Sometimes the best songs come out of heartbreak and pain. That's something Sierra Deaton now knows. In 2017, the Los Angeles-based singer and musician found herself at her lowest point, mourning both the end her band Alex & Sierra and her long-term relationship with her bandmate Alex Kinsey. She was unsure how to rise from the sadness or whether she could even continue making music. But it was in that darkness that Sierra found the light. She began writing new songs, which are now being released under the name Essy, drawn from a childhood nickname used by those closest to her, and represents the fact that Sierra is not the person she used to be.

"When I was writing these songs I was really bitter, I was angry and I was sad, she says. "But writing them worked like therapy - it helped me get to such a better place. If writing these songs was the lowest point of my life then now I'm at the highest. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have this music."

The music pairs pop and R&B tones and embraces a serious girl power vibe. These songs are about a woman coming into her own and finding her independence, a sensibility that comes through in both the lyrics and the hook-laden melodies.

"I just want to make music for the rest of my life," Sierra says. "I'm happiest when I'm creating a song. If even one person can relate to something I make then I'm content. This feels like the right thing for me to be doing." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.