Industry news & advice blog

See Emily Play - ‘What the Hell is BDD’

Bringing Body Dysmorphic Disorder under the spotlight is Sheffield born, Liverpool based singer songwriter See Emily Play, whose rollicking and jaunty country song ‘What the Hell is BDD’ has to be the most joyous and humorous way to share the word about the disorder.

Emily lets us in on her purpose for writing this track; “The song is, primarily, an unfiltered, warts-and-all account of my struggles with body dysmorphic disorder. I wrote it a few years ago. I was living in Adelaide and experiencing a very long, drawn out period of poor mental health. I wanted to write a song that reflected the chaos inside my head. I felt a lot of shame around the fact that I felt so ashamed of my appearance. I think putting all my misaligned thoughts into a song was a way of taking command of them. When I took it into the studio the idea was to do an updated, very English version of a classic country 'murder ballad', drawing inspiration from Johnny Cash's ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ and The Chicks' ‘Goodbye Earl’.”

Her third EP ‘Still Playing’ is set to be released in Spring 2025 and Emily has collaborated with producer Rob Whiteley (BC Camplight, The Wombats) to bring it to life, with the first single ‘YOKO ONO WAS SEVEN YEARS OLDER THAN JOHN’ going down a storm, which must have been some relief to Emily who has spent some time away from music in the last few years.

“My lifespan as an artist is sort of cut across two sections with a decent-sized gap in the middle. I achieved quite a lot in part I: I played gigs with The 1975, Catfish & the Bottlemen, and the (Beautiful) South, in addition to sets with orchestras, choirs and brass bands. I had a nice write-up in the Guardian. I did some vocals for a project run by one half of I Monster. Then I stopped playing for a long time. So, in all honesty, my biggest achievement is the existence of part II in and of itself, plucking up the courage to return to making music and then to record a collection of songs that I feel proud of.”

We’re certainly thrilled that Emily found the courage to make her return to crafting music with her signature talent for storytelling which she blithely sums up as “50% quirky, spirited country songs and 50% dramatic, sad-lady piano ballads.”

There’s two more singles still to be unveiled from her upcoming EP, as well as a hometown headline show at Sheffield’s Sidney & Matilda on 20th November to look forward to. And Emily is already underway with writing and recording fresh material, so it’s great to know she’ll be sticking around for a while.

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Tlya X An - ‘Ninja’

Since unleashing her debut EP ‘TXN’ last year, artist and producer Tlya X An’s distinctive pop sound has gathered momentum, seeing her pick up support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, Spotify, METAL Magazine, Gaydio, Bristol 24/7, Crack Magazine, Amazing Radio, and EarMilk, amongst others.

Describing her music as “fluid and unexpected”, it’s easy to see why it has pricked up the ears of so many tastemakers, and our chosen Spotlight track ‘Ninja’ is a kooky and captivating, glitchy hyperpop earworm.

“This track was inspired by my little sister and the stories we share. She travels a lot, so I don’t get to see her very often. Having this song in my catalogue brings me joy as it will forever represent the love I have for her. Plus, I just think it’s really cute! The song came purely from a moment of inspiration and trust, which I enjoy exploring in my creative process. While I listen to a wide variety of music, I try to clear my mind of any specific influences or constraints when I create, allowing my own voice to come through.”

As well as taking over the airwaves and the new music blogs, Tlya has also been making her mark on the live circuit. In the past 12 months she has electrified audiences across the country with performances at Dot to Dot, Bristol Harbour Festival, Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes, Thekla, The Social, George Tavern, Bristol Beacon, Dareshack, The Fleece, Moles and more.

And many of Tlya’s greatest stand-out moments to date have been whilst playing live; supporting some of her favourite artists such as Princess Superstar, Yeule, BABII, and Haru Nemuri, as well as experiencing the shared dream of most performers for herself - when the audience takes over, “One of my biggest achievements was hearing the crowd sing my song "Daddy" back to me—it was surreal and truly inspiring.”

So with Tlya’s trajectory for 2025 looking dazzlingly positive, we urge you to keep your eye on this rising talent. Coming up next she has fresh music and collaborations, as well as headline shows in London and Bristol, where she’ll be unveiling a brand new immersive 360 show called ‘Chapter 1: Finding the Light’, so be sure to keep it locked.

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Hana Markson - ‘I’ll Be Lonely’

Bolting straight out of the gates with a stellar debut single, Australian-born, London-based singer songwriter Hana Markson has crafted a lo-fi indie pop gem, dusted with subtle electronic touches and bringing together organic and digital elements in a sophisticated, chilled out way. 'I’ll Be Lonely' explores themes of vulnerability and self-sabotage and Hana tells us how the song came to life;

“The track came about on a rainy day in London at the end of last year. I wasn't planning to write that day. My plans got cancelled because of the weather so I just ended up in my bedroom studio messing about with ideas. It explores the space between the possibility of new relationships and feeling really comfortable on my own. I was trying to shift the narrative of loneliness - transforming it from something negative into a more empowering, fulfilling experience, where being alone feels good, not empty.”



To reach this point Hana has worked at sharpening her skills with Music Production for Women, which has played an important role in helping her shape her sound and production style. Joining forces with Australian producer Jacob Aedam, who is known for his foley-driven beats, has also been a significant step in Hana’s creative journey.

So far, the response to Hana’s debut has been galvanising, with 15,000 Spotify streams racked up during the first week alone, plus placements for ‘I’ll Be Lonely’ on several editorial playlists.

Good news all round, as there’s more new material on the way from Hana so keep your ears to the ground for a new release soon. “I'm also in the planning stages for an EP release in 2025 which I'm really excited about. It's going to be a step deeper into my sound and I'm looking forward to sharing more music soon.”

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Declan Welsh & The Decadent West - ‘Inaction’

East Kilbride’s Declan Welsh & The Decadent West unleash a frenzy of guitars on their single ‘Inaction’ which combines the frenetic energy of their first record, with the layers and lyricism of the second to produce the most direct and acerbic single the band have ever produced.

At 188 bpm, this is a song written for the live crowds, and as a response to the continued inaction of our politicians, media and general citizens in the face of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. It’s an emotional, angry, rapid punk song designed to shake those who listen out of talking and into action, as Declan elaborates; “This is a song written after nearly a year of watching the worst things imaginable happen to people on a daily basis live-streamed while everyone has various debates about whether it should happen, and we all stand up and say that it shouldn’t while it continues. It is a criticism of the idea of debate in and of itself, and of the limits of free discussion and expression as a tool to be used by people to change things. It’s a frenetic, frustrated, five hundred mile an hour punk song designed to be played live and felt.”

With a wealth of EPs plus two albums already under their belt (debut ‘Cheaply Bought Expensively Sold’ was nominated for Scottish Album of the Year Award), it’s no surprise that their unrelenting fast-paced punk has picked up support from the likes of CLASH, The Line of Best Fit, Louder Than War, When The Horn Blows, The Scotsman, Beats Per Minute, and Under the Radar among many others.

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How do I get featured on the Spotlight blog?

Our Spotlight blog is compiled every month from fresh new music submitted to us by our members. We want to hear from you!

We select 5 of the best tracks from our members to champion on Spotlight. As well as being featured on our new music blog, your track will also be played on our monthly Reform Radio show, get a free release package from CD Baby, plus the 5 tracks are also forwarded onto a select bunch of music industry professionals...including folks from Big Life Management, Rough Trade Records, Club Fandango, Greyline, Transgressive Records, Full Time Hobby and This Feeling. Find out more about Spotlight here.

To be in the running you’ll need to sign up as a member to The Unsigned Guide, then follow the instructions in your Welcome email to submit a track for Spotlight consideration to us.

Members of The Unsigned Guide get access to our huge directory of 8,000 UK music industry contacts, spanning 50 areas of the music business. Check out our quick video to find out more about the directory & other services we provide to help emerging bands and artists.