Emerging Sunderland girl band Northern Daughters enjoy busy summer as they reach for the stars
They’ve already amassed a huge following.
Sunderland girl band Northern Daughters are in the midst of a busy summer as they reach for the stars.
Made up of friends Izzy Gettins, 14; Lola Waite, 14; Lola Cairns, 15; Annette Ambang, 15; Isabelle Dutton, 16 and Molly Daymond, 17, who met at Sunderland’s Inspire Stage School, the girls made their debut at the city’s spectacular New Year’s Eve party, and it set them on the path to a performance-filled 2026.
Hailing from Sunderland, Washington and Whitburn, the band is on a mission to inspire, support, and give a voice to girls navigating the challenges of growing up with their music.
After teaching the dance to schools and community groups around the city, the girls released debut single Open Arms on May 22 with a video recorded in Keel Square.
The community anthem, created in partnership with Sunderland City Council, is designed to spread a message of unity, inclusion and belonging across the city.
Now, the girls are preparing for the official Open Arms music video, which launches this September, and are in the middle of a jam-packed summer of events.
The girls have known each other for between three and 10 years after meeting at Inspire, which is based at Castletown Academy, and their friendship and shared passion for performing led to them forming a band.
Their music speaks openly about the experiences facing young people today, including friendship, confidence, anxiety, relationships, mental health, social-media pressure and learning to believe in yourself.
The group say they want their songs to be fun, fearless and full of energy, while also helping their fans to feel understood and less alone.
Since their New Year’s Eve debut, the girls have been writing, recording and performing while building an online community of over 103,000 followers, that has generated more than 7.5 million TikTok likes.
Their summer programme has already included appearances at the Sunderland Young Achievers Awards, The Sunderland Food and Drink & Summer Streets Festivals, The Glasshouse International Music Centre for the North East Chamber Awards, the Stanhope Weekender — where the band was selected for the festival's dedicated Emerging Talent slot — Butlin's Skegness and Flamingo Land.
And fresh from performing for National Mackem Day at Sheepfolds Stables, the girls perform at the Nissan Family Fun Day in Sunderland on August 30, with further live appearances and new music drops to follow into the autumn.
Gemma Waite, Principal at Inspire Stage School and Manager of Northern Daughters, said: "This has already been an incredible summer for Northern Daughters and we are immensely proud of everything the girls are achieving.
"They are six very different personalities, but they share such a strong friendship, an incredible work ethic and a genuine love of performing. When they step onto a stage together, their energy and connection are impossible to miss.
"Releasing Open Arms was a huge moment for them as they are so proud to come from the North East and Open Arms is all about growing up here and spreading that message far and wide.
"To have created the music video in Sunderland, surrounded by so many local people, schools and organisations, makes it even more special. We cannot wait for everyone to see it when it launches in September.
"The girls have enormous ambitions, and they want to show other young people what can happen when you believe in yourself and are given the opportunity to shine. This really is only the beginning."
You can find Northern Daughters on Instagram @northerndaughters1 and TikTok @northerndaughters.