Each week we feature a different Scottish artist on the blog including premieres and Q&A’s. Please check out some of the amazing Scottish talent we have discovered over the years.

If you would like to submit a track please get in touch 4 weeks in advance of the release - resonatescot@gmail.com

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Q&A: The Rosellas
Q&A: The Rosellas

“I've had hours of conversations after the set with locals, talking all about the importance of Scotland to my family, and in turn learning more and more about the heritage of the country and its importance to them. I find it very soul affirming and will spend hours more continuing to do so.”

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Q&A: Aylee
Q&A: Aylee

“I hope that if anyone listens to Dressed Up and relates to the lyrics, they take it as a sign to step  back and reflect on why it resonates with them. I want to help anyone who’s caught in a similarly  toxic situation feel less alone and isolated. While yes, “I hate that all my friends were right” about my previous relationship, I’m incredibly grateful to be so far removed from it now, and able to look  back and see that they absolutely were.”

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Q&A: Spyres
Q&A: Spyres

“Touring is definitely one of the most exciting and rewarding parts of being in a band, so we’re absolutely buzzing to get back on the road. A lot of the cities on this run are totally new to us, which makes it even more special. We can’t wait to meet new faces and play in venues we’ve never stepped foot in.”

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Q&A: The Zebecks
Q&A: The Zebecks

“‘Persona’ is the closest we’ve ever gotten to merging the worlds of my poetry and songwriting as I am literally performing spoken word at the end. The vulnerability I tried to express in this song has definitely developed our songwriting as I now feel a lot more open within the band dynamic and this has led to more directed songwriting sessions where we all play a part in the construction of lyrics - knowing that The Zebecks is a really safe space surrounded by my best friends means I feel comfortable bouncing ideas directly off them in real time.”

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Q&A: Former Champ
Q&A: Former Champ

“Many of the songs on this album are about feeling displaced and some are even more directly about Irish Diaspora and Irish Politics. I think anyone who has moved away from their hometown can probably relate to a curiosity about the alternate life they could be leading. The larger concept of sliding doors and endless paths has been a key theme on the album and even informed its title.”

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Q&A: Dylan Winters & The Posterity
Q&A: Dylan Winters & The Posterity

“At first, I was quite particular with arrangements—I had a strong vision and the band helped me bring it to life. Lately though, I’ve been stepping back and letting everyone put more of themselves into the songs, and it’s honestly made everything better. Turns out if you let talented musicians do their thing, the music’s better for it.”

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Q&A: Maz & The Phantasms
Q&A: Maz & The Phantasms

“I think people love the freedom and the warm nature of these grassroots events. Glasgow especially is extremely kind and respectful, and it feels amazing to be able to throw a big party for your community where everyone can be themselves.”

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Q&A: Saint Sappho
Q&A: Saint Sappho

“I was listening through old demos and there was a melody Tammy had been singing along with the piano, she heard me playing it out loud and said "Wait. There's something in that" at first I didn't agree but she was persistent. That melody eventually became the verse of Floating. The moment we began writing the verse was what set the whole song in motion, and everything afterwards naturally progressed into a full song.”

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Q&A: Cowboy Hunters
Q&A: Cowboy Hunters

“One time someone told us that we reminded them of when Lady Gaga and Beyonce collaborated and we've been living off that high ever since. ”

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Q&A: Kirsteen Harvey
Q&A: Kirsteen Harvey

“Oh it’s absolutely amazing! I can’t believe it to be honest! I always find putting on headline shows a little scary, and I get quite nervous on the run up- but the response for the shows, and in particular the Glasgow date has been totally mind blowing! I think it’s going to be pretty special seeing so many people in the one room, who are there to see myself and my wonderful band, play tunes that I just wrote at home!”

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Q&A: racecar
Q&A: racecar

“By the time we came to write and record Pink Car, we were very fortunate to have raised enough money through a successful Crowdfunder campaign (thanks everyone!) to make some of the musical dreams we had for our songs come true. Graham, Lissa, Claire and Kenny (not to mention Aaron Morrison/ Catriona Price/ Gracie Brill!) are all fantastic musicians. It is always a joy to collaborate, most of all when people’s blend of skill and creativity means both realising an original vision and new, exciting elements appearing during sessions".”

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Q&A: PG Ciarletta
Q&A: PG Ciarletta

“For me there is a lot of hard work ahead, but a lot of things to be buzzing about. I would just say taking the music to the people and playing as many places as possible across Scotland and beyond. I just want to go and do what I am meant to do, which is release music, play shows, make content, be nice to folk and work hard.“

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Q&A: Katie Nicoll
Q&A: Katie Nicoll

“My emotions over my Poetry Club gig didn’t fully hit me until Sunday afternoon whilst watching back videos on Instagram. IT WAS AMAZING! The realisation that I’d packed out a room two hours away from where I grew up filled me with a new sense of pride over my music. I feel proud & soooo beyond grateful of the people that made time to come down and support, grateful of the boys in my band, and grateful of all my family and friends.”

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Q&A: Calum Baird
Q&A: Calum Baird

“Playing at the Biennial was superb.  The energy and buzz in the city was infectious and the support from the audiences and fellow musicians at my shows, even though we didn’t always share a language, was so important and helped me feel right at home. “

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Scottish Artists To Watch In 2025
Scottish Artists To Watch In 2025

New year, new bands, new obsessions. Scotland’s music scene is a constantly morphing beast, spitting out fresh talent, combing boundary-defying genres, with the raw energy that keeps the Scottish music scene constantly evolving. Whether you’re into massive indie anthems, left-field electronic experiments, or something that defies categorisation entirely, 2025 is shaping up to be another huge year for grassroots Scottish Music.

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Q&A: Pedalo
Q&A: Pedalo

“I was hyper aware that this was going to be a song that literally anyone can hear, forever, which was honestly a bit scary when it’s such a personal topic. But then the reaction to it has been really touching—I’ve had a fair few people say to me how much they relate to Lighter. Now I’d say it’s the song that I’m the most proud of”

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Q&A: Former Champ
Q&A: Former Champ

“Sometimes stuff just feels right, sounds right. But the mission statement for this band in a writing sense was definitely like Paul Westerberg and all the pathos in the Replacements tunes. These are pop songs first and foremost—they are never going to be perfect short stories like Raymond Carver or whatever—but they do start from that place.”

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Q&A: Odd Luke
Q&A: Odd Luke

“I think it hit me one day a long time ago that I was the only person who hadn’t heard my own voice, you know? It’s one thing to back other people and hide behind that, but I had all these weird little stories building up that just needed out, if nothing else just for me!”

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Q&A: Thundermoon
Q&A: Thundermoon

“It’s epic! We’re so grateful for the support. We’ve worked hard from the roots up, and every bit of recognition feels like a big achievement. Working with a local, musician-run project like New Teeth has helped us stay true to our values. Growing from here feels like a huge positive, especially knowing that these platforms resonate with our music.”

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Q&A: Nü Cros
Q&A: Nü Cros

" This year’s been an amazing year in terms of the shows we’ve been blessed to play, that includes Supersonic in Paris which was a fairytale in its own right. We’ve come a huge way as a band through it all."

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Check out our Resonate Artist of the Week Spotify Playlist here

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Q&A: Katya Mansell

“Not every song will be perfect and that’s ok! Just keep writing the songs you love and people will hear them when the time is right!”

Katya Mansell (she/they) is a Glasgow based singer/songwriter, an exciting indie pop artist playing catchy melodies entwined with bright chords and experimental rhythms. Influenced by Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie, Katya creates heart-wrenchingly beautiful songs with clever musicality.

Katya spent a year and a half studying the craft with songwriters such as Rob Wells (Arianna Grande/Justin Bieber), Charlie Grant (Ed Sheeran/Melanie C) and Luc Floreani (Sam Smith/Amy Winehouse) and is releasing new music in 2024 starting with single ‘Promised You Love’, after being announced as a semi-finalist for the prestigious International Songwriting Competition and winner of the Paolo Nutini Scholarship.

Your latest release 'Promised You Love' is a queer love song, can you tell us how the track came together and the inspiration for the love song?

Sure! I wanted to write a cute wee queer love song that speaks to some of the nuances of relationships. This one talks about the stage of dating someone who’s a bit more guarded. I think there’s this heteronormative idea that we’re supposed to give people these ultimatums, like “it’s now or never”. Actually, that was some of the feedback I got when I first wrote it, that I should make it a more like “I’m not going to wait forever.”! But that kind of cemented the message of my song for me because I just thought I would give someone all the space in the world if they needed it, and that’s the point of the song! So yeah, I don’t believe it’s very consensual to push people into something they’re not ready for, and I wanted the lyrics to be really grounded in consent, to highlight the beauty of creating a safe space and building trust with a partner. After it was written, I reached out to an artist/producer called Peter Hatch, who was up for producing it for me. I really loved what he did, and we’ve been collaborating ever since!

Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment? And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?

Oh, I’m enjoying the music coming out of Scotland so much right now! I’m a big fan of Becky Sikasa. She released a song called ‘Hard to Love’ which is absolutely stunning. I’m also loving Zoe Graham’s new stuff - her song ‘Evelin’ is so, so good! And everything The Joy Hotel are doing is class! They all have the potential to go global, I think! And that’s just skimming the surface, there are so many incredible artists and musicians in Scotland right now.

Do you have any advice for upcoming artists in Scotland, what would you tell your younger self to help her navigate the industry?

I would tell younger artists and my younger self to make the music that you want to hear. The music industry runs on songs, so write the best songs you can! And collaborate. It’s a really beautiful way to connect with other creatives, and it feels really magical when you truly connect with others in the writing room and make something you wouldn’t have made on your own. You don’t have to be great at everything either – if you’re a great lyricist, why not work with a really great producer and another songwriter who can write a beautiful melody? You’re going to learn and develop more working this way, and build really close friendships along the way. And finish your songs! Not every song will be perfect and that’s ok! Just keep writing the songs you love and people will hear them when the time is right!

Tell us your three desert island albums.

OK, my first choice would be boygenius’ self titled EP! I love that record and honestly admire Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker so much. To have a spotlight on women making such gorgeous music, and also being unashamedly queer, is just awesome. I grew up in a time (showing my age!) where it really wasn’t the norm to hear experiences of LGBTQI community in music, much less the sapphic experience. I think for young people, this doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary, but it really does feel amazing to see, and to feel like my music also has a place in the industry. Back to your question though, another album I would take are Threads by Now, Now, as well as Collapse List by Novo Amor!

If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?

I really love what Victoria Canal is making, it feels so vulnerable and sweet! I think we’d write something really lovely together. But yeah, I’m always up for collaborating, whether that’s for something I’ll release as a solo artist, or for other artists’ own projects - give me a shout if you fancy writing together!

And finally, what can we expect to see from Katya Mansell throughout the rest of 2024?

Well, I’ve got a couple more singles that I’ll be releasing this year, and I’m currently writing and producing my debut album! I just went over to Berlin to write with one of my collaborators, Charlie Grant. We also wrote a song with producer Ivo Vollering, which was just so special. That’s maybe one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written. Looking forward to you hearing that one when it’s released next year! And I’ve got some gigs coming – I’m playing Broadcast in Glasgow on June 29th, an Endless Summer gig at the Hug and Pint on July 17th then Leith Depot in Edinburgh on 25th July!

Follow Katya here.

Join us at Resonate 2024 on the 28th November at Platform, Glasgow. Final Early Bird tickets are still available and close to selling out! Click here for tickets.

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Q&A: Priya

“I feel like In this industry so many people are telling you who you are and what you should or shouldn’t be doing. Sounds so cliché but the minute I started following my own instincts and sticking to my gut I naturally became the artist I’ve always wanted to be.”

Priya is a Scottish South Asian R&B singer and songwriter based in Glasgow who started off writing/featuring for others and is now ready to break new ground in the UK R&B scene thanks to her distinctive fusion of cultural influences and devotion to her profession.

Her latest release ‘411’ seamlessly mixes elements of vintage R&B with current sounds, and the lyrics explore her toxic habit of believing everyone who hurts her will eventually come crawling back. Find out more below about the single, 2024 plans, and her favourite albums.

Your latest release '411' is based on real-life experiences of your own, can you tell us how the track came together?

‘411’ came so effortless to me, it almost came out like a freestyle. I always start with lyrics and I think it was so easy to write because I had held in emotions that were literally pouring out as soon as I got inspired to write, it’s all my own experiences which is so important to me when creating music. 

Later on we made the instrumental and everything just sort of came together at once. 

Which Scottish acts are you enjoying listening to at the moment?

So many talented artists coming out of Glasgow just now, my favourites, to name a few… Becky Sikasa, Kyi Synclair and Theo Bleak. So excited for what these artists do next, all so different and killing it within their genres. 

And who do you think could become the next big thing in Scotland/the UK/internationally?

I would honestly say just do you. I feel like In this industry so many people are telling you who you are and what you should or shouldn’t be doing. Sounds so cliché but the minute I started following my own instincts and sticking to my gut I naturally became the artist I’ve always wanted to be. 

Do you have any advice for upcoming artists in Scotland, what would you tell your younger self to help her?

I’d tell my younger self that sometimes you actually do know what’s best for you. 

Tell us your three desert island albums.

My three desert albums are:

DAMN - Kendrick Lamar

No Rain No Flowers - Sabrina Claudio 

Undiscovered - James Morrison

If you could collaborate with anyone on future music, who would it be?

My dream collaboration is definitely Destin Conrad, I feel like we’d make an absolute r&b masterpiece, something about his vocals is soooo addictive. 

And finally, what can we expect to see from Priya throughout the rest of 2024?

I just wanna focus on releasing music I love. As long as I’m staying true to myself I’m happy. Oh, and playing a few shows might be on the cards too. 

Follow Priya here.

Join us at Resonate 2024 on the 28th November at Platform, Glasgow. Final Early Bird tickets are still available and close to selling out! Click here for tickets.

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