The Unsigned Guide Spotlight: August 2026

MARiMARi - 'POP SHUVIT!'

Introducing the musical equivalent of an energy drink; bouncy, zesty and highly addictive, it's Liverpool-based, Japanese-British Alt Hyperpop artist MARiMARi, and we defy you not to become hooked on her song 'POP SHUVIT!' which describes the chaos of teenage love;

"It's based off an angry diary entry where I spoke about my terrible dating history. I titled the song 'POP SHUVIT!' which is a skate trick, and I loved the name as it felt very cutesy and pop! The song plays out like a movie and the chaos of toxic relationships and the idea of someone being a guilty pleasure. Moral of the story is don't date boys with a skateboard and tattoos as they will ruin your life."

Summing up her sound MARiMARi says; "It's glittery and nostalgic but with an edge. I love combining my more alternative, emo teenhood with super bright synths and vocals inspired by my japanese heritage, drawing from backgrounds of J-Pop. It's mainstream but for the alt kids if that makes sense!"

With the release of mini–album 'MARi GO ROUND' featuring 7 tracks, MARiMARi's glitchy y2k pop has been capturing the attention of BBC Radio 1's Future Alternative show and Spotify's official GLOW Songwriters, hyperpop, New Pop UK, and Evolver playlists.

Recently rounding up a string of live dates, including a sold out show at The Grace in London and Liverpool's Rough Trade, plus performances at Together Again and Y Not Festival, MARiMARi tells us that playing shows and connecting with fans are her ultimate highlight;

"My biggest achievement to me are my headline tours; seeing sold out rooms, and despite being on a DIY budget, making them feel like an experience for the fans. I made my own set design the night before, handmade merch (press on nails based off 'POP SHUVIT!' and 'Lara's Boyfriend!'), hanging out after the set, and having friends play on the line-up all feels so special to me. I love community and creating a safe and inclusive space for everyone to have a dance."

With another gig in the pipeline, at Manchester's Deaf Institute on 23rd September, beyond that MARiMARi is eager to play more shows and get back to making new music;

"I've been collaborating and featuring on different songs with artists that I really respect so we will be seeing those songs come to life! I have big plans for more live dates, writing and visualising my next project which is going to be so insanely jpop-coded. I can't wait to be back in the studio again!"

Instagram   YouTube   TikTok   Spotify

Severe Girls - 'Sunset Mindset'

Fusing elements of alternative rock, punk and power pop, North West band Severe Girls are whipping up a frenzy on their hooky and striking single 'Sunset Mindset'. Songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew gives us the lowdown on the Severe Girls sound;

"I always say we're a good time band exorcising the bad times. If I were to coin a genre though, it would be 'nostalgicana'. It's kind of a feeling. A feeling of familiarity. Musically, I relate to alternative American underground bands a lot and I feel a kind of nostalgia for a time and place I was never a part of (being born in Glasgow and growing up in a northern town). We're definitely pulling from those melodic rock bands of old but with a modern slant."

On the matter of current single 'Sunset Mindset', which was recorded at Manchester's Low Four Studios and happens to be their first new material of 2026, Andrew tells us how the song came about;

"I actually had the music written for a little bit but it had a completely different melody and different lyrics. The mood was there and the title was always my springboard into the song but the melody just didn't work so I shelved it. As is the way with songwriting, I often return to older, unfinished ideas and see if I get any new ideas. It just so happened that this whole new melody and bridge section arrived in my head and it all fell into place. The band were into it and we started playing it live. Lyrically, the song is born out of a frustration with finding (needing?) acceptance in the crowd. How you can never feel unique enough (or good enough) and how that is, ironically, very isolating."

Unveiling their 6 track debut EP 'Another Night' last October heralded a significant moment for the band and Andrew lets us in on what it meant to him;

"Not just recording it all, shooting the music videos on my phone and generally pulling the release together (which is tough when you are a DIY band), but it sort of marked the end of this thing I started on my own, yet a new beginning for the band. We kind of hatched that day. We've evolved as a live band over the last year or two. Our live show is more honed and energetic, we have a bunch of new material and we're feeling good about where it's heading and we have a blast playing for people."

Recently playing a slot at Wanderlust Festival in Southampton, Severe Girls are keen to book more shows and expand their reach beyond their North West domain; "We love playing locally but there's so much still to explore and we want to show all people a good time and stretch our legs a bit! We also have a lot of material to record so maybe we'll do another EP or an album. Or both! We'll see…"

Bandcamp   Instagram   YouTube   Spotify

Lynds - 'State of Stability'

Leith based solo artist and songwriter Lynds draws inspiration from her favourite artists including Carole King, PJ Harvey and CMAT and feeds those sonic threads into her folky, grungy, indie music.

Her gorgeously stripped back debut single 'State of Stability' has long been a work in progress, penned in 2024, finished up and recorded in 2025 and finally unveiled in 2026. Lynds tells us a little more about what influenced the song;

"State of Stability is a song I wrote while coming to terms with my Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. It's about the ups and downs of mental health, a song that could be quite relatable to a lot of people. It was a real cathartic writing experience for me."

Following a successful, sold-out single launch at Edinburgh's Urban Jungle, where Lynds was thrilled to raise money for a cause close to her heart, Bipolar Scotland, she has picked up radio airplay for 'State of Stability' and aims to push the envelope further with upcoming single 'Meanstreak' due to be released towards the end of August.

In the meantime keep an eye on Lynds' socials for updates, and you can catch her live supporting HORSEBATH at Sneaky Pete's on 27th August.

Website   Instagram   YouTube   TikTok   Spotify

V.I.C - 'Passenger Princess'

Preparing to drop his upcoming album 'Industry Games' next month, rapper V.I.C is serving up an appetizing teaser of what's to come with his latest single 'Passenger Princess'. He tells us more about the meaning behind the track;

"Passenger Princess is a song which is meant to reflect life and the music industry and the realisation that most people who ride along aren't necessarily riders. This song reflects the moment an artist comes face to face with an industry person. I wanted to talk about my real-life experience while making it light and danceable. It fits the sound of the upcoming album which is nostalgic and early 2000s."

Already generating over 42 million Spotify streams, plus stellar reviews from the likes of Wonderland, Notion, NME and Colors, V.I.C's hip-hop sounds enmeshed with soul, grime and R'n'B are definitely making an impact.

Although V.I.C's career is without doubt on an upward trajectory, he's worked hard to combat some hurdles he's hit along the way; "My biggest achievement to date would have to be my 2025 Reading and Leeds Set, I first performed there in 2022 after I had a song blow up on TikTok, but was shortly dropped from my label because I was under developed. I spent 3 years after working on myself and my art and when I got the call up again for the festival after my song 'Wasteman'. When I saw the amount of people that packed the stages it felt like I had managed to do something which many people thought was impossible."

Debut album 'Industry Games' will be released in September and in October V.I.C heads out on his first headline tour, kicking off with Bristol Exchange on 30th September, followed by London (Oslo Hackney 1st Oct), Birmingham (Sunflower Lounge 22nd Oct), Manchester (SOUP 23rd Oct), Glasgow (SWG3 24th Oct), plus dates in Dublin and Amsterdam.

Keep it locked on V.I.C's socials below for more news and grab yourself gig tickets here.

Instagram   YouTube   TikTok   Spotify

Gigi Wilde - 'driving'

Crafting emotionally charged indie, folk-pop, singer songwriter Gigi Wilde uses her music as a channel for curious and cathartic storytelling; "I often use the word cinematic to describe my music because it's really narrative driven. For me every production decision, like how much reverb there is to how heavy handed the piano is in the mix, has to be in service of the greater narrative. I think if you listen to my first project no two songs are the same in terms of vibe, but they are all unified in the way they convey a story."

Her current single 'driving' is soulful, yet fuzzy and grungy, and Gigi elaborates on how the song came about;

"'driving' was written towards the end of my debut project 'Life at the Kitchen Table'. I had lost my job a couple months earlier and was feeling a type of way about it. Sort of down, sort of up with a stretch of free time on the horizon that I wasn't sure I wanted. 'driving' is a really supposed to capture a feeling. It's sad and joyful, tongue in cheek and at the same time very sincere. I ended up calling it that mostly because it feels like a great song to have in the car when you've just got out of the city and you get to speed up on big stretches of road. There's a sort of double meaning, in that when I get through a tricky patch there is an element of shaking it off like a dog and moving forward. No time to stop and look around."

When it comes to achievements to date, or the 'small wins department' as Gigi and her manager like to refer to it, there have been many glowing reviews, plenty of radio airplay including BBC Introducing, and most recently on Radio 1's Future Pop show with Jodie Bryant, plus some incredible support slots with Olive Jones and NoSo earlier this year.

However, Gigi also recalls a particularly special moment; "The proudest I've ever felt is selling out my headline show last year to 220 people all by ourselves. We did the whole gig DIY, no promoter, no nothing."

Preparing to release her final single of the year in September, 'the other side of grief', Gigi is apprehensive to unveil what she considers to be her "most important song". With an EU tour on the agenda for October, plus a show confirmed at Soho House's Future First event series, beyond gigging Gigi will be focusing on new material; "I've been writing, writing, writing this year and I am really keen to just keep making and releasing music. It took me so long to find my sound, I'm really excited to see where it goes."

Website   Instagram   YouTube   TikTok   Spotify

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