You may not have heard of Elle Exxe yet but you will. The Scottish artist on the rise has crafted a debut album of pop perfection which is already gaining attention within the industry and music community alike.

Her hard work over the past couple of years, all without the help of a major label, is just waiting to be rewarded with big stages to showcase future pop anthems you'll no doubt be hearing in the clubs.

The pop genre is something she's been doing "for about two and a half years now", but she knew from a young age that music was in her sights.

Elle says, "I think I always loved music, I was bashing tubs with chopsticks and singing into microphones," but it was her relationship with her Grandma that pushed her into pursuing a career as a performer.

"She was always singing to me and I knew it was something I always dreamt of doing. When she died, it meant I started as she stopped," she adds.

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This led to Elle joining school band and learning to play everything from piano to saxophone. Her first experience of a live show came about by chance, as her brother's singer dropped out of an Edinburgh Fringe Festival performance she stepped in, "my mum had heard me in the bathroom and said I was really good. So I got my first few shows with my brother on acoustic guitar and me singing."

But she quickly realised the mellow, sombre feel of acoustic performances were not for her. "I struggled because my audience would be emotional and in tears and it would make me want to cry too. I thought, I want to party!" she adds, "I loved performing but really love that kind of music more."

Elle's move to the electropop sound she now truly owns was first crafted following a stint in L.A. "I didn't know what I was doing, I just kind of opened myself up to opportunity, just by meeting people and sending out so many e-mails," she says.

Her determination to create music in the city of dreams sparked the lead single from her debut album. The track "Lost In L.A." which references dive bars, Blondie and motel rooms may seem, "ironic and cliché but I was pretty lost when I was in L.A."

Elle won 'Best Female Artist' at the Unsigned Awards in 2016

In the following months when she returned to the UK she brought with her the same focus that created the beginnings of her record. "I came back with the same attitude. I wrote a lot of material with no plan but they ended up on the album."

Despite tracks including "Lie to Me" and "Home With You" being around for a couple of years now, slowly attracting new listeners, they still made it onto the final cut and it’s no surprise why.

The pop bangers still sound as relevant and fresh today and both have the ability to easily spearhead a return of pop anthems into the dance and tropical house-heavy music charts we’re suffocating in at the moment.

She often plays with melancholic lyrics against a classic pop backdrop, as Elle puts it, "I write a lot of suffering, love songs and then there'll be angry, hate songs. It's a contradiction that some people won't understand but my co-writer thinks that contrast is what makes me special. I became obsessed with it, it's really interesting artistically to play on."

The music video to "Lost In L.A." explores the party lifestyle side of L.A. which is easy for any artist to get drawn into and forget their main focus. However Elle's decision to take the helm as director quietly tells us she's focused on avoiding those habits and wants to be in charge of her artistic output, both musically and visually, which is still - in 2017 - difficult for women.

Back in May Elle responded to an article on Twitter which commented on the silencing of females in the music studio, she said: "A lady once said to me 'it's better to have male producers cause you know if you get girls in there they'll be all giggly & shit'", later adding that her friend was told, "sorry girls can't produce but can you topline?".

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As a producer herself these horror stories have shocked her, she adds: "My face dropped because she's really talented, I just can't imagine being told that." This attitude towards women in the music industry doesn't seem to be changing quickly, the small 15% of women signed up to PRS, a society for songwriters and composers, only echoes that.

Elle delves further into her own experiences saying: "Fortunately I haven't received that from producers too much, normally when I go in they ask me what I want to make. But I have had to sit there and wait until needed."

However she thinks that the representation of women's stories are hugely lacking despite the current new wave girl power trend in pop culture. "It means 85% of what we hear on the radio is actually by men so we're getting a skewed message."

Yet she believes it's something that shouldn't cause a division between male and female producers as Elle adds, "It's an issue we need to deal with positively, I just want to see more women out there who are open to producing."

So far Elle Exxe has released her debut album independently, directed music videos and performed sets for BBC Introducing all without a record label's support.

It's quite an impressive feat that is definitely not easy in the ever-changing music industry. A highlight was winning "Best Female Solo Artist" at the UK's "Unsigned Music Awards" which celebrates the best emerging acts.

"It was amazing, I cried but in a 'cool' way like Harry Styles says," she quips. "You're still funding the record and putting in everything you can to be acknowledged. I've been working so hard and winning it meant all to me."

As well as these achievements she has also played at some of the biggest festivals including Great Escape, Sound City, Isle of Wight and this summer she'll add a V Festival set to that list.

Elle will perform on the MTV Stage at this year's V Festival

However being an emerging artist and recognised by a board of judges is one thing, now she has to convince the audience that her album isn't one to be skipped.

The album is a full-to-the-brim pop dream, with no duds which hasn't gone unnoticed by listeners as Elle says, "I'm really happy with the reviews, I'm kind of new to all that so it's hard not to take them in."

From speaking to Elle it's clear that she worked hard to put this album together and it was a piece of work that only needed her approval: "When I set out to write the record it wasn't to get good reviews. It was just to be the best I can and put all my heart into it," she adds.

Her live performances are another element to showcase her true talent as emerges into the mainstream, "I get the ultimate freedom to do what I want."

A number of her performances have included covers of tracks like "Killing In the Name Of", perhaps not something you'd expect from the pop genre. They are high energy with a rockstar attitude from the front woman, which Elle is clearly channeling from bands like Rage Against the Machine.

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On her live shows Elle says: "The crowd gets escapism at my shows. We connect with those on stage, and the people around us, it's a dream."

Looking back on her exciting music career so far, in particular the debut record which is now forever here for the world to play, and will always be the first reflection of Elle Exxe as an artist, she notes: "I always wanted to make something I'm going to be proud of in 10 years."

Elle Exxe will perform at Hylands Park for V Festival 2017 and tickets are available here.

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