New Music from Allison Leah, Alex Skye, Sarah Suarez, Ava Dallas, Haley Montelaro, Stephània, and Sabrina Ponte

"I Didn't Know I Was Growing Up" - by Allison Leah

Release Date: May 1 2026

What You Should Know: "I’ve had this song in my pocket for over a year now and have been waiting for the right moment, and grad season just felt right. This song is also the first single off my NEW EP, Mirror, releasing this summer. It’s a 5 song collection of reflections, musings on growing up, and self-identity. These five songs are some of the most vulnerable I’ve ever written & sharing them right now feels so right. "

Find It: Spotify, and Apple

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previous Noteworthy Releases: "What I'm Missing", "24 Years Down", "Sorry For Myself", "i gave u my number"

Previously on Section 36: "Allison Leah Visits Section 36 Music!", "Allison Leah's 36 Favorite Things"

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"Never Have I Ever" - by Alex Skye

Release Date: April 30, 2026

What You Should Know: "This song is a hyper-pop, dance, house song that is for an upcoming project… BUT I am releasing it under my name first. Here is a break from the sad indie folk"

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Alex Skye Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Hairline Fracture" - by Sarah Suarez

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Sarah Suarez Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Easy" - by Ava Dallas

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Ava Dallas Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Out of Our Control" - by Haley Montelaro

Release Date: May 1, 2026

What You Should Know: "I cannot express how surreal this is. My younger self knew she wanted to be an artist and a songwriter, but didn't know how to get there. Every year of middle and high school I would say "This is the year I'll release music" but had no idea what steps to take.

Now at the age of 19 I can say I have 9 tracks out, 6 of which are in this EP. Life is crazy."

Find It: Everywhere, like Apple and Spotify

Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Haley Montelaro Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Every Kind of Way" - by Stephània

Release Date: May 1, 2026

Find It: Everywhere, like  Apple or Spotify

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "It's 2026 in Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Stephània Visits Section 36 Music!"

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"Back In Boston" - by Sabrina Ponte 

Release Date: May 1, 2026

What You Should Know: A version of this song like you've never heard before!

Find It: Spotify or Apple

Her Spotify Playlist Inclusions: "Songs that Cover the Bases", "It's 2025 In Section 36", "Women Going Places, from Section 36"

Previously on Section 36: "Sabrina Ponte Visits Section 36 Music!"

Sarah Lampsa Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Sarah Lampsa is fresh off the release of her debut EP "Something Blue". I certainly imagine you've all been streaming that non-stop. I'm thrilled that Sarah wanted to visit with us to discuss the EP, her music, and more! I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Sarah Lampsa visits Section 36!

I am absolutely loving your debut EP, “Something Blue”. What can you tell me about it?

Thank you! My goal as a songwriter has always been to help my listeners feel less alone in their feelings, so my songs are intimate, honest, and oftentimes evocative. I like to say that “Something Blue” contains my most prized pieces of my heart from the past few years. The EP revolves on themes of love, whether in relationships, friendships, grief, or family. The songs are most easily labelled as alt-pop, but span the genres of pop, alternative, contemporary, and rock. Thank you again for listening and I’m glad you enjoyed it! 

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

My good friend, Isa Abadia, produced the EP, so the whole recording process was a fun time! My favorite memories were made in the studio recording vocals. Isa and I have a great banter so we basically laughed our way through, even with technical hiccups or late night recording sessions. I love working with my friends whenever possible, so this whole process felt like a big group hangout, and I think that that collaborative energy reflected in the songs! “Something Blue” is a culmination of the hard work of so many talented musicians and I’m so lucky to have had the team that I did. 

How did you come up with the cover art?

My sister took the cover photos. Her and I are five years apart, but we’re practically twins. We run marathons together and share a social media account (@lampsarunningsistas), so we’re used to working together! I played a few songs for her and described my general vision. I knew it needed to be blue (of course), and wanted to include a grand piano. From there, we collaborated on a Pinterest board to narrow down our idea. We took the photos at the Palmer House hotel in Chicago. I’m super super happy with how they turned out!

What was your biggest challenge with the creation of the album?

At times, my songs feel like my children, and bringing them into the studio feels like dropping them off on the first day of kindergarten! I knew the songs would have to change, but a lot of the development was out of my hands. I touch on this in “Dirty Laundry”, but I’m admittedly a bit of a control freak, so my biggest challenge was letting them grow without being a helicopter parent! Luckily, my producer Isa is fantastic and she did a great job of sharing my vision and adjusting based on my wants. I think we raised a great kid! 

You are currently attending Berklee College of Music. What made Berklee the right choice for you?

Growing up, I always had a natural inclination to the arts and to writing. I learned to sing and play violin, piano, guitar, and bass while in high school, and started writing poetry as a kid. I was really active in my high school’s arts department and started releasing music when I was seventeen, so no one was surprised when I decided to pursue music as a career. My family has always made education a priority, so Berklee was the perfect place to get a degree while studying the arts and working towards my dreams! My best friend from childhood also studies in Boston, at Northeastern, so she was a major help in preparing to make such a big move. I’ve met so many incredible people at Berklee and I’m so glad I made the choice that I did!

If you could cover any Disney song, which one would you choose? Why?

I absolutely adore “When She Loved Me”, from Toy Story. I’ve been compared a few times to Sarah McLachlan, and I’m really inspired by her storytelling ability. “When She Loved Me” is similar to my music in its emotional authenticity and intimacy, so I think it would be a cool cover!

What are your immediate musical goals?

I’m graduating Berklee in spring of 2027 and am planning to move out to Los Angeles. Until then, I’m going to do lots of co-writing and, of course, release more music! The songwriting talent at Berklee is truly insane and I have so much to learn from my peers. In Los Angeles, my goal is to have a calendar packed full of songwriting sessions, studio time, performances, and collaboration. I like to say that I’m happy doing whatever I can with a pen and a piano. To me, a successful life is a life that contains music in any way possible. 

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That sounds successful to me! 

As always, I want to thank Sarah for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again Sarah, and good luck reaching your goals!

Ceci Reyes Talks About "Monterey"!

In January, Ceci Reyes released her incredible single, "Monterey". It's a beautiful song that I can assume you've listened to multiple times since then. I thought it would be fun to learn more about this release, and thankfully Ceci was willing to answer some questions for us to help with that.

Let's see what she had to say!

What do you want listeners to know about “Monterey”?

I think I want people to know that “Monterey” isn’t about a place— it’s about someone you love making a place feel like it belongs to them. I’ve never been to Monterey, but through them, it started to feel like a memory I didn’t actually have. This song is about the push and pull of wanting to hold on to something, but also knowing you have to stay away from it to protect yourself. I think “Monterey” is for anyone who’s ever felt tied to someone through a place, a song, a smell, or a version of the future that never ended up happening. Writing this song was my way of moving forward when things still felt unfinished.

Do you have a favorite lyric from the song?

“Never cared for California, now it’s a thought I can’t escape. You made it sound like forever, but forever couldn’t wait.” 

How did you come up with the cover artwork?

Since I’m nowhere near Monterey, I had to settle for the next best thing; Miami. The cover was actually shot in my backyard by my amazing mother, Marinet. I wanted it to feel really simple and nostalgic, and I had just been gifted a digital camera, so we made a nice morning out of it and just captured what felt right to us. 

What was the biggest challenge when creating the song?

The biggest challenge was writing about a place I’ve never been to. Monterey only exists to me through someone else’s eyes, so I wasn’t just writing about Monterey itself— I was writing about their version of it. It was really hard to make that feel real without having experienced it myself. 

And because the song is about a real person, I was really trying to approach it with care. I was trying to be honest about what Monterey meant to me, while also respecting someone else’s space. I didn’t want to misrepresent something that wasn’t just mine. It came from a place that was so meaningful to me, and almost felt like a conversation of sorts. The challenge was being honest about my feelings while still honoring that connection.

Do you have any favorite memories of the recording process?

Honestly, my favorite memory from recording “Monterey” is just being in the room with everyone. I was really lucky to work with a band and engineers who I trust and care about, and that made such a difference. There’s something really special about being surrounded by people who understand what you’re trying to say and who care about the song just as much as you do. It felt like a shared experience rather than just my own song.

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Where to find Ceci Reyes:

    Spotify

    Apple Music

    Instagram

    Section 36 Interview

    Elsewhere on Section 36

Ren McLean Releases "Telescope"!

"‘Telescope’ is one of the first songs I wrote once I got back home after leaving college due to mental health struggles. I felt like I failed, everyone knew that I failed, and I could no longer hide my inadequacies behind my accomplishments. In the lyrics, I envision myself as a star blowing up in the sky, scrutinizing my perceived failures through a telescope. Crushed drums and dirty guitars clash with spacey reverb and lush strings to materialize the angst of everything falling apart around you while you’re in free falling limbo. I hope it helps people feel less alone with whatever they’re struggling with, and serves as a reminder that you are worth more than your successes.” - Ren McLean

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A songstress of foresty indie/folk, Ren writes music to say what isn’t said but needs to be heard. Rather than shy away from the messy stuff, she embraces it. 

Influenced by singer/songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Lizzy McAlpine, Ren paints vivid pictures through allegorical—yet relatable—lyrics, attracting those who yearn for a daily dose of whimsy. Through rich acoustic guitar tones, haunting string arrangements, and atmospheric vocal layers, Ren crafts the perfect soundtrack for staying inside on a rainy day or going out to grab a cup of tea at your favorite local cafe. She wears her heart on her sleeve, prioritizing authentic storytelling and raw catharsis as heard in her gut-wrenching vocals. 

Whether attending a concert or listening from the comfort of your own home, you will find that Ren creates a space for your most honest self to be seen, and you’ll be coming back for more.

Where to find Ren:

    Website

    Instagram

    Spotify

    Apple Music