All-women mixtape 'so supportive and empowering'

"There's some really amazing artists that just haven't been discovered yet and I just can't wait for everyone to hear what's happened."

Ceev is one of 16 female musicians and performers from Northern Ireland on a new mixtape called Ellas.

It will be released on streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music at the end of August.

Some of you will remember piecing together a mixtape as a teen and Ellas showcases a variety of musical styles.

From social media to buskers

All of the songs have been written and recorded in Belfast by the 16 women involved since early 2023.

DJ and musician Katie Martinez is behind Ellas.

Katie said there was a gap in the music industry, especially for women

She had the idea of a music collective for women, where they could collaborate and release new music.

To make her idea a reality, Katie contacted musicians on social media and also contacted some women who were busking.

Some had been writing songs and performing for years, others had less experience.

James Ayo from Hotbox music studio in Belfast also came on board and the mixtape sessions could begin.

He and his team have also produced music videos for some of the tracks.

A bit of everything

"It just felt possible all of a sudden, we had this space to use to be able to record all these songs and get everyone together and it just formed over time," Katie Martinez told BBC News NI.

"I felt that there was a bit of a gap, especially in the music industry, for women.

"We have a bit of everything. We have some folk, some R'n'B, we have some rock as well.

"We had sessions with up to eight girls at a time."

Explosion of genres

Ceev was one of the artists involved, travelling to Belfast from Newry on a regular basis to take part.

Ceev says making the mixtape brought on some crazy ideas

"It was my first time being around so many women that were also involved in music, especially coming from Newry," she said.

"When we got here it was just like a big explosion of all these genres, so the ideas that were coming out were just crazy.

"I would never picture myself singing a dance song, but the first single that's coming out is me singing on a dance track."

'Out of my comfort zone'

That first single, to be released on Saturday ahead of the whole mixtape, is called Lemonade & Whiskey.

Like all of the songs on the mixtape, it is a collaboration between a number of the women.

Alice is also one of the musicians involved, whose usual style is electronic pop but the mixtape session led her to expand her range.

"There's tracks that I'm singing on, that are actually rock tracks," she said.

"I was really out of my comfort zone which I liked."

Alice added that she noticed many girls' confidence had soared and Ceev echoed that.

"It was so supportive and empowering, it actually gave me confidence," Ceev said.

"I have seen myself develop in my own gigs and my own song writing."

She said many women feel a lot of shame for loving themselves and being confident enough to perform which can be a hindrance,

"It's really easy to give up on yourself and think I've been doing this for a long time and I'm not getting anywhere.

"But all you need is that little bit of support and that little bit of reassurance," she added.

Ceev added how excited she is for the release of the mixtape and believes there are more female artists to discover.

And the name of the mixtape?

"People thought I was called Ella for a very long time," Katie Martinez laughs.

"But it's actually 'Ellas' in Spanish.

"'Ellas' means the feminine version of them in Spanish.

"So it just kind of caught on and people started calling it Ellas so it sounds like a girl's name."