Bea Elmy Martin is quietly carving out a vital space within the UK alternative landscape. London born and bred, her music is defined by emotional precision, blending ethereal vocals, orchestral intimacy and brooding electronics. Raised on the sounds of classic soul artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway, Bea developed an early understanding of melody and feeling, using songwriting as a way to process life, love and loss from a young age. She describes songwriting as her journal, a way of breaking overwhelming emotions into something tangible and manageable, allowing moments of beauty, pain and connection to surface gently rather than being forced.
After the release of her 2021 debut single “Blue Escape”, which earned early BBC tastemaker support from Jack Saunders and Lauren Laverne, Bea began a slow, intentional creative journey alongside her producer Dominick J Goldsmith (HÆLOS). That collaboration led to Under The Yew (Vol. 1), released in May 2025, a luminous, grief-to-beauty infused meditation on loss and renewal. Rather than chasing momentum, Bea allowed the work to unfold over time, sustaining its emotional thread through subsequent singles “Lost” and “Born To Fly” from Under The Yew (Vol. 2), before returning in January 2026 with “Unscarred” a track that continued her exploration of transformation and inner strength.
“This project has been a personal excavation,” says Martin. “Under The Yew transforms loss into light—each track a step toward unscarred resilience. ‘Anouk’ feels like coming home.” The record draws comparisons from Air or Portishead to Billie Marten and Adrianne Lenker whilst centering raw emotional precision.
Her new single “Anouk”, offers one of her most intimate moments yet. Written about her best friend, whom she met at university, the song evolved slowly as their relationship changed and deepened over time. “Anouk is a song I wrote about my best friend,” Bea explains. “While recording it, we were living on opposite sides of London, which was challenging at times, but we made it work. Because the song is about someone I love very deeply, every session I felt a push to make it sound more and more ethereal because she is so special to me.” The track became one she revisited more than any other, its structure and feeling shifting alongside the friendship itself. “In a way, the song moved alongside our friendship as it grew and changed. Going back into a song multiple times doesn’t mean you lack intention. Sometimes it’s exactly what a song needs.”
Sonically, “Anouk” leans into softer, more organic elements, pairing plucky acoustic guitars with gentle electronics and celestial harmonies, anchored by Bea’s intimate vocal delivery. A voice note from her friend is laced into the track, adding a deeply personal layer and inviting listeners directly into their bond. The result is a song that captures a specific age, place and emotional chapter that Bea hopes will one day be returned to with laughter, tears and warmth. “A lot changed for both of us during the writing process,” she says, “and I think that movement is woven into the song itself. You can hear the growth, the distance, and the closeness all living side by side.”Across her releases, Bea has earned support from Clash, Notion, Wonderland, EARMILK and Mystic Sons, alongside continued backing from BBC tastemakers Huw Stephens, Tom Ravenscroft, Lauren Laverne and Jack Saunders. With a devoted and organically grown following, Bea Elmy Martin emerges as one of the scene’s most compelling, multidimensional voices: patient, profound, and unmistakably on the rise. The release of “Anouk” will be accompanied by a headline show at The Elephants Head in Camden on the 19th February.