Halloween has always been about transformation and trying on different identities. But São Paulo-born, New York-based pop artist Laura Pieri is doing something far more subversive. She reclaims the women that history tried to silence by calling them monsters.

The team at STARFREAK Magazine is all about a good time. The good times where you have to get a little bit freaky to reach the state of being free and inspired, living a BRAT summer for the entirety of your existence. And, thankfully, London-based Rose Gray meets us on the same level as she navigates the music industry as an underground dance-pop queen.

Thursday night at SJQ’s basement stage carried the glow of something more than just another gig. Caught Me by Surprise – a three-band showcase leading up to Harry’s long-anticipated headline – felt like a reunion and a revelation rolled into one. Two radiant singers opened the night, weaving warmth into the room before handing it over to Harry Jowett, who marked the moment as both a celebration of past releases and a doorway into what’s next.

Describing her sound as “Indie pop soul”, Anna Lynch is a powerfully emotive voice that is shining through the Manchester music scene. Citing influences from Amy Winehouse and Laura Marling, Anna has spent the past few years making a name for herself in the local live scene by gigging at some of Manchester’s most renowned venues, including the iconic Blues Kitchen, where her live music career first began.

After years of hard work, Celeste’s highly anticipated second studio album Woman Of Faces will be released on November 14th on Polydor Records. The album features nine songs, including the previously released singles “On With The Show”, “This Is Who I Am” and her latest single, “Woman Of Faces”. 

I’ll be honest – Eileen Alister’s singles leading up to her debut album kept getting better and better, to the point where I started wondering: what could possibly be left for the full project?