Artist-to-watch Little Dog Star shines bright on her debut single “It’s you,” a raw and radiant indie pop anthem of love, growth, and finding strength through change. In our conversation, singer/songwriter Izzy Steele reflects on her Manchester roots, the challenges of moving to London, the artists who inspire her, and how love became the steady force behind her music.
Stream: “It’s you” – Little Dog Star
I wanted where I am from to shine through the music. It’s important to lean into what sets you apart rather than trying to blend in, sonically and lyrically.
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Manchester-born, London-based indie artist Little Dog Star has made a dazzling entrance with her debut single “It’s you,” a dreamy, glistening indie pop reverie dressed in alternative garb.
Her voice is radiant, the guitars shimmer like city lights after rain, and the emotion – raw and unfiltered – pulses through every beat. It’s the kind of debut that stops you in your tracks, aches just a little, and still leaves you smiling by the final chorus. Equal parts charming and charged, “It’s you” is a love song, a homesick song, and a coming-of-age anthem wrapped into one.
I’m wide awake
But my head is still spinning
Will it, it get you somewhere
Get you, get you somewhere
I’ve fallen off
For the hell of it, thinking
Will it, it get you somewhere
Get you get you somewhere
I wanna drive
Wanna drive with you baby
Will it it get you somewhere
Get you, get you somewhere
I’m tryna to leave
But there’s something still pulling
Guess you’re the answer
Inspired by a moment of reflection and emotional recalibration, Little Dog Star (aka Izzy Steele) traces the challenges of starting over in a new city and the grounding power of love. “I first went into the studio with Manta Tatton and Jamie Stewart back in February,” she tells Atwood Magazine.
“At the time I’d been listening to a lot of MOIO, Beabadoobee and The Japanese House and thinking a lot about my experience moving to London from Manchester and how hard it was at times. I often wondered how it was ever going to feel the way I wanted it to. Ultimately, the reason I pushed through that time, and remembered what I was here to do, was my girlfriend. Having something stable when everything else felt ever-changing was so necessary.”
“In the studio, the song came together in a few hours, and we had it basically finished by the end of the night. I wanted where I am from to shine through the music. It’s important to lean into what sets you apart rather than trying to blend in, sonically and lyrically. I remember playing it on loop for days after so when it came to finishing the song I tried to keep it as close to the original demo as possible, it had an energy that I didn’t want to lose.”
That energy lives in every second – from the soft swirl of the opening lines to the gut-punch refrain, “Wait! wait! wait! wait! / Don’t leave me / Say you love me / ‘Cause I can’t be something without you.”
And it doesn’t really matter
what we’re talking about
Its still the same, every time
It’s you, my baby
You, you make me
You could you maybe
See it through?
Wait! wait! wait! wait!
Wait, don’t leave me
Say you love me
‘Cause I can’t be something without you
Wait! wait! wait! wait!
It’s a song about holding on – to love, to purpose, to the reasons we stay when everything in us wants to run. You can hear the static of a phone call from a train platform, the tension of being torn between leaving and longing: “I called my mum / From a southeast station / Say I wanna be there / Told me take your time, dear.”
For anyone who’s left home, fallen hard, or simply needed something – or someone – to hold onto, “It’s you” hits where it hurts, then helps you through it. It’s the sound of a young artist finding her voice and letting it ring out, bright and bold and beautifully unafraid. Little Dog Star may be just beginning, but she’s already shining. Atwood Magazine sat down with Izzy Steele to talk about hometown pride, sonic influences, and the power of love to anchor us in uncertain times.
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:: stream/purchase It’s you here ::
:: connect with Little Dog Star here ::
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A CONVERSATION WITH LITTLE DOG STAR
Atwood Magazine: Izzy, it’s great to connect! For those who are just discovering you today through this writeup, what do you want them to know about Little Dog Star and your music?
Little Dog Star: I suppose I’d just want them to love the music. And hope it resonates with them. Liking me or what I’ve got going on is a bonus!
Manchester has a rich legacy of delivering great artists and artistry; what's your relationship like with your hometown, and how does your music reflect that?
Little Dog Star: I love Manchester. I massively miss it, the people there are proud of where they are from. I think that’s really cool. My music is very brutally honest and can be at times a little aggressive. That’s what being home is like! Haha. It’s how we show love and how we sort things out… I like that a lot, it’s refreshing but for me. It’s the part of me that really shines in my songs I think, something I’ve been quick to hide in previous stuff of mine.
The signal’s cutting out
You can’t even hear me now
You don’t get to see me
when I’m lonely and I’m freaking out
breathing keep breathing and
Write down your feeling
Try to decider the meaning
delete them
Been here since October
I’d leave but I know you
Won’t leave so I’ll stay here
Tell me about your sound – this cross-section of bedroom pop and atmospheric indie electronica. Who and what inspires you and what drove you to your own style?
Little Dog Star: I love so many different artists so I am constantly taking inspiration from them and their catalog. Lorde, Muna and The Japanese House – very into their melodic style. And tons of others for different reasons. I think my music will always be evolving. Right now I’m loving the alt pop direction this new music feels like.
What's the story behind your debut single “It's You,” and why did you choose that song as your first ever release?
Little Dog Star: It was the first song I ever really did in a session. It felt like a real change of direction for me and my heart was telling me to put it out first. It was honest and raw and explained where I have been at mentally the past year. It’s about me moving to London after lots of changes in my life. And being in love with someone who makes you want to push through it and stay. Remember why I’m there and what I’m there to do. It’s a love song and the lightness you start to feel after a heavy time.
You've mentioned how, as soon as you stopped beating around the bush, it was very obvious what this song was meant to say... What is this song about, for you?
Little Dog Star: It’s you. It’s always been you. It’s a love song, as much as I didn’t want to admit it.
What do you hope listeners take away from “It's You,” and what have you taken away from creating it and now putting it out?
Little Dog Star: I’ve loved the response so far. Honesty can be really refreshing and cool. Tell that person how you feel NOW!
It’s you, my baby
You, you make me
You could you maybe
See it through?
Wait! wait! wait! wait!
Wait, don’t leave me
Say you love me
‘Cause I can’t be something without you
Wait! wait! wait! wait!
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:: stream/purchase It’s you here ::
:: connect with Little Dog Star here ::
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Stream: “It’s you” – Little Dog Star
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© Izzy Steele
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