Gold Coast has a secret. An undercover Irish ex-pat, posing as an unknown musician. Their name is Eimhin. That's all we know...
I use the word 'unknown,' because we're about to blow their cover. Here we have Gold Coast's hidden gem, and they are one to keep your well-trained ears on. Eimhin (pronounced ev-an) has their debut single dropping May 13th, and it is only a taste of what's to come. 'Lately' is a vulnerable song with pop sensibilities, about love, loss and lessons learned. It is a precursor to their upcoming debut album, Modern Mending of the Heart, set to release later this year. Eimhin comes from a rich heritage of Irish folk mixed with hardcore, punk & emo.
Striking in their dress-sense and fully freaking the squares, Eimhin spoke of their peeling back of gender norms in the vein of Virgin Prunes, David Bowie and everyone's favourite fan-fic enthusiast, the very dapper Harry Styles:
“I am really inspired by the work of contemporary queer activists such as Alok Vaid-Menon who challenge us to question how cultural ideas about gender limit our capacity to thrive and be truly free. I believe that if you want to normalise something, you have to do it like it’s normal. ‘Lately’ is, in part, my attempt to be more intentional about how I show up in the world and how I use my art to advocate for a cause I’m passionate about. How I dress is the choice to wear that activism on my body too”
'Lately' features wholehearted vocals, sentimental guitar and wobbly fey mellotron. Lily Budiasa and Leanne Healy make an appearance on backing vocals, with Ian Peres plopping out bass notes and a healthy circadian rhythm from George Carpenter. The guitar sweeps us away with swaying chords and lilting natural harmonics. The vocals are masterfully captured, with expositionary storytelling taking the stage. You can hear the room it was recorded in. You're placed right there, up close and personal, hearing the tale woven first-hand. The wood of the walls, the lacquer of the guitar. You can hear it all.
The track invokes images of sepia leaves and the smell of petrichor. The mists rise into a gusto with a huge, breathy MCR bridge. A wall of sound conjured up by a swell of the mellotron impedes our path, and our only way out is to listen. The track touches on transformative autobiographical experiences, with Eimhin stating:
"Coming home to the Gold Coast at the height of the pandemic after seven years in Melbourne, and following the breakdown of a really important relationship, I found myself in the darkest place I've ever been.”
“‘Lately’ is about looking inward and realising that love is powerful and that vulnerability is not weakness. I thought guarding myself emotionally protected me, but all I was doing was cutting myself off from the full experience of being alive, of being human.”
'Lately' is out now, and you can discover it on all your uninvited pet mouse's favourite platforms. If you were unlucky enough to miss their Single Launch Party on May 12th, you can follow Eimhin to keep up to date and find out when the next gig is. Blow their cover and burn this after reading.
