Having amassed over a million streams across her first three singles alone, the London-based Irish singer-songwriter Etaoin has made an impressive introduction. Having debuted in January 2021, she’s clearly struck a chord with her brutally honest lyricism and belting vocal performances.
Etaoin has the ability to interpret the world and her experiences in a way necessary to become a generation-defining songwriter. Her unconventional childhood, split between London and Ireland, has given her a unique worldview. Whilst pouring her sadness from heartbreak into her folk-infused pop music, Etaoin’s story is far from being a tale of woe, and more about growth and renewal.
“For Her,” is the fourth single release to be brought to the ears of her listeners this year. Residing on the tracklist of her debut EP, ‘Bedroom Walls,’ Etaoin deems this musical collection the completion of her inauguration as a voice to listen to.
The lush guitar chords that greet your initial moments of tuning into “For Her,” are delicate yet prevailing as they lay down an empowering blanket of realization in the framework that Etaoin will cascade her alluring timbres upon. Providing the ability for us to relate to Etaoin as she leads on a sense of vulnerability that is finally surfacing, words such as ‘and the truth is I’m afraid to write, anything that’s been alluding to the things that I’ve been feeling at night,’ have our understanding that fear on levels far beyond what the mind is capable of.
There is a glorious sense of welcoming emotions that come pouring from this composition as you grasp onto the grippingly raw emotion that Etaoin releases through each intricately crafted word she sheds. Sitting in a puddle of self-realization, the comforting essence of the tantalizing arrangement gently eases you into a narrative of waiting and praying for the older version of yourself to return.
Etaoin has a knack for creating vivid imagery that is interlaced with the lyrical motifs she presents through her relatability and flourishing connection with her fan base. Taking over one heartrending song at a time, it is no wonder that Etaoin is garnering the attention that she is.
“For Her,” is such a beautiful representation of the support you’re lending out through your music. What inspired such a vast amount of vulnerability in this record?
I wrote For Her when I was abroad alone from home for 3 months, I missed my family and home and didn’t feel like myself. I felt like I’d lost my spark. I was alone sitting cross-legged on my bed and I guess the song was inspired by that, wondering if I’d ever get my spark back.
Could you please share a glimpse of what the creative and recording process entailed when creating your EP, ‘Bedroom Walls?'
I wrote For Her at night time, I remember at the time I had been putting a lot of effort into trying to write something that was “catchy”. Then after a while, I kind of asked myself “why can’t I just be honest”. So I decided to write what was honest to me at the time. I recorded For Her with my lovely friend Phil Davidson. We sat and chatted rubbish in the studio for the whole day and then recorded the whole thing in like 2 hours.
What does “For Her,” say about you as an artist and individual? I think For Her definitely shows a darker side of my songwriting that I haven’t explored before on the EP. I think this song really highlights the fact that we all have layers. Even if it’s easier to pretend we don’t. It’s just about how honest we are about them. For new listeners who have yet to hear the full body of work, what can they expect when taking in the emotions and messaging of your EP? I think the EP shows a lot of different sides to my personality. It covers heartbreak and everything that comes with it: anger, confusion, and feeling lost, something we’ve all experienced. It’s quite starkly honest and is basically everything I nearly said but didn’t. I really hope people relate to that and take comfort in it if they’re going through something similar.