For the last seven years or so, I’ve been writing pieces periodically on the theme of “five female artists you need to hear.” I’ve profiled many A and B list artists for BUST over the years, from Norah Jones to Rickie Lee Jones. But these pieces give me a chance to shine a spotlight on some talented female musicians who aren’t as well known — either because they’re new or because they’ve just never broken through to the mainstream. And trust me when I tell you there’s a lot of female talent in the music industry these days.
This latest group of five artists is a treasure trove. You’ll find everything from an electronica duo to a country trio, a jazz singer to a singer-songwriter whose new album was written by her male alter ego. If at least one or two of these ladies doesn’t strike your fancy, check your pulse!
NIGHT CANDY
Night Candy is an electronic duo composed of singer-songwriter Natalie Walker and writer-producer Darren Burgos. Their self-titled debut (which is available on all major streaming platforms) contains a dozen tracks. While most are originals, there is also a terrific cover of The Cocteau Twins’ “Cherry Colored Funk.” Of the originals, this writer’s favorite is “Calamity,” a disco Italia track that takes aim at reckless leadership (a certain orange sociopath comes to mind!). Other highlights include “Running Into Trouble,” “Self Sabotage” and “Curiosity.”
Walker — who originally hails from Indiana — has been making music professionally for over 20 years. Before Night Candy, she was a member of the electronica projects Daughter Darling and Mouchette. She has also released several solo albums including her excellent debut Urban Angel and Strange Bird.
“Night Candy lives in a different lane than my solo work,” Walker explains. “It’s where I let myself experiment more freely with dance driven genres — and Darren is the ideal collaborator for that exploration. The project leans heavily into synths, which gives it a distinctly electronic identity — separate from the more organic sound of my work under my own name.” She also collaborated with Thievery Corporation back in the day on a remix of her song “Quicksand.” The connecting tissue remains her smooth, sultry vocals and introspective lyrics.
For his part, Burgos has been making music since the 1980s with an emphasis on synth-pop. He has collaborated with artists like Lost In Stars and Kid Moxie. If you’re a fan of electronic pop, Night Candy could be the ultimate late night nosh!
TROUSDALE
Trousdale — named for a street that runs through USC where they met — plays a radio friendly mix of country and pop. Comprised of guitarist Lauren Jones, keyboardist Quinn D’Andrea and multi-instrumentalist Georgia Greene, what really sets Trousdale apart is their shimmering three-part harmonies.
The trio first garnered attention on social media by covering everyone from Katy Perry to The Beach Boys. In 2023, they released their debut album, Out of My Mind. But last year, Trousdale really broke out with their sophomore set, Growing Pains. In the wake of its release, they toured with Maren Morris, appeared on various TV shows and made their Grand Ole Opry debut.
Growing Pains includes a dozen songs that maintain the trio’s signature harmonies, while seeing an increased sophistication in songwriting. The title track is an honest ode to growing up while other songs, like “Want Me Back” and “Secondhand Smoke,” examine failed relationships. The band co-produced the disc with veteran songwriter and producer John Mark Nelson. “He’s always thinking about the big picture and staying out of the weeds,” says Jones. “We used to live in the weeds! But John Mark helped us focus on the album as a whole.”
Trousdale unveiled a deluxe version of Growing Pains in May. This version features two new songs, one being a cover of the beautiful Neil Young chestnut “Old Man.”
MAYA J’AN
Maya J’an (pronounced Jay-ON) is a young artist whose music lives at the intersection of alternative rock and R&B. As a songwriter, she has already collaborated with Pharrell, Justine Skye and Aqylia (their song “Bloom” won the Juno Award for Contemporary R&B Recording of the Year in 2025). Now she is ready for her close up.
Maya recently released her debut single, “cul-de-sac” on Warner Records. The song is both a tribute to her hometown of Pasadena, California and a preview of her upcoming EP. “I was born in Pasadena,” says Maya. “I slept in a two bedroom apartment on Euclid street with my parents and I snuggled between my two sisters. It is a really sacred place to me — a place with a lot of light, treelined streets, neighbors who know each other, and evenings that slow down in a way you don’t realize is special until you’re older.” The wildfires that devastated the city last year were what prompted her to write “cul-de-sac.”
Maya’s influences are diverse, but one woman she really admires is Kate Bush. “I found her music when I was in high school in my a capella choir ,” she remembers. “What I love about Kate Bush is the permission she gives to be dramatic, soft, strange, spiritual and deeply human all at once. She’s a reminder that vulnerability and boldness aren’t opposites at all.”
Of her EP Maya states, “There is definitely a shared emotional thread, but the [music] has some range. Some tracks feel more intimate and diary-like, while others are a little adventurous. If ‘cul-de-sac’ is the street I grew up on, the EP is the wider neighborhood of my life: different rooms, different moods, but always connected.”
ELISE TROUW
The new album by California native Elise Trouw (rhymes with snow) is sure to appeal to fans of contemporary pop. The Diary of Elon Lust — which arrived, appropriately enough, on the eve of Valentine’s Day — is a song cycle written from the POV of a male alter ego. Elon is “a fictional 20-something male persona who embodies a cocktail of entitlement, objectification, and weaponized likability.” It must also be said that on the album cover, Trouw — made up as the title character — bears a disturbing resemblance to Justin Bieber.
Some of the titles on this 14-song effort include “You’re More Fun When You’re Drunk,” “BJE (short for Blow Job Eyes),” “Because You Are Hot” and the opening track, “All You Need Is Lust.” I asked Trouw point blank if the 20-something dating scene is as empty and hookup driven as it sounds.
“For me, the album isn’t really about the twenty-something dating scene as much as it’s about what it feels like to exist as a woman in this world,” she replies. “A lot of my formative experiences were shaped through dating culture and interactions with men, so that inevitably shows up in the work. But Elon Lust isn’t a literal portrait of one person or a verdict on an entire gender. He’s an amalgamation. I like to think of him as a personification of lust itself.” Fair enough.
The key track on the album may be its second song, “The Perfect Girl.” Sandwiched between “All You Need Is Lust” and the infectious, erotic “She Was Naked,” the song is basically a list of qualities that would make up Elon’s dream girl. Needless to say, most of these qualities are physical attributes pulled together in a “one from column A, one from column B” sort of way. Another highlight is “A Little Blood,” which tackles menstruation and bodily shame.
Though she’s not quite 27, Trouw is no newcomer to music. She initially came to prominence nearly a decade ago with a series of drumming and live-looping videos. These won her millions of followers on social media. Her debut album, Unraveling, earned her an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and a slot opening for Incubus of all bands! “At that point, they were some of the biggest shows I’d played,” she says of the trek. “I was super nervous, of course, but also very excited to be there. Everyone in the band is lovely.”
GABRIELLE CAVASSA
Vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa will make her Blue Note Records debut on the first of May with the album Diavola. Yet another California native, Cavassa is currently based in New Orleans. In addition to honing her chops in NOLA clubs, she independently released a self-titled album in 2020. A year later, she was one of the winners of the Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition.
Most of the 10 songs on Diavola are either jazz or pop standards; they range from Sammy Kahn’s “Be My Love” to the Bacharach/David classic “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” But Cavassa co-wrote the title track and also penned the wittily titled “Bossy Nova” on her own.
Cavassa is joined on the new album by some jazz heavyweights including guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Brian Blade and saxophonist/composer Joshua Redman. In 2023, she was the featured vocalist on Redman’s album where we are, which led to this collaboration. He co-produced Diavola with the legendary Don Was. “Josh was with me every step of the way,” says Cavassa. “He was the comfort and the trust through the whole process.”
The album’s title track is based on a character that Cavassa created — a character who finds her opposite in the song “Angelo” by Luigi Tenco. “In ‘Angelo,’ this character is coming from a really dark place,” she explains. “Maybe it’s just a manipulator in the cycle of abuse… [But] ‘Diavola’ is coming from an angelic place, being in a relationship and trying to appease the other person. They’re a pair because they sort of turn into each other.”
