 2023)
Fresh from smashing out multiple sets at Glastonbury Festival, Problem Patterns have barely come up for air as they’ve demolished Stendhal, 2000 Trees and Truck Festivals in the last month. And let’s not forget their previous support slots for Le Tigre and Stiff Little Fingers, plus being crowned ones to watch by The Guardian. Be sure to grab their debut album ‘Blouse Club’ which is out now.

Maius Mollis (Featured on Spotlight Aug 2022)
A gem of a songwriter who came to our attention in 2022, Maius Mollis is also firmly on the radar of Youth Music and BBC Introducing North East, who both named her as ‘One to Watch in 2024’. With an EP ‘Waves’ under her belt, unveiled last year, and a host of gigs and support slots played, including opening for Bernard Butler, Maius was also awarded PRS Foundation’s Women Make Music fund earlier this year so surely that’s a sign we can look forward to new material in the future. Until then, be sure to catch Maius playing at Generator Live this October.



Loose Articles (Featured on Spotlight April 2022)
After a whirlwind couple of years for adrenaline-fuelled punks Loose Articles, including BBC 6 Music airplay, supporting The Lovely Eggs, and even the mighty Foo Fighters at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, the momentum still continues to grow for the band. Look out for them over the coming months at Rebellion, Green Man and Edinburgh Psych Fest, and you can grab their debut album ‘Scream If You Wanna Go Faster’ now.

Slow Readers Club (Featured on Spotlight July 2014)
Manchester favourites Slow Readers Club have been unstoppable since our Spotlight tip in 2014 - with numerous singles, EPs, albums and tours aplenty under their belt. Last month they supported Noel Gallagher at his Wigan show in Robin Park, and they’ll be embarking on more UK dates over the winter before heading off to the Netherlands and Germany for more gigs in early 2025.

Nadia Sheikh (Featured on Spotlight Feb 2018)
Making waves not only over here in the UK, but also in her native Spain, Nadia Sheikh has consistently brought us hit after hit since we championed her on Spotlight in 2018; backed up by extensive airplay on the likes of Radio X, Planet Rock, BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 1. She wowed the crowds at Beyond the Music in 2023 and again at Liverpool Sound City this May. We can’t wait for more new music from Nadia!