(Image: VICTORIA WAI)
On the back of their newest single, Loren Heat discusses their North East roots, Middlesbrough’s struggling queer scene and their global music opportunities.
Middlesbrough-born Loren Heat, 23, has been dubbed a “bold new force" in the UK's pop scene.
Their music has attracted praise from some of the industry’s biggest tastemakers for its unique blend of sharp, honest songwriting and dark pop composition.
Heat's newest single, Orchestrate Me, has nearly 50,000 listens on Spotify.
Loren says their Teesside upbringing shapes lyrics about identity, turbulent romances and vulnerability in relationships.
Heat has seen widespread praise for their sharp approach to pop music. (Image: Rob Irish)
After attending Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough, Heat got their start in music at Teesside University studying music technology.
A graded assignment tasked Heat to produce a song, where they enlisted classmates for support with vocals.
One classmate sent the song to Heat’s current manager, Henry, who was guest lecturing at Teesside University.
The song had “a lot of potential” and piqued his interest.
It was forwarded to Tees Music Alliance after one of its artists dropped out of a funding programme.
Heat said: “It was like very much like right place, right time.
“I started this programme with Tees Music Alliance, and then it just all burst from there. It was really strange.”
Tees Music Alliance is a non-profit organisation working to build a “thriving live music scene in Teesside” by connecting artists with venues, recording studios and development programmes.
TMA artists can also perform at Stockton Calling, one of the region’s best-loved music festivals.
Since that first opportunity with TMA, Heat has worked with the Northern Music Export Office to perform in Japan and the United States.
Heat said they carry “a little piece of home” when travelling around the world to perform. (Image: VICTORIA WAI)
Operated by Generator, the NMEO was founded by the mayors of West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley and the North East at SXSW London in June 2026.
The NMEO was established to showcase northern music artists, expanding their careers on a national and international stage through grants for touring, attending industry events, and performances abroad.
The initiative has previously attracted praise from North East musician Sam Fender, who called it "massively important."
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen described the initiative as “vital,” and said it would “ensure our world-class musicians get the global attention they deserve.”
Heat was among the Northern artists chosen for the NMEO’s first music export mission to Japan, where they collaborated with singer-songwriter Momoko Iwasaki at the 2026 Fukuoka Music City Summit.
Heat and Iwasaki first performed their song In Time at the Fukuoka summit, then performed it again at Newcastle’s Japan x NMEO Showcase & Mixer at The Cluny in Ouseburn.
The pair were then invited to the British Embassy in Tokyo to celebrate the two nations’ cultural and diplomatic friendship during the King's Birthday Celebrations.
Heat described their visits to Japan as “surreal,” and praised the locals in Tokyo and Fukuoka for their hospitality.
“I miss Japan so much,” they said.
“They go above and beyond. It's so lovely because you don't expect it.”
Heat’s work with the NMEO also took them to Austin, Texas for the British Music Embassy’s 19th SXSW festival in March.
The Teesside musician said visiting the United States had been a childhood dream and that they loved the trip.
The longstanding debate between British versus American crowds seemed not to materialise for Loren, who said:
“I didn't see much difference. I saw a lot of dancing, a lot of drinking and a lot of singing. It felt quite homely.”
Heat cites Generator, the Tees Music Alliance, and the NMEO with a large part of their growth in visibility in recent years.
They recently featured on BBC’s Introducing and Look North as a rising Teesside pop artist.
The Teesside singer has performed at venues and festivals across the globe since they broke into the industry. (Image: VICTORIA WAI)
Describing Generator as “doing God’s work,” Heat added: “They do so much for the northern music scene, and they put so much backing into a place that people just kind of didn't acknowledge.
"They've done absolute bits for my career.”
Loren said they see their North East origins feed into their music heavily, especially through their songwriting, which features their native vocabulary and is influenced by personal life experience growing up in Teesside.
The popstar also said they look up to Newcastle-born artist JADE, whose former girl group Little Mix was an inspiration to Heat as a child.
Heat said their Middlesbrough upbringing “pokes its head” into everything they do and that they carry “a little piece of home” with them around the world.
The Teesside singer, who identifies as non-binary and a lesbian, describes themself as a queer artist.
Heat said their identity made school life more complicated, with classmates at Trinity Catholic College were split between support and hostility.
They said: “Half of the school just did not feel like a safe place to be, and then the other half of the school felt like genuinely like heaven on earth. They were so sweet.
"It was a split. I'm still a bit iffy about it.”
Heat said the Teesside queer community welcomed them as they reached adulthood, and credits Middlesbrough’s queer community with shaping their sound and image.
Loren named local gay club Tiny as an early place where they felt accepted, and fondly remembers befriending the club’s drag performers.
Loren has cited Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and fellow North East popstar JADE as inspirations. (Image: Rob Irish)
Heat says Middlesbrough’s gay scene has declined since their early adulthood, making it harder for young queer people to be themselves locally.
“The gay clubs are closing down,” Loren explained.
“It's empty. I've spoken to some drag performers in the area, and there's no gigs. No one hires drag shows.
"They have no reason to be in drag. And I think it's a shame.”
Heat vowed to open a “big gay venue” in Teesside “if or when” they achieve mainstream success, giving other queer people a safe place to express themselves.
The Teesside musician concluded: "It's shaped who I am, and I would say it's definitely a safer place than you would expect.
"I just think there isn't enough space to express who you are.”
Loren Heat will return to the North East again to perform in North Shields this November, which they hope will boost their fans within their native region.
Heat said North East music lovers do not recognise them as readily as audiences overseas, despite their international following.
(Image: VICTORIA WAI)
Loren said: “It's really weird, because when I was in Texas, we pulled quite a big crowd, and when we were doing shows in like London, we were pulling decent crowds.
But then I'd do a show in Middlesbrough, and it would be maybe 100 people, which is a good crowd, but considering it's my hometown, it was a bit strange.”
Heat and their team believe the region’s strong indie and rock scene has led audiences to overlook its pop musicians.
Heat is using social media to promote the region’s pop artists and challenge their under-representation, winning local fans in the process.
Heat will perform at the Sonic Futures Showcase at Three Tanners Bank, North Shields, on November 21. Tickets are available online.