Even though we shouldn’t have to, I’d like to think we’re taking things into our own hands. After all, if they won’t give you a seat at the table, make your own table, right?

In general the representation for POCs in independent music is lackluster and it's not because there isn't any great music out there (there 100% is), but it's because the gate-keepers in the music industry are still white older men and this then reflects the lack of diversity.

Songs are really the driving force of our economy and employing the creators of songs seems like an obvious solution for a consistent supply of songs and in return, stable income for the creators.

This year is probably the first year in my life I've truly felt comfortable talking about it, mainly because I understand change doesn't happen when you're silent.

It’s a cold hard fact that compared with the actual level of diversity within UK society, the indie music world I’ve found myself in is overwhelmingly white, not just in terms of the the music and musicians who break through, but also in terms of behind-the-scenes decision makers, the journalists, the gatekeepers, people in positions of power within the industry.

Growing up, I didn’t see many Anglo-Indian women on 'Top of the Pops', I didn’t hear them on the radio, and I didn’t see them sell out shows at the o2. I believe that this is changing through my generation of musicians…

I honestly couldn’t recommend the Latch mentorship more, it gave me an amazing platform and I’m sure the new Latch mentees will love the experience just as much as I did and benefit from all the invaluable mentoring and expert knowledge.

Emilia Tarrant has been verified by Wonderland for her "crooning vocals and poignant lyricism", as well as finding further support from CLOUT, The Hidden Hits, Neon Music, FAME Magazine, Contact Music and more…

Universal Music have removed all of their music from the social app Triller, after a dispute over payments and licensing. UMG suggests that Triller isn’t giving fair compensation to rights holders

Independent music behemoth AWAL have recently been acquired by Sony for around $430m, a move that significantly weakens the options for an artist to stay truly independent

‘Naive’, Asha Gold’s upcoming release through Bad Key is following on from a flurry of positive support for her EP ‘GOLD01’. Last week, Asha’s track ‘Passenger’ was spun on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show.

Rising Canadian artist and songwriter Alex Frew spoke to Notion Magazine about his new single ‘Something To Hold Onto’, the upcoming EP and dealing with mental health issues.

Open Door is Latch’s mentorship scheme. 2021 will be the second year of the program with six talented individuals gaining music industry experience. The mentorships will consist of weekly video calls, access to learning resources, seminars…

Ahead of the release of ‘Naive’, her latest single - Asha Gold has been announced as one of eight artists that make up the BBC Asian Network’s Future Sounds list for 2021.

I was both thrilled and terrified; I had doubted my abilities and my worth after being rejected for roles over and over again. I never thought I'd ever land my career role, but now I'm here and I'm absolutely loving it and turns out I'm not too bad at it either.

“The sheer resilience and utter adaptability we continue to demonstrate as human beings always astounds me. We utilised our creativity in every sense of the word this year, despite the difficulty we faced and I look to 2021 with the same hope, optimism and excitement I did in December 2019.”

“My highlight of the year was taking part in Latch's inaugural Open Door mentorship scheme. The opportunity to give back to the industry and helping the aspirational mentees form a deeper understanding of PR, as well as their own goals, was an absolute joy...”

With that potential audience out there, how can an artist reach them without the expertise the music industry traditionally provided? That's what we want to do with Feed... build the tools that give artists the marketing and financial resources they need.

“I work with Roo and reach out to brands that align with the artists we work with. I pitch ideas to brands to collaborate with our very talented artists. It's beneficial to both the artist and the brand as it increases exposure and helps break into new markets...”

Once the mentorship began, it was clear that Open Door was exactly the chance I needed. Weekly tasks set by my mentors Hannah and George helped sharpen my skills: drafting up press releases and pitches, scouring the web for new bands and the right places to plug them…