Songs of the Week - 02/11/2026

These are the essential tracks you need to check out this week!

Photo Credit: Aniella Weinberger

Essence Martins - 'A Confession (I'm broke)'

"I wrote A Confession (I’m broke) after my card declined while trying to buy lunch one day, and later again travelling to a writing session. I walked into my session with Jay Flew and said 'you don’t know the morning I’ve had…' and I knew we would write about. The funny thing was that earlier that morning, I’d been gifted clothes for an upcoming shoot. I appeared to have my life together, while simultaneously not having enough money for lunch or the journey home. That contradiction inspired the song."

Essence on the track

Chloe Qisha - 'He Likes Boys'

“I’ve never been more afraid for a song to be out in the world. Maybe because ‘He Likes Boys’ means so much to me, and it’s possibly the realest, most honest song I’ve put out yet. I’ve had a really complicated relationship with this song, but to be honest after playing her live this whole summer, and seeing the reactions of people - she’s meant to be out in the world. I wrote her after a very real crush on a friend whom I worked with last year. It was the song that set me on my path and journey of writing this whole mixtape. This crush awoke something inside of me that was dormant for a long time, and it was the inspiration for many of the hot and heavy songs on this record, but also the very sad and lonely moments in between. This song is everything I could’ve wished for, I love a sneaky half ballad half club banger. I really hope people relate to her, and see her as a cathartic hug. Ultimately, she’s a song about unrequited love - the oldest tale in the book"

Chloe on the track

Native James - 'DUMB BRUDDAH'

"DUMB BRUDDAH is about that inner feeling where you’re at your limit. You’ve had enough; enough of people treating you like shit, like they don’t care, like you're worth nothing. This a call out to those people that disregard you, put you down and make you feel weak. Taking the power and standing up for yourself when you’ve hit that limit"

James on the track

Sandhouse - 'Into Nothing'

"We often talk about the songs being spells or me having magical powers. For the vocal recording for parts of the EP I imagined I was a giant monster that was part woman, part crow when I stepped up to the microphone. A lot of our process is creating a powerful sound and then trying to figure out how to make it human, or find the complexity within it, or creating something very vulnerable and then adding the power to it."

Vocalist Anna on new EP 'Pollyanna' which features the track

The Ariston - 'Heavy'

"'Heavy' is about that moment you realise someone is slipping away from you, and you pretend it doesn't bother you. You tell everyone you're fine, but it's sitting on your chest the whole time. It's the messy side of growing up that nobody warns you about."

Vocalist Luca on the track

POLAT - 'Carnival'

"'Carnival' came together when we as a band felt we wrote too many songs about being miserable. So the instrumental of the song is quite summery and catchy, but I just cannot write lyrics if I can’t *feel* them. So the song actually came to be about wanting to escape your emotions at a carnival, but it all comes bubbling out regardless. So you end up arguing with your partner at the wrong place and wrong time about the mundanities of life when you’re supposed to be having a good time. But you’re at the carnival, so obviously you’re distracted."

Vocalist Ruby on the track

FAWLERS - 'landmine'

"I always think about how we’re so connected now, but somehow it feels isolating at the same time. The concept of feeling jaded and lost in a fake world massively aligned with our sound. We recorded the tracks live in an old chapel to keep the sound authentic and capture the raw emotion within the songs. We weren’t interested in making a perfect record, we just wanted something that felt real."

Vocalist Ben on the track

fiig - 'Mooncalf'

"‘Mooncalf’ is the final song from Debut EP ‘leave your feelings with the moon’ and it’s the one that truly encapsulates all things fiig. From its dreamy instrumentation, beautifully picturesque lyrics and haunting melody lines. ‘Mooncalf’ is a song for daydreamers everywhere who are busy creating worlds inside their own heads and getting lost in another realm they’re not scared to escape into but the challenge is stepping back into reality."

fiig on the track

Riley Jayne - 'Mothers Daughter'

"'Mothers daughter' is a song that explores the relationship between an eldest daughter and her mother, as well as the hidden, unintentional pressures and responsibilities that come with this role. Specifically highlighting the strong similarities yet significant differences between the daughter and her mother, and the long-standing generational trauma she, the daughter, strives to heal."

Riley on the track

svsi - 'White Gown'

"I have always been fascinated with our willingness to talk about tragic love stories; how we entertain our fears of seeking what is actually good for us while driving us mad in bad relationships. I grew up mostly listening to women or FLINTA* people. Tale-telling always had more appeal than gossiping. It is making each other aware of our unfortunate position in patriarchy. I found these stories scary, yet fascinating. Since writing is my only way to deal with anything in life, I wrote an EP. Each song tells a different story about women held down and trapped, influenced in their life decisions by men around them."

svisi on new EP 'All The Stories Told at the Sleepover' which features the track

Shannon Gillespie - 'L.O.V.E'

“'L.O.V.E' was such a joy to write and record. It feautures more vocal layers (and featured vocalists shouting la la la's and spelling out the word love) than anything I've ever made and I am beyond grateful to everyone that had a hand in bringing the track to life, with special thanks to Leo Craig (my producer) and Grant Berry (mastering). I can't wait to start playing this one live and get everyone involved with the crowd participations on the track in real life!”

Shannon on the track

Anna Silvers - 'Shame'

"For me, Shame is a song about reality vs. expectations and being true to yourself above all else. Ultimately, it’s about accepting what wasn't meant to be, letting go of the shame that was never yours to carry, knowing your worth and rediscovering your power and freedom. I think the concept behind Shame goes beyond relationships or personal experiences, too. As always, I like people to take their own messages and experiences from my music. However, as an artist, there can be a lot of pressure to stick to a certain sound or genre, and whilst I understand why, I’ve never wanted to put myself in a box. If I love a song, I want to release it. It might not be for everyone, and that’s absolutely fine. Maybe the next one will be. I’d rather put out music that feels true to me than worry about whether it fits what people expect from me."

Anna on the track

Julietta Frances - 'Curse of Wisdom'

"'Curse of Wisdom' questions where wisdom goes at the end of our lives. I wrote the first verse and chorus two years ago, but recently returned to the song with a new understanding; that having knowledge to share begins with living for your passions in the present. This song combines musical theatre storytelling and orchestrations with folk influences. The release is accompanied by a short film and script to create an immersive theatre experience. I hope “Curse of Wisdom” will give listeners an opportunity to reflect on how to build a life they’re proud of”

Julietta on the track

Pink Juice - 'Disco Trunks'

"'Disco Trunks’ is an ode to burning the candle at both ends. Pink Juice turn the pressure up, dropping their brand new single ‘Disco Trunks’, with its infectious pop hooks, punk attitude guitars and electronic flavours. The lead single taken from their up-and-coming mixtape ‘Built To Crash’ out November 20"

Vocalist Tommy on the track

Eva Kiss - 'Let Me Call'

"'When I think about falling in love, I remember the desperation of it all. The yearning, the keeping-it-cool, the jealousy. When your heart is dancing through the wind but it's beat deafens your ears to the storm that's hurling around you. All you can think is, 'how can I be the only person on their mind? How can I speak to her soul?'. I wrote this song about my first real relationship, about falling in love with someone who's heart had already been broken. All of the enchantment and desire tangled up in a desperate call to be seen."

Eva on the track

Poesie - 'Nature Mother'

"The track is an eclectic mix of indie rock, pop, and ethereal choral soundscapes, bringing together roaring guitars, crashing drums, and shimmering synths; yet Poesie’s soaring vocals remain striking throughout. She transitions from softly, flirtatiously sung verses, to a chorus that packs a vocal punch, into breathtaking operatic high notes in the bridge, giving the song an almost heavenly quality."

Poesie on the track

Rob Prince - 'Manningtree (Do You Remember?)'

"The track marks the 3-year anniversary of my debut single "Manningtree" (released October 2023). While the original leaned into local folk storytelling, this version completely reimagines the Essex/Suffolk border town as a Balearic party island - blending warm piano chords and rolling grooves with nostalgic memories of summers past, both home and away. It's a track written by a local person, about a local place and produced locally at Black Cactus Studios. But it's made for anyone anywhere in the world to enjoy!"

Rob on the track

Serra Marinheiro - 'spells in my living room'

"I wrote ‘spells in my living room’ on a day when I was feeling stuck, powerless, and watching everyone around me get on with their lives. Growing up in a religious community taught me to always look for answers outside myself, and as I got older, that spiritual search evolved into magic and doing little daily rituals just to feel in control. When life becomes overwhelming, some people become practical, but for me, my first port of call to protect myself has always been through imagination."

Serra on the track

Anso Baya - 'Watch the Stars'

"Loss is rarely as simple or peaceful as we would like it to be. It can leave behind unresolved feelings and questions that may never have clear answers. I didn’t want to simply write a grief song that said, 'I miss someone. I was interested in everything that can exist around loss: the feeling of helplessness, the questions, the responsibilities, the silences, and what it feels like to be left alone trying to save someone you love."

Anso on the track