"A glittering dance floor at the end of the world."

NEW SINGLE 'CRY' is streaming now

W: Michelle East I: Jarek Duk

From the underground alternative electronic landscape, Strange DNA is the captivating dark pop vision of artist Jessica English. Blending euphoric synth-driven energy with cinematic melancholia, the project constructs a vivid sonic world where outsiders find their sanctuary. Following the release of her single 'Cry', we sat down with Jessica to discuss darkwave influences, overcoming self-doubt, and turning life's monsters into art.

Strange DNA is a dark electronic pop project created as a place to explore the parts of ourselves that don't always fit neatly into the world around us. Jessica English, a London-based queer artist, makes music centered around identity, transformation, isolation, and becoming who you're meant to be. Having always been fascinated by the strange parts of people, the things we hide and the aspects of ourselves deemed too much or too different—Jessica set out to turn those elements into something beautiful. Describe her sonic identity to a first-time listener, and she frames it as dark, cinematic, and euphoric: a glittering dance floor at the end of the world, capturing the contrast between something that makes you want to move and something that invites you to stare into the void.

"There’s a kind of death in transformation—the person you were has to disappear a little for someone new to emerge."

Behind the scenes, the hour before stepping on stage is fueled by chaotic energy rather than strict rituals. Vocal warm-ups and set checks are balanced alongside a quiet moment to get out of her own head, even as inevitable pre-show self-doubt creeps in, right up until stepping into the spotlight reminds her why she does it. Rather than sitting comfortably inside a single genre, Strange DNA is carving out its own unique corner where alternative pop, synthpop, darkwave, and electronic music collide with horror, cult cinema, fashion, surreal imagery, and storytelling.

At the heart of the project’s current chapter is the single 'Cry', a track about feeling like an outsider, questioning external expectations, and realising that hidden traits can become a source of power. Rather than signalling surrender, the song’s darkness reflects the process of shedding an old self to allow someone new to emerge. Jessica views her greatest artistic strength as her ability to translate the complex duality of human experience into sound, pairing haunting thematic elements with serene, uplifting melodies to create a sonic sanctuary where listeners can stare directly into the dark without being swallowed by it.

"It allows us to stare directly into the dark, using the beauty of the music as an anchor so we don't get swallowed by it."

Navigating internal pressure remains an ongoing challenge, particularly when second-guessing whether creative choices are strange in the right way. Over time, Jessica has learned to release control over how her work is interpreted and focus simply on creating authentically. Looking ahead, audiences can expect a larger, more confident presence as Strange DNA expands its universe with new characters, sounds, and visual concepts, leaning ever further into its signature eccentricity.

Musically and visually, the project draws deep inspiration from universe-building artists like Grimes, The Knife, and Yeule, as well as cult cinema like The X-Files and the films of Jane Schoenbrun, which use monsters and outsiders to explore difference and desire. On the dream collaboration front, Portishead sits at the very top of the list for their ability to infuse experimental electronic music with immense cinematic weight and raw emotion.

"Leading myself forced me to realise that I don't need a committee to validate my direction. I can do this alone."

A major turning point in Jessica's journey came when she stepped away from a band structure to take full creative control. Learning not to measure her progress against others allowed her to trust her own vision completely. Moving forward, she aims to shatter self-imposed boundaries by creating work that is simultaneously beautiful and unsettling, glamorous and grotesque, while embracing a sense of mystery without feeling the need to explain every detail to the audience.

"I want to make things that can be beautiful and unsettling at the same time, glamorous and grotesque, funny and genuinely emotional."

When listeners drop the needle on 'Cry', they are met with shimmering synths, driving drums, and euphoric peaks that contrast against vulnerable lyricism. Driven by a borderline obsessive passion for music, Jessica is already deep into writing follow-up singles for her debut EP. On stage, 'Cry' remains the track she is most eager to unleash, transforming an isolated personal experience into a shared anthem in a packed room—a fitting start to a dark, dreamlike era designed for those who find beauty in the strange.