UK Unheard Pt. 5
By Brenessa Roach | October 3, 2026
There’s always more talent waiting to be discovered across the UK. For Part 5 of our “UK Unheard” series, we’re introducing six female artists who are carving out their own sound, building their audiences and bringing something fresh to the UK music scene.
From pop and R&B to alternative sounds and everything in between, these are six artists we think deserve a little more attention.
Let’s get started…
Current monthly listeners: 70K
Ella Megan McNamara, known professionally as Ellur, is an English artist from Halifax. She is the daughter of Embrace guitarist Richard McNamar and made her debut on January 24, 2020, with the single “Reflection”. Since then, she has consistently released music, establishing her own sound across her growing discography.
On August 8, 2024, Ellur released “God Help Me Now,” which became her most popular track, with over 1.6 million streams on Spotify. The song was released as a pre-release single for her debut album, At Home In My Mind, which arrived on February 6, 2026.
On April 26, 2026, she released a deluxe edition of the album, expanding on the original release. Her latest release, “False Start,” arrived on July 14, 2026, in collaboration with Cai Alty.
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Current monthly listeners: 31.3K
Sipprell is a South London-born Greek Cypriot artist who blends R&B and neo-soul. She made her debut on November 11, 2015, with her debut EP Letter D. Since then, she has consistently released music, eventually leading to her debut album Peace in the Madness, which was released on June 8, 2023.
On August 28, 2026, she released the single “Garden,” which is the song that introduced us to Sipprell. This track was also a pre-release single for her latest album Message to the Sky, which came out on October 2.
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Current monthly listeners: 10.9K
PEACH. is a London-based R&B, soul and jazz fusion artist who made their debut on June 16, 2023, with the release of their EP Bops.. They are endorsed by Marshall and has been featured on Spotify’s Best of Jazz UK, Fresh Finds and New Music Friday playlists.
On September 1, 2023, they released the single “Medicine,” which is the song we recently discovered her through. They went on to release several more singles throughout 2023 and 2025. Their latest release and first single of 2026, “Only Human,” arrived on September 25, 2026.
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Current monthly listeners: 16K
PENNY is an indie-pop artist from Huddersfield who made her debut on July 20, 2021, with the single “Sad Puppy.” The track was released as a pre-release single for her debut EP, My Secret Powers, which arrived on January 26, 2022.
PENNY did not release any music in 2023 or 2024, but returned on November 14, 2025, with the single “Shadow Dancing.” The track was later included on her second EP, Prom?, which was released on June 12, 2026.
On September 4, 2026, she released her latest single, “Say It Ain’t So.”
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Current monthly listeners: 47
jaiyex is an artist who grew up in East London, blending alternative pop with UK garage and electronic rhythms. She made her debut on July 24, 2026, with the single “Upside Down.” Following its release, she celebrated the track with a single release party at The Grace in London.
So far, “Upside Down” is jaiyex’s only released track, but she has new music in the works. We’re excited to see what she releases next and to continue following where her sound takes her.
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Current monthly listeners: 1.4K
Lyla is a pop artist from Surrey who made her debut on April 3, 2026, with the single “Untouchable.” On August 7, 2026, she released her second single and latest release, “Fighting Feeling Falling.”
Lyla brings a bright, melodic and modern pop sound paired with honest lyrics. With only two releases so far, we’re excited to see what else she has in store and where her music takes her next.
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Check out our UK Unheard playlist on Spotify:
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