Ashnikko—described as an anarchic pop artist raised on country music and Slipknot—signed to Parlophone in early 2017. She was initially retained for one EP, after the A&R team found her on social media. Relates Nick Burgess, label Co-President alongside Mark Mitchell, “We immediately identified Ash as something unique that excited us. We didn’t know exactly what she was capable of at that stage, but we knew she had huge potential.” So he and Mitchell signed her to an album deal.

Ashnikko’s song with Yung Baby Tate, “Stupid,” kicked things off last summer. She has since amassed more than 500m streams across three EPs and one mixtape, with latest single “Daisy” alone accounting for 100m of those.

“She has the same qualities as Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish in that she’s completely comfortable making people uncomfortable,” Burgess says, “but in a way that excites and intrigues. She has a strong feminist message about being who you are, not what society, especially men, want you to be. This is coupled with a genuine gift for melody and lyrics.”

Ashnikko will release a new single, “Deal With It” featuring Kelis, in January 2021. Her eight-song mixtape DEMIDEVIL will follow in February. Ashnikko’s debut album is set to drop in mid- to late 2021.•

Folk-pop singer/songwriter Maisie Peters built a following on YouTube after trawling the open-mic circuit as a teen, which caught the attention of Atlantic U.K. VP of A&R Paul Samuels. When she was brought into the label, the team was “blown away by her storytelling ability,” says Atlantic Co-President Briony Turner, who also notes: “Maisie’s love of literature and ability to play with language is amply evident. She’s also not afraid to be who she is and connect with her fans in ways that are personal to her.”

The Atlantic U.K. team signed Peters in 2017. She’d been working with labelmate and BRIT Award-winning producer Fred Again, who’d “formulated a great production direction for her,” says Turner. “We were all really excited about where she was heading and what she was creating.”

Thus far Peters has released two EPs and a string of singles. In 2019 she sold out London’s 2,000-capacity Shepherd’s Bush Empire. She’s supported Tom Walker on tour and has future warm-up slots confirmed for Lauv and Niall Horan. Peters has been championed by NME, Clash, Sunday Times Culture, BBC and The Independent. Believers have also turned up at BBC Radio 1 (B- and C-list singles and Tune of the Week).

“We encourage our artists to collaborate and cross-pollinate and we have some exciting plans for Maisie coming up,” Turner reveals. “She’s incredibly ambitious and we’re here to support her and make these dreams a reality. For now, it’s all about growing her fanbase and showcasing her songs and winning personality.”•

Northern Ireland’s JC Stewart was discovered by Warner Records U.K. A&R Tobi Omoloja, who played his song “Medicine” for A&R Manager Jerome Porritt. Porritt says he “was instantly struck by how brilliant Stewart’s voice was and how assured his songwriting,” adding: “After a quick Google search, I came across his Mahogany Session of the same song and realized that his voice is as good live as it is on record. He is absolutely the real deal.”

Not long afterward, Porritt, Stewart and Stewart’s manager, Luke Williams of Closer Artists, had a few pints in Kensington. “I was taken aback by how bright and driven he was for someone so young,” Porritt admits. Warner Records U.K. offered him a deal the following day and, after a signing battle, emerged victorious in late 2018.

Stewart has released a string of singles as an artist and co-wrote “Hollywood” for Lewis Capaldi’s debut album. He’s been praised by Wonderland, Sunday Times Culture and the Evening Standard, enjoyed features in Notion and Clash, cover stories in Rollercoaster and TMRW Mag and been deemed a rising star by Apple Music. Furthermore, he’s toured with Capaldi, Lauv and Anne Marie, sold out a four-night residency at The Islington in London and played BBC Radio 1’s virtual Big Weekend.•