The Unsigned Guide Spotlight: November 2026

JoeJas - ‘RUN?!’

Rapper and producer JoeJas loves to experiment and push boundaries, not just when it comes to his music. He’s long been harnessing his creativity and self-sufficiency to put on gigs, art shows and pop-up shops, run his label and brand Fat Llama, as well as produce, mix and master his tracks, and direct his own music videos.

Strongly rooted in hip-hop, his off kilter sound blurs many other genres and refuses to be compartmentalised.

“I always think that no one just listens to one genre so why should I put myself in a box?”

Speaking about his single ‘RUN?!’ JoeJas explains the ideas behind the song; sonically and lyrically;

“I remember making the beat in my friend’s studio, and having that Run refrain already and from then the song wrote itself! It became about running to what you want to be in life, no matter what that is, and never stopping, even if it feels like you're not getting closer. Because when you stop running you'll never know. I really wanted to mix a lot in this song with the main bits being super punk inspired with a tiny 4 bar drill breakdown and a smooth bridge. Just to take people inside my brain to see what influences me. For the video I had it tie into the episodic series around the album, with me being chased by Ghost face!”
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ExVGiwjvZw

Previously crowned a winner of VANS Musicians Wanted competition, which resulted in him supporting Anderson Paak, JoeJas has also recently wound up a DIY tour across the UK and Europe, playing shows in Oslo, Berlin and Amsterdam, as part of the campaign around his latest album ‘Left Handed Bandit’.

“To know that people were listening in all these different cities and being able to perform and experience new things in these places was amazing! Also seeing how weird ideas in your head can become tangible things that other people can feel and relate to is a feeling like nothing else!”

So what’s next for JoeJas? Later this week, on 7th November, he’ll be dropping a fresh single ‘Bandit’s Manifesto’, and he’ll also be revealing the final episode of his video series that accompanies his album, so keep it locked.

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Stef Dale - ‘I Follow You’

Describing his sound as “romantic and melodic storytelling; like Alex Turner, Paul McCartney and Mac Demarco had a shared baby”, Cardiff singer songwriter Stef Dale has undoubtedly accentuated the tender, stripped back feel of his music by performing and recording his most recent batch of songs at home onto tape.

The wonderfully authentic and magnetic ‘I Follow You’ comes complete with tape hissing, and Stef tells us a little about the inspiration behind the lyrics:

“‘I Follow You’ is about looking back at a doomed relationship where someone will drop everything for the other, but it's not reciprocated, and you'd still give yourself to them even if it's clearly damaging you.”

Previously creating music as part of I Love My Friends, who released 2 albums (one of which was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize 2025), and built a cult following in their hometown of Cardiff in the space of a year, Stef is now venturing out with his own project and unveiled his collection of songs ‘Live From My Room’ to mark the changeover.

“I love the acoustic album I've released during my transition between projects, but the full band sound is where I'm heading again for the next phase.”

Recently Stef played a solo slot at Swn Festival in October, but he’s currently in the process of forming a full band. A 10 track album is also underway, expected to drop in Spring, so in whatever shape or form they take, we’re guaranteed to be hearing plenty more of Stef’s exquisite songwriting in the future.

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MAKEUP - ‘Unpopular’

Singer songwriter Sophia Del Pizzo, aka MAKEUP, is serving up dreamy, melodic synth pop that’s as light and airy as a marshmallow. But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find a darker undertone, as her single ‘Unpopular’ explores themes of identity, performance, success and self worth, and tackles the uncomfortable question of what remains when the applause stops.

“There's always got to be a bit of darkness in there somewhere, whether it's in the instrumentation or the lyrics. The words are just as important to me as the music, and I love the contrast between something that sounds quite beautiful and something a little more unsettling underneath.”

Sophia tells us more about how the song was crafted and the catalyst behind ‘Unpopular’;

“I'd been getting stuck in my bedroom studio, so I moved everything into my living room. I think it helped me become more playful, lying on the floor like a kid building Lego on Christmas morning. I knew I wanted to write something that encapsulated my time living in Los Angeles and having to move back to the UK. That strange dichotomy of feeling on top of the world and then watching it all fall apart. I started with a demo, which I still love. Maybe I've got a touch of the old 'demoitis'. But I knew I wanted to throw everything I could at this track because it felt like my catchiest, most pop-leaning song yet. For the first time, I worked with a production duo, Bobbing and Cole Williams, and brought in session musicians. I think I knew I had something special, and despite being skint, I found a way to get some brilliant people involved and make the song as good as it could be.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yomOzDpavKQ

So far Sophia has had glowing write-ups in Earmilk and Analogue Trash, Spotify placements for her singles on official playlists New Music Friday, Levitate and Limelight, plus an invite to one of Kevin Parker’s studio sessions for Telepathic Instruments.

But you can’t beat the thrill of being spotted on the high street; “A mate recently sent me a video of 'Unpopular' playing in COS on Regent Street. That was a real thrill - hearing something I'd made in my living room out in the world!”

With some new tracks in the pipeline which may eventually form an EP, plus plans to put together a live show, I’m positive we’ll be hearing a lot more from MAKEUP over the coming year.

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Intern - ‘Turnscrew’

Straight out of the blocks with an infectious debut single, London four-piece Intern are fusing alt rock, 90s grunge and post punk, drawing inspiration from bands such as QOTSA, Basement, Nirvana, Turnstile and Smashing Pumpkins.

“‘Turnscrew’ evolved from our time gigging in and around London. Lyrically, it’s about finding purpose as a perfectionist, reflecting on and having to live with past mistakes and looking to improve while moving forward. A ‘Turnscrew’ is a tool that Tom (lead singer) uses everyday at work so it became a metaphor for refining your craft and allowing yourself to dwell on past experiences and learn from them.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWWfzSW6rz8

Already picking up airplay on Amazing Radio, Vibe 107.6, East London Radio, Prospect Radio and Radio Wigwam, plus glowing recognition from Happy Mag who included them on their ‘New Music Radar’, and Hot Vox who featured them as ‘Artist of the Day’, there’s no doubt that Intern are turning heads with the debut release, which is obviously a huge buzz for the band:

“We have been overwhelmed by the response to our music. It’s really great to hear it get radio play and it’s always exciting when we get positive feedback. Turnscrew has helped us grow our audience worldwide with international blogs talking about us and getting radio airplay from all over. We are super excited to share what we have next.”

Intern are currently in the process of recording some fresh releases to unveil to their established and new fans, but in the meantime you can find them on London’s gig circuit, where they continue to do what they do best.

Keep an eye on their Insta for upcoming gigs, and get hold of ‘Turnscrew’ which is out on all major streaming platforms now.

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Empty Banner - ‘Dead To Me’

Unleashing their angsty alt indie smasher ‘Dead to Me’ are four-piece Empty Banner who’ve been busy laying down tracks at renowned local youth project Warren Records, and stirring up a frenzy on the live circuit of their hometown Hull.

Already a firm favourite at their live shows, single ‘Dead To Me’ tackles the topic of absent fathers, and is dedicated to “all the bad men in the world who shirk their responsibilities and feel they can get away with it without consequence.” Perfectly channelling despondency, anger, confusion and mixed emotions, the band let us in on how the track came together;

“It was created in the Warren Records practice room. We were just messing about and the chords for it just came out, followed by the bassline and the melody. We instantly realised that the song had potential. Our vocalist Mia Ann used pent up emotions to create the lyrics with help from other members Maisie, Roisin and Cora. Eventually, when we felt the song was “done”, we played it at local venue the Adelphi for our first Warren Records gig - and it went down really well! This led to us recording it with the Warren's in-house producer Adam Pattrick at their studios. We are so grateful for all the attention that this song has received as we truly did put our whole heart and soul into the release.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Jr7hqatyg

Picking up airplay on their local BBC Introducing show and other stations, Empty Banner also have plenty more feathers in their musical cap;

“We’ve had quite a few big moments. Playing local festival Humber Street Sesh two years in a row was truly amazing! We also played Bridlington Spa which was a WOW! moment for us and led to us playing there again, opening up for a Battle of the Bands contest. However, our best experience was when we supported The Glasshouse just after ‘Dead To Me’ was released and the interaction from the crowd was insane. Everyone was shouting the lyrics back at us, making the set perfect for us.”

Coming up this month Empty Banner will be supporting Congratulations on 8th November at Polar Bear, plus they’ll be unveiling a brand new single 'Missing Out' on 24th November.

Keep an eye on their socials for details on more gigs, plus news of their debut EP which is coming in the new year. And in the meantime, be sure to stream ‘Dead To Me’ here.

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