The Sydney-based singer/songwriter started her career in 2017, slowly evolving her sound to take her jazz background to new territories, experimenting with other genres like soul, hip hop or electronic through her various collaborations which range from Royce Wood Junior (NAO) and Twilite Tone (Kanye West, Gorillaz) to Godriguez (GODTET).
During the pandemic, Erin started to write and feel music from a much more personal place, outgrowing her ‘Esmé’ alias in the process to embrace and introduce her authentic self to her audience under her real name.
What inspired this release?
This release was inspired by my growing desire to delve a little deeper into production and to plant the seed for making music in a way that’s more authentic to me, that’s in a sense genre free and more cinematic. It was greatly inspired by the music of Labrinth, Moses Sumney and FKA twigs, who all use very explorative and textually diverse production techniques and sing beautiful melodies. I guess artists like them help to inspire me to be myself as a writer and performer.
What makes Still (B side) special in your opinion?
I think this song is special because it is so contrasting in feeling and sounds. There’s a very intricate and carefully produced conversation between the light and dark musical elements, the producers have used both organic instruments and produced sounds. It’s electro acoustic in a way that pays tribute to artists like Björk and Little Dragon to me and I haven’t heard that sound in a little while. I think it’s special in that it stands alone a little in its entirety.
What is the lyrical content inspired by?
The lyrics were inspired by my contemplation on stillness. It sort of unintentionally wrote itself as a love song. The lyrics poured out of my mind in the order that you hear them with little to no change. I think in essence I am saying that even if you realise a little too late, still fight for something to the very last moment, whether that’s love, yourself, your dreams, your family. If you want something, fight for it.
How do you keep yourself inspired?
I read a lot of poetry, I am deeply inspired by films, characters, my own experiences in life and even nature inspires me. Usually when I am deep in a creative space, I am drawing inspiration from other artists too, how they write a melody, a line of a lyric, it could be anything really. I can listen to a song a thousand times in row when I’m in this head space.
What was your first exposure to music?
My first exposure to music was probably in church, but it wasn’t like one of this super youthful kinda pop music churches. When I was little, my family went to Latin masses and the music was mostly Gregorian Chant and ancient hymns. From there, the next exposure was pretty much just jazz singers, Ella and Billie and Nat King Cole. We were home schooled so contemporary entertainment was limited for my sisters and I. We had our parents collection of old jazz music and then 70’s folk kinda music. I discovered more contemporary music around the age of 15 and I really loved it. I am so grateful for the way in which music came to me and the order that it came in. I think it made up for the lack of formal training.
What excites you about your life?
I think music excites me the most in my life. It doesn’t seem to ever be something I get sick of and is something I am constantly thinking about, recreating myself and evolving in.
How would you describe your style in one word?
Dreamscapes.
What are your next moves?
Book more shows, release more music and come out of my shell more as an artist. I’m really excited for the future.
