We teased some of Harry Eley’s music at the beginning of the year, defining the project as having a “striking indie-rock outlook”, and sharing a “vibrant, uplifting and relatable” character. Hailing from Guilford, the British musician and songwriter boasts a knack for catchy yet meaningful indie goodness, often steeped in anthemic melodies and personal lyricism. Drawing inspiration from obvious influences (Oasis and The 1975 come to mind, among others), the talented creative crafts an aural universe that’s electrifying and passionate, but also gentle when needed.
‘Me’ is the perfect example of that. Marking Eley’s debut EP, the record reveals a more comprehensive and cohesive look at everything that Harry has to offer. From a lyrical standpoint, the young artist narrates the many challenges faced by experiencing early adulthood in 2020, embracing vulnerability and honesty with themes of love and identity.
Overall, we are impressed! Jumping from rowdy indie anthems such as ‘Thinking Of You’, to more reflective and crucial pieces (‘Happy Hate Story’ or ‘Half The Problem’), ‘Me’ showcases the heightened eclecticism behind the project: it’s not all fuzzy guitars and rolling drums. Take, for instance, ‘Stop The War’, a leading and melancholic song featuring fellow singer Millie Cameron.
Intrigued by the project, we caught up with Eley to learn more about his artistry and future goals… interview below!
Hey Harry, thanks for chatting with us! I’d love to start by acknowledging that it’s been quite the year for your project. First debuting with ‘Thinking of You’ back in February, you’ve now reached a crucial milestone, thanks to the recently released EP, ‘Me’.
We’ll focus on the record shortly, but for now: how has the year been on your end? Is there anything you are particularly proud of? Any unforeseen challenges you had to overcome?
Thanks – it’s great to chat to you too! It has been a busy, but great year to date. I started it in a band called ‘The Avenue’, but then decided to go out on my own. Not something I initially had planned for, and it was a big call, pretty nerve-racking in fact, but I am really pleased with my choice.
I had my first mini tour in April, playing in Liverpool, Newcastle and Guildford. That was a lot of fun! We were touring with two other bands, Diago and Cadella – it was a great experience being on the road! I also got to play at Carfest on the WigWam stage, which was amazing. It was a sunny, hot day, so we got lots of people coming to watch us and enjoy the music. I absolutely loved performing there – the atmosphere was exciting!
Taking a wider look at your love for music, what first motivated you to pick up a guitar? Are there any artists or bands that have particularly inspired you along the way?
Music has always been a part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are listening to music or watching videos on the internet. It was an exciting time being able to listen to individual tracks from different artists. Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ was a favourite in the house, and I picked up my first mini guitar mimicking Billie Joe Armstrong! Right now, I’m listening a lot to John Mayer, Oasis, Derek Trucks, and, of course, my favourite band is The 1975. I saw Johnny Marr at Carfest 2 years ago. That man is very cool, and he played some great tunes.
Let’s dial in on the EP. ‘Me’ features five wholesome and meaningful songs, ranging from rowdy indie anthems (such as ‘Thinking Of You’) to more reflective pieces (such as ‘Happy Hate Story’ or ‘Half The Problem’). First of all, are you satisfied with how the EP turned out? Would you define it as a ‘personal’ record?
Yes, I love the EP and it’s definitely a personal record. A lot of songs are reflections from my life, my friends’ lives and the experiences we all have – so it’s a very personal record. Even the front cover image on the EP is personal. It is a picture of my grandfather (who was also a musician) with my Mum holding the guitar. Sadly, my grandad passed away earlier this year, and when we were looking through photos for his funeral, we came across the photo that is on the front cover of the EP. I wanted to use this as a way of saying ‘thank you’ to him for believing in me and being such an influence in my life. I believe it is from him that I get my musical talent.
Doubling down on the EP’s lyrical thread, I know that much attention is given to the relationship between our chaotic modern times (COVID and post-COVID) and early adulthood. Can you take us through your own experience with that? How did you navigate the early ‘20s?
I really believe in writing songs about what you know. Being 18, I draw on my experiences of the last few years, and that’s reflected in my writing. A couple of my teenage years were lived throughout COVID – it was a weird time. Almost like everyone’s lives were put on hold, and we were all cut off from each other. Being at home and not at school over that period gave me a lot of free time to play the guitar, listen to music and write songs, which was definitely a positive outcome.
What’s your creative and songwriting process like? Do you prefer writing alone or within a team?
I generally start with the music first – I like to get a few riffs in and get the overall sound of a song written down. Words seem to follow after. I sometimes write alone and sometimes write with others: I like to do both. For instance, ‘Stop The War’ was written with my friend, Millie Cameron.
True: ‘Stop The War’ is the single that leads the record, featuring Millie Cameron’s potent vocals. It’s certainly quite anthemic and cathartic. Is it inspired by recent events, or anything else in particular?
I met Millie through mutual friends out in town one night, and we got on straight away. When she mentioned that she was a singer, I wanted to hear her voice and invited her over. We chatted about all sorts of things, but realised that we both had experiences of being in a relationship where we’d spent more time arguing and being fractious, rather than experiencing the fun and carefree relationship that we thought it might be! I had an idea of a tune which we used to build on and then wrote ‘Stop the War’ together.
Relationships don’t always work out, and so I think we wanted the tune to be more upbeat to reflect that sometimes it’s better to move on and be okay with that.
What’s your experience with the contemporary music industry? How are you balancing the creative vs marketing aspect of it? In other words, do you feel comfortable with how you are advancing professionally?
I am just getting started and learning new things all the time. Putting yourself ‘out there’ is a full-time job, and I can see how all the promotion and marketing can take time away from being creative and writing. I do enjoy elements of it, but I am lucky to have family and friends with various skills that can help me. I am currently at music uni, and they are helping me learn and navigate the music industry in today’s world. I think the hardest part is getting my music heard – it’s a great EP and I know people will love it!!
Lastly, what’s the plan after the EP?
I am playing at the Boileroom in Guildford on Tuesday, the 28th October; it’s a great music venue and it’ll be a lot of fun! I’ll be doing another mini tour in early 2026 – details coming soon and I also have a couple more tracks to be released in the coming months.
The next big thing will be putting an album together. It will be great to get into the studio again to decide which tracks to record and how to put them together. I have got a few tracks that I have been saving for an album, so I can’t wait to develop them and get them out to everyone!! I’m also looking at playing festivals again.
