Voices Of A Generation

Finding independence, empowerment and self-expression: three up-andcoming young musicians tell us about how they have used their music to help them tackle issues like mental health and identity

- Emma Ienzer

SHYE

For an artist who began making music in her bedroom on Apple's free app, GarageBand, 19-year-old Shye-Anne Brown has come a long way. Brown, who goes by the stage name of Shye, has since appeared on Spotify's dazzling billboard in New York City's Times Square, and has since released hits like Love U, which has over 1.6 million streams on Spotify. But for her, it isn't about the fame. “Making music has always been my sanctuary,” she says - and she hopes that her music will help her listeners and fans achieve the same comfort that she finds in it.

You've often been referred to as a bedroom-to-billboard artist” or even an 'accidental musician. Why's that?

I started out with writing songs and playing simple chords (which I learnt from the internet) before transitioning to using music software like GarageBand and Logic to produce more. It was all done in my bedroom, and that's where I still make my music. It's accidental because I guess I never intentionally set out to pursue music. I'm not musically trained, nor did I grow up in a musical household: I also didn't know anything or anyone in the industry! Music was just a way to pass time and learn something new, a hobby – in a way, it still is, but obviously I take this ‘hobby' very seriously now.

I think I realised I would love to keep making music when people actually turned up to support me at my first ever showcase at Vans Musicians Wanted. More people started coming to subsequent shows. To see and hear them singing and dancing along to my songs really solidified the fact that I loved what I was doing. That will always be special, and I'm very thankful to be able to share my music with others. Hopefully, my music has brought someone happiness and made things a little better for them.