Get to know: ettie - Awkward, Charming, and Loud in All the Right Ways

In a genre still largely dominated by male bands and cookie-cutter angst, ettie stands out like a bright pink flare in the night sky. London-based, queer, pop-punk, alt-rock, raw, funny, and fearlessly honest. ettie is blazing a trail that is equal parts vulnerable and loud-as-hell.

She describes her sound as “very honest, very queer, like Avril Lavigne meets Paramore meets that one diary you kept from the age of 12-14 that if the world saw it they would think you needed an exorcism, and very heavy guitars.” That should tell you everything.. and yet, somehow, it barely scratches the surface.

For ettie, the music started early, very early. “I have been writing songs since I was about nine years old, before I even really knew what I was doing,” she says. Writing was always the outlet, but music was the form that finally clicked. “It was the only place I felt like I could be honest.”

The “aha” moment came not in a classroom or studio, but under arena lights. “The day I saw the Hannah Montana: Meet Miley Cyrus Tour in 2007 was the day I knew my career destiny hahahaha,” she recalls. Laugh if you want, but it was the spark. “You heard it here first - if I ever sell out an arena it is directly linked to Miley Cyrus.”

ettie's journey hasn’t been easy. Just as she was gearing up to release new music last year, a traumatic accident left her with a broken neck and spine. “It felt like I was finally at a place in my career where so much was going to change,” she says. “To then be bed-bound for two months... was almost soul-destroying.”

And yet, what came next was nothing short of transformative. “While yes it did suck, I was extremely lucky to walk out of that situation alive... it’s really shown me that every day is a gift that is not guaranteed.” The forced pause shifted her entire mindset and her music. “All of the songs I am now releasing I wrote after my accident, and even though I might be biased, I think they’re miles better.”

In a genre where solo queer women are still rare, ettie knows she’s filling a vital gap. “It’s very uncommon in pop-punk... especially women, and even more so than that, queer women.” Her goal? Create the kind of space she didn’t see growing up. “I want people to feel seen... and I hope my music can be a safe space for people who want to do the same.”

Fans are already responding. Her latest single, “You’ll Never See Me Cry,” dropped July 9th and has quickly become a fan favourite. “We’ve been playing the song live at my gigs for the last 6 months... hearing people sing it along on its release day was just amazing.” The song, inspired by a simple phrase that stuck with her, took on a cinematic life of its own. “It really lent itself to pushing the boundaries of my sonic identity.”

A fan manifested that ettie would play Dublin, and now she’s headed there for her first festival main stage at Dykonic this August. “It’s showing me that my fans are witches and you should come join the coven.”

That kind of connection comes naturally for someone who calls herself “raw and honest” but admits fans might also see her as “awkward and charming.” She's also refreshingly candid about her recent ADHD diagnosis: “Let me tell you - everyone knew hahaha. I have quite raging unmedicated ADHD but it does make me fun at parties.”

And yes, if you wave at her from the crowd and she doesn’t wave back - don’t take it personally. “I have very bad eyesight... So if you think that I looked right at you and ignored you, no I didn’t! I just didn’t see you! I promise!”

There’s more music coming this year, more shows, and even more clarity on the sound she wants to shape going forward. “This year of releases has taught me a lot about my sound... and I think I already have some ideas about what will come after.”

Her ultimate dream? A publishing deal. “Songwriting is the core of why I do this and I would like to be able to make that more of a career as well as my biggest passion in life.”

That, and of course texting Miley Cyrus when she finally sells out an arena.

ettie is living proof that authenticity always cuts through.

Connect with ettie on Spotify, YouTube and Instagram