Artist Spotlight

Exclusive Interview With Fast Rising Star (Darla Jade)

Today we had an exclusive chance to interview Darla Jade.

Hello Darla Jade, Thanks for Coming To Honk Magazine To Talk About Your Music Career.

Let’s start off by introducing yourself, you know the basics like name, age, where you’re from. As much or little as you’re comfortable sharing.

Sure! Hi, I’m Darla Jade, I’m an electropop artist from Stoke On Trent in the UK. I’ve been writing my own music now for about 4 years, I started when I was 19 and I’m 23 now.

Talk me through your creative process:

So my creative process can differ a lot, sometimes I have a specific lyrical concept or idea that I want to talk about in the song, or I sometimes start with melody first and then lyric after, so it’s pretty varied.

How do you solve productivity/scheduling problems and reduce overwhelming situations?

I tend to write A LOT of To Do lists haha and my calendar is literally my best friend at this point. I sometimes book things quite ahead of time, which can get overwhelming, but to be honest, I just live day by day and try not to stress about things that are too far into the future, as that makes everything much more manageable for me.

What’s the best advice you ever received concerning music?

The best advice is a common one, but genuinely the most important in my opinion, and it is to always follow your intuition and gut because if something doesn’t feel right then it probably isn’t.

What is still your biggest challenge?

Imposter syndrome is something I massively struggle with and for some reason I just can’t shake it off. I actually have a song about it that’s coming out in October – but yeah it’s that feeling of success being a fluke when in actual sense it was just hard work and determination.

What would you have done differently if you knew then what you know now?

I wished I hadn’t rushed anything! When I first started making music I thought to create songs I needed to be able to play an instrument. So I picked up the ukulele and started writing, all of my music basically sounded a bit indie folk and I put it out and then I discovered pop producers and then I actually realised that this was the sound I wanted to make. So yeah if I could go back, I’d definitely tell my younger self to work with lots of different producers and find the sound you actually want to make.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

Ahh such a tough question! I think it would have to be Sigrid, I feel like she is so talented and such a big inspiration!

What are you focusing your time on now?

Right now I’m getting ready to release my sophomore ep ‘Only The Paranoid Survive,’ which is coming out on all platforms on the 14th October! It’s a six track ep and I’m just so so excited to share it! Other than getting ready for that, I’m writing new music for next year and also playing quite a few shows, which is really cool! I have a few London shows coming up and my next one is on the 28th September at Roadtrip & The Workshop.

How do you currently feel about the state of electropop in general?

I think electropop is still very much in at the moment, but I do feel like there is a slight shift now to a more punk rockier sound. Although, I think the new 80’s electro pop style will just keep going strong though, because it’s got such a nostalgic feel good vibe to it! I think the ‘Stranger Things’ soundtrack has also really helped electropop stay relevant too, which is great!

What keeps you going when things get tough in the music industry?

I guess the music is what keeps me going. I really don’t think I can see myself not making music at this point. Sometimes I have a hard time processing or talking about my feelings, so making music is an outlet for me. I also think it’s really good to talk to other creatives, because they are going through the exact same struggles, so that definitely makes the tough times in the industry a lot easier knowing you’re not alone.

How can our readers follow you online?

I am on all of the main social media platforms! Here are my handles:

Instagram – @itsdarlajade

Facebook – @itsdarlajade

Twitter – @its_darlajade

TikTok – @itsdarlajade

Spotify, Soundcloud and Youtube – Just type in Darla Jade and I should come up.

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Artist Spotlight

Kayla Marque lights a fire with “Slow Burn”

Kayla Marque has returned with a new single, “Slow Burn,” a simmering, soul-passionate affair that holds you well past when the last notes die out. True to her endlessly evolving artistry, Marque serves up something future-facing and thoughtful, stitching together a grunge-adjacent bassline with ethereal melodies and haunting vocal dynamics.

Right from the outset, “Slow Burn” sucks you into its smoky milieu. The measured bassline sounds plucked from the ‘90s alt-rock golden age and dunked in modern, velvety skin. But Marque’s voice brings center stage, fluent, forceful, and emotionally detailed. She doesn’t only sing; she tells stories, whispers, and wails, and her approach lends the music an astonishing contrast between restraint and release.

As the song progresses, there’s something undeniably mesmerizing about how the instrumentation interacts with the vocals. The melodies shimmer like heat off the pavement, entrapping listeners in a hypnotic haze that feels at once intimate and cinematic. Marque displays not only her vocal range but also her emotional depth. Every note feels deliberate, and every word feels lived-in.

What’s so exciting about “Slow Burn” is how it feels like another chapter in a broader story. Kayla Marque has consistently refused to settle into a single groove, and this track demonstrates that she’s continuing to push limits and defy expectations. There’s a rawness here, an audacity that doesn’t plead for attention but commands it regardless. It’s a song that reveals more textures and emotions after every listen. “Slow Burn” is a vibe, a feeling, a statement. It’s another step in Kayla Marque’s evolution as an artist, and if this is what’s to come, we’re in for something special.

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Artist Spotlight

Michael Gungor shares a beam of light in a noisy world for “Same Sky”

Michael Gungor is back with a bright new offering in “Same Sky,” a song that brims with hope, heart, and harmony. Famed for pushing musical boundaries and weaving soul-stirring messages into his work, Gungor once again taps into something universal, but this time, it feels even more personal.

“Same Sky” is quietly earning it. From the opening couple of seconds, Gungor’s earnest vocals draw you into a dramatic pop arrangement that swells with elegance instead of aggression. It’s uplifting without being preachy, powerful without overwhelming, and an emotional sweet spot that only an artist as seasoned as Gungor could easily manage. What really lodges, though, is the chorus. It is an anthemic quality, the kind you pause mid-scroll or mid-thought to take a breath during. It’s as if to remind you that we still live under the same sky, however divided the world feels. That simple but profound message feels like a quiet awakening in an era of turmoil.

The production is clean and warm, imbued with a modern pop sensibility that never overwhelms the emotion at the center of the song. Every element, the soft percussion, the delicate synth layers, the melodies that tilt toward the sky like a beam of sunlight breaking after a storm, feels carefully placed as an accompaniment to Gungor’s voice, which wavers between tender and assertive.

It’s a timely song. “Same Sky” takes note of our common humanity without getting preachy in a world that can feel like splintering apart at the seams. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering his music, “Same Sky” is a lovely entry into Gungor’s world, one marked by purpose, artistry, and the kind of emotional honesty we could all stand to listen to more.