GEM Magazine

22/12/2025

At just seventeen, Australian rising star and Triple J Unearthed High winner Mariae Cassandra is already shaping a world entirely of her own. Just over a month ago, she released her debut EP, ‘Everything In My Backpocket’ – the project is meant to feel like reaching into an old pair of jeans and finding fragments of past selves tucked inside, as all six songs were written between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. With roots in the Philippines and a growing artistic voice shaped in part by the dreamy grit of Beabadoobee, Mariae is ready to let the world rummage through the back pocket of her life, unfiltered, vulnerable, and remarkably compelling. 🖤

Check out the below to read the full chat. 🙌

📸: Jenna Elson

At just seventeen, Australian rising star and Triple J Unearthed High winner Mariae Cassandra is already shaping a world entirely of her own. Just over a month ago, she released her debut EP, ‘Ever…

16/12/2025

Zayä Kai's journey so far is an extensive one with all its colourful twists and turns – from studying Fine Arts at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, hosting Open Mic Nights in London and forming multiple bands, to now owning a private studio in the picturesque Laines in Brighton as one of the most famous tattoo artists in the UK. 🌸

We sat down with the artistic powerhouse to walk down the memory lane of her career, chat all things painting and more, and explore the many outlets and sources of creativity she has found in life. ✨

Follow the link below to read the full chat.

📸: Louisa Wilkie

Zayä Kai’s journey so far is an extensive one with all its colourful twists and turns – from studying Fine Arts at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, hosting Open Mic Nights in London and formi…

26/11/2025

Zander is the name of a new up-and-coming indie musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Leeds, now based in London. With the help of fellow Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts alumni Bob Mackenzie, he released his new EP ‘No Silver’ on November 14th, which focused on the move from his working-class roots in Harrogate to the big city to chase his dreams – something he is still working through as he is adjusting to his first year in London. Ahead of the release, we sat down with the talented artist to chat about all things growing up, music making, out-of-pocket ideas for visuals and his biggest good luck charm. 🧡

Follow the link below to read the full chat. 🎼

📸: Lily Doidge

Zander is the name of a new up-and-coming indie musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Leeds, now based in London. With the help of fellow Liverpool Institute for Performing …

15/11/2025

Pushing the boundaries of what a boyband is and what it is supposed to sound and look like – both in a visual and musical sense – 5 Seconds of Summer's sixth album ‘Everyone’s A Star!’ sees the Australian quartet dissect their journey from American Apparel underwear-wearing teenage heartthrobs to fathers trying to come to terms and play with the complex themes of their past. 💙

Check out the full review of the record via the link below. 🎼

Pushing the boundaries of what a boyband is and what it is supposed to sound and look like – both in a visual and musical sense – 5 Seconds Of Summer’s sixth album ‘Everyone’s A Star!’ sees the Aus…

08/11/2025

"Tucked away in North West London on a chilly Thursday night, Camden Assembly buzzed. People of all ages, groups large and small, as well as solo gig-goers, waited eagerly for 24-year-old indie singer . This was the penultimate date on her UK headline tour, which she called her “first big girl tour” online." 🎶

Follow the link below to read the full review of Ellur’s headline show. 🪩

📸: Sarah Oglesby

Tucked away in North West London on a chilly Thursday night, Camden Assembly buzzed. People of all ages, groups large and small, as well as solo gig-goers, waited eagerly for 24-year-old indie sing…

24/10/2025

Ten years and four albums in, Brisbane-born four-piece The Jungle Giants have grown to be the alt-pop-rock royalty of not just their home country, but the entire global music scene. ✴️

Seamlessly blending their indie roots with R&B waves and dancey beats, the four friends are currently working on yet another chapter of their musical journey, their upcoming fifth studio album, off the back of their recently concluded UK tour. And with even more live appearances to come this year and musical boundaries to be pushed in all directions, the group is nowhere done evolving their sound – and they clearly wouldn’t want to have it any other way. 💜

Make sure to follow the link below to read the full interview on our website. 👀

📸: Byron Spencer

Ten years and four albums in, Brisbane-born four-piece The Jungle Giants have grown to be the alt-pop-rock royalty of not just their home country, but the entire global music scene. Seamlessly blen…

18/10/2025

After just having finished supporting Blink-182 on tour in the US, LA-born and bred new-gen rock band Beauty School Dropout have finally released their highly anticipated debut album ‘WHERE DID ALL THE BUTTERFLIES GO?’. Yet, this is just the beginning of another buys time for the foursome, consisting of Colie Hutzler (vocals), Brent “Beepus” Burdett (bass), Bardo Novotny (producer/guitar), and Colton Flurry (drums), as they embark on a US headline tour to celebrate their release, and another mainstream tour with MGK in 2026. Ahead of their London show last month at the iconic 100 Club, we sat down with the band to discuss not only their debut album but childhood favourites from Prince to ‘Grease’, dropping out of school to focus on their shared love of music, and their fascination with everything dark and meaningful. 🖤

Check out the full chat via the link below. 🥀

📸: Natalia Jones

After just having finished supporting Blink-182 on tour in the US, LA-born and bred new-gen rock band Beauty School Dropout (BSD) have finally released their highly anticipated debut album ‘WHERE D…

06/10/2025

Welsh born, now London living artist Greta Isaac has been known in the music scene as a glittering chameleon ever since stepping foot into it – from moving to the capital with fellow collaborator Orla Gartland, creating the technicolour supergroup FIZZ together with the latter and mutual friends dodie and Martin Luke Brown, to releasing the radically personal EP ‘Productive Pain’ and the Y2K-soaked ‘Dolly Zoom’ project, which welcomes Isaac’s listeners into the campy world of her hyperpop alter-ego. 🌟

We sat down with the 30-year-old musical powerhouse to talk about the release of the two polarising EPs in the span of less than two months, taking inspiration from the people around you and vintage horror movies, and saying goodbye to an older version of yourself and your hometown to pursue your biggest dreams, even though it scares you. 💘

Follow the link below to read the full interview. 👀

📸: Karina Barberis

Welsh born, now London living artist Greta Isaac has been known in the music scene as a glittering chameleon ever since stepping foot into it – from moving to the capital with fellow collabor…

26/09/2025

After almost a decade of zeroing in on their sound and sharpening their skills, the New Zealand-born duo of brothers Pierre and Henry Beasley of Balu Brigada have made it onto the TikTok sound recommendations and hype playlists of music enthusiasts across the globe thanks to viral hit ‘So Cold’ and a support slot on twenty one pilots’ latest world tour. 🌟

Now based in New York City, the alt-pop newcomers recently celebrated the release of their groovy debut album ‘Portal’ at the end of August, and are preparing for their upcoming North American headline voyage, right on the way to snag the official title of the industry’s next big indie-pop superstars. 🖤

Follow the link below to read the full interview.

📸: André Figueirêdo

After almost a decade of zeroing in on their sound and sharpening their skills, the New Zealand-born duo of brothers Pierre and Henry Beasley have made it onto the TikTok sound recommendations and …

19/09/2025

Welcome to the twelfth issue of GEM. The music mag a cut above the rest. 💎

In this edition, we sit down with our cover stars, Balu Brigada, for a deep dive into the creation of the duo’s enthralling debut album ‘Portal’ and take a trip down memory lane of the New Zealanders’ world tour together with alt-rock icons twenty one pilots. Joining them are the Australian indie-pop heroes The Jungle Giants, who let us in on one secret or two about their upcoming full-length record. And lastly, doctor-turned-music-riser Gordi talks us through her years of alternating between concert stages and medical school and ending up at her third LP, ‘Like Plasticine’. 🎶

Our Hidden GEMs section is being taken over by singer-songwriter Melina Blanco and the London-based emerging artist Etta Marcus. Additionally, we shine the most glimmering of lights on the beauty of being part of a fandom – the Twenty One Pilots Clique to be exact –, and for our arts feature, we meet with tattoo goddess, master artist and singer Zayä Kai, who takes us through the realisation of her dream studio in the picturesque lanes of Brighton and the importance of finding creativity in every part of her life. 🌊

Plus, don’t miss out on an array of stellar reviews, and to finish off this issue, we explore the world of Greta Isaac and her electric alter-ego Dolly Zoom, and in an essential opinion piece, we uncover the necessity of political elements in music, free speech on the stages of this world and how “Free Palestine” has become about so much more than just standing up for what is right. 🍉

From thought-provoking breakout hits to rip-roaring rock bangers, from heart-melting films to newcomer underdogs, this edition is filled with everything you need to get you ready for the concert season and beyond. Welcome to GEM Magazine’s twelfth edition – we’ll see you in the pit.

Click the link below to read our free digital version or to support us by getting your hands on your own print copy. 🤩



https://read-gem.com/issue-12/

08/08/2025

With each work, Australian folktronica singer-songwriter, Gordi – aka Dr Sophie Payten – masterfully crafts a distinct identity, both in sound and emotion. Like the metaphor she’s chosen for her third album, 'Like Plasticine', her music has been moulded around all the lifetimes she’s lived. 💫

From the farm where she began playing piano as a child, to the stages and classrooms she alternated between during medical school, to the hospitals where she worked as a doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic, music refused to release its hold on Gordi. Now a full-time touring musician and one of Australia’s award-winning rising stars, Gordi invites us to look inward with her new third record. 🌼

Check out the link below to read the full conversation.

📸: James Robinson

With each work, Australian folktronica singer-songwriter, Gordi – aka Dr Sophie Payten – masterfully crafts a distinct identity, both in sound and emotion. In the backdrop of her gentle vocals, she…

06/08/2025

Meet newcomer and singer-songwriter Katie Phelan . The Irish native left behind her beloved seaside town to move to England’s busy capital and dive headfirst into her music career - something she used as inspiration for her brand new dreamy EP ‘Blues and Greens’. We talked to the young artist to find out more about her songwriting and creative process, her musical childhood memories, and bonded over expressing gratitude for home so far away from it. 🌹

Follow the link below to read the full interview. 🌤️

📸: Olivia Sofia Ferrara

Leaving home to realise your dreams is a bittersweet change of lifestyle and routine that doesn’t come easy and needs a lot of adjusting – an experience the upcoming singer-songwriter Katie P…