Having cut her teeth touring around some of Los Angeles' most iconic venues, Pete's yearning vocals and simple yet effective melodies have netted her a stellar team – "Gently Break It" is mastered by Joe Laporta (Shawn Mendes, Leon Bridges, Imagine Dragons) and mixed by Ryan Gilligan (Kevin Garrett) – and a whole host of fans to boot. Her new single focuses on a powerful message to these listeners: that emotion, and even heartbreak, are not synonymous with weakness.

"In a world where strength is encouraged, and expression of feeling has been painted as the opposite of strength, I'm over here arguing that one cannot exist without the other," Pete explains. "There is this idea that we always have to be 'okay,' or that we will not be well-received. It is my opinion that we are strongest when we are honest with ourselves, and with others. I know that I can offer all of those things in tandem to the world – vulnerability, honesty, strength. Hopefully that will be the story that others tell about me one day. For now, that is the story I tell about myself."

"Gently Break It" is out 27 July.