4 Rising Female Musicians On How They Got Into The Music Industry And Their Advice For Aspiring Singers

The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions is a series of music festivals that spotlight up-and-coming female artists, providing them with a platform to share their craft and connect with a live audience. For 2023’s edition, Laufey performed her first gig in Singapore at Pasir Panjang Power Station A—a year before she took to the stage at Expo for the Singapore leg of her Bewitched: The Goddess Tour. Held on 7 December, this year’s line-up featured homegrown musicians Shye and Sobs, British singer Liana Flores, as well as American artists Wisp and Juliet Ivy.

The singers captivated fans on stage with their enthralling performances, and once again proved that female musicians are capable of driving the music scene. Keep scrolling to find out more about them and their journey so far:

Shye

What inspired you to start pursuing music?

I was bored at home. I didn’t have many friends, and it was something to do during the holidays. It came from a place of not [being] sure what I wanted to do, and then discovering this music thing that made me very happy.

I was a ballerina growing up. In secondary school, I did theatre, so I have no music background. But one fine December, I decided, hey, I like to sing, so why don’t I try and write a song? That’s how I learned music production and everything else [went] from there.

What has been the biggest highlight and challenge in your journey so far?

The biggest highlight is that from the very beginning, I’ve been independent. I work by myself, and all my music is by me in my room. That’s something that I’m very proud of, because it’s not as easy as it seems.

The most challenging [thing] is staying inspired. Because some days it gets hard, and you feel like, “Did I take the right path?” But I try and remind myself why I started in the first place—it was just out of having fun and not taking everything too seriously—and being a bit more gentle with myself. I think with everything you do, there’s always going to be the good and bad, but it’s just how you see it sometimes, because you can still make the challenges work and become learning opportunities.

Where do you get the inspiration to write your songs? 

I draw inspiration from any kind of experience. They come from my personal life, films, or books. I’m also inspired by other artists. I try to keep my mind open and listen to a variety of genres because I feel like I learn more when I don’t restrict myself to a specific sound. 

Which is your favourite among your songs and why?

My favourite is the single that just came out, “The Sun Will Cry”. After a year of being unsure of my music, it feels like a step back in the right direction. I will also always hold a soft spot for the very first single that I released. It may not be my favourite, but I am thankful for it because it was my beginning.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

The time that we live in is very social media-based—it’s important to be comfortable in front of the camera, and to go out and promote yourself. But one thing that will never change is that you should always remember why you’re doing it; to pace yourself and be realistic. This industry isn’t as easy as it seems, and it’s not always about the happy moments. There’s a lot more work that goes [on] behind the scenes. Be realistic and be willing to put in the work for what you want to achieve, instead of waiting for things to happen for you. We live in a time where you can really make things happen for yourself.

What are your plans for 2025?

I was initially planning on putting up my second full-length album this year, but plans changed because I felt like I was quite lost in my music direction this year. I wanted to give myself some time to just slow down, don’t rush into it; because if I just released an album this year, it would have been putting out the album for the sake of putting out the album. Not so much, because I felt like this deserved to be released. So next year, definitely an album. That’s what I’m working on now. I also hope to do a tour, like an Asia tour, because I’ve been doing music for six years and I haven’t gone on tour yet.

Juliet Ivy

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What inspired you to start pursuing music?

I’ve always been obsessed with music since I was little. I used to play karaoke games at home, and it was my biggest dream to be an artist. But it wasn’t until I got to college and started studying music that I knew that I wanted to put in the work and be an independent artist and really make it happen. It was always a dream, then school made it a reality, a real goal. 

What has been the biggest highlight and challenge in your journey so far?

The biggest highlight is probably playing at my dream venue, Forest Hill Stadium in New York. It’s right here where I grew up. That was such a dream come true, because I had watched shows there my whole life.

The biggest challenge is trying to keep out all the noise, staying grounded and staying authentic. There’s so much going on [in] the industry and there’s so much music around me, that sometimes it can be a little bit scary. All the industry stuff is probably the most challenging, but it’s also the most important part.

Where do you get the inspiration to write your songs? 

I get most of my inspiration from random journal entries that I have in the middle of the night or, like, on the subway. I live in New York, and I like to write a lot about the world; existing and introspection and existentialism, and I get a lot of that just from living in New York, people-watching and thinking about how everyone has their own story. I get a lot of inspiration from my city, and weird, random thoughts that come to me in the middle of the night.

Which is your favourite among your songs and why?

I would say it’s either “breakfast song”, because that song unlocked a songwriting voice in me that I didn’t know I had, and it opened the door to all of the music that came after it. It was a song I put out before I even put out my first EP. A lot of my inspiration and my sound came from that song, because I learned what I like to write about, how I like to write, what I like my voice to sound like. It’s always going to be so important, a pillar of my musical journey.

My other one would be “wet nose”, because that’s about my dog, and I love my dog so much, and the songwriting process was really therapeutic. It was like a stream of consciousness, a journal entry, and I basically didn’t touch the lyrics after that. It feels really raw and personal, but seeing people connect with it is just so cool to me, so that one will always be really special.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

My biggest advice is to be as true to yourself as possible; listen to your gut and do exactly what you want to do. Because there could be pressure to sound, look or dress a certain way, but the thing that makes the best artists is what makes them different.

What are your plans for 2025?

I want to hone in more on my live singing and play a lot of shows. I want to travel and meet more of my listeners, lock in on songwriting, and get better at performing. I’m excited for my music to grow along with me.

Wisp

What inspired you to start pursuing music?

I was very unhappy when I was majoring in computer science in college. I didn’t have a direction in life. When I made “Your Face”, the first song that I put out under Wisp, I knew that was what I wanted to do. That was when I decided to drop out of college to pursue music full-time.

What has been the biggest highlight and challenge in your journey so far?

The biggest highlight is meeting my bandmates and getting to tour with them. I consider them my family and I’m so grateful to be able to share new experiences with them.

The biggest challenge is adapting to a new lifestyle. Being away from my parents for long periods is really stressful. It’s a big adjustment that I have to get used to now that I’m living alone and making music.

Where do you get the inspiration to write your songs? 

I get inspiration from all of my life experiences, especially when I’m on tour, as new environments help me write new lyrics. The people that I meet inspire me the most.

Which is your favourite song among your songs and why?

My favourite song is my newest one, “I remember how your hands felt on mine”. I loved it in the beginning when I first wrote it, but I knew that it wasn’t complete. I saw the potential and went back to the studio to make it into something that I love. After filming the visualiser, it now has a very special place in my heart.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

Go with what you feel is the most genuine to yourself. When you make music, don’t adhere to one genre or sound that may be trending. Just find your sound through what you enjoy listening to and making the most. 

What are your plans for 2025?

My plan is to release the best album that I can, tour a lot more, and become a better songwriter. I would love to travel more outside of tour so I don’t have to work and have some time to myself to relax.

Celine Autumn, Sobs

What inspired you to start pursuing music?

I think overall, just being a huge fan of music. When I was 15, I spent a lot of money going to shows; it was my escape from school. I never thought of wanting to make music, but it naturally happened as I wanted to try [it]. I went into it not knowing what I was doing, and I was really bad at it at the beginning. I guess l was fuelled by the love of music.

What has been the biggest highlight and challenge in your journey so far?

The biggest highlight is that you get to play shows abroad, do tours and meet all fans from all over the world. A lot of them grew up listening to [our] stuff, so that’s nice. 

Being based in Singapore [is a challenge] because the country is small. When you’re in neighboring countries, like, if you’re in Indonesia, Malaysia or the Philippines, you can pretty much have a music career touring within the country.

Where do you get the inspiration to write your songs? 

I get inspiration from everyday life and stories from myself or other people. As I continue to grow as a musician, I don’t see it as a tangible thing but something that I feel. I can listen to a band or song and try to make something from how inspired I am.

Which is your favourite among your songs and why?

I can’t really pick one. If I had to choose two, they would be “World Implode” and “Last Resort”. I remember writing “World Implode” and just singing into the voice memos because I had a melody idea in the shower. It’s crazy that it’s now a full-fledged song that I perform live.

“Last Resort” makes me feel a certain way. Whenever I perform it, I feel taken back to the bittersweet feeling when I first wrote it.

What advice would you give aspiring musicians?

Don’t be afraid to fail. I like to say that you have to climb the cringe hill before you reach the top. I call it cringe hill because when you start something, you suck at it more often than not. You might look back and feel embarrassed but you have to climb it to succeed. Don’t be afraid, do you, and ignore the haters.

What are your plans for 2025?

I want to create more and explore more sounds. I’ve been saying that I want to learn Japanese for a while now. I used to do a lot of yoga too but I stopped, so I want to be fit again, creative, and happy.