INTERVIEW: Caitlin Henry – Eat Your Heart Out
Australia is a hotbed for quality rock music. From heavy hitters PARKWAY DRIVE and THY ART IS MURDER to the progressive brilliance of NE OBLIVISCARIS or the breakout success of PAGAN, the land down under have been providing us with brilliant music for years now. And now, here comes EAT YOUR HEART OUT who look to join the ranks of their established peers. Since 2012, the Aussie quintet have been honing their take on alternative rock and pop punk and now, comes their long-awaited debut full-length album Florescence. Prior to the album’s release, we spoke with vocalist Caitlin Henry to get the lowdown on their debut alongside discussing Australia’s pedigree for quality bands and what they have to stand out in the crowd.
So, you are set to release your debut album Florescence this Friday (May 17th). What can we expect from the album?
Caitlin: I think this album represents a more mature and dynamic version of us. We haven’t gone out and tried to do anything crazy or super different to our previous releases, we just wanted to continue to refine and build on our existing sound. So if you liked our EPs, you will hopefully enjoy the album.
Florescence arrives two years after your last EP, Mind Games. How has the band developed in this time?
Caitlin: We’ve spent some time on the road and improved a lot as performers and musicians, and we’ve also just grown up a lot as people. We’ve gone through some really high points but also some low points as a band and as humans. The title Florescence really encompasses that idea of growing up and moving into a new stage of your life, and having to learn to deal with new experiences.
And with the fact this new album will be EAT YOUR HEART OUT’s debut full-length, have you found the process more challenging than what you have done before?
Caitlin: Absolutely! This was the most challenging thing we’ve ever done. It is a lot more effort than an EP! We all worked harder than we’ve ever worked before and really pushed ourselves because we wanted to feel like we put everything we could into this and made something we could really be proud of.
Can you detail the writing and recording process for the new album?
Caitlin: We recorded in December-January 2018 in LA which was an incredible experience. We had a bit of a creativity block for a moment before we headed into the studio and we ended up heading in with a lot of instrumental tracks and unfinished songs, so we actually wrote a majority of the vocals in the studio which I actually really enjoyed. It meant that the topics I was writing about were very fresh and relevant to me, and there wasn’t any time to doubt ideas and get in our heads. We just had to go with our gut feeling and go with whatever felt right in the moment. The recording process was very stressful at times because everyone operates at such a high emotional level whilst trying to put out the best work they can, but it was also some of the most memorable times of my life.
Can you explain the album title behind this new album?
Caitlin: Florescence means the process of flowering. It really felt fitting to describe the ideas across the album, because most of it relates to experiences I’ve had, people I’ve met and emotions I’ve had to deal with as part of growing up and moving into a new stage of my life. It also felt fitting to sum up the idea of the band moving into a new stage of our career with our debut album, and trying to find a more mature sound.
For you Caitlin, it seems that the lyrical themes you explore on this album come from a very personal place. Is that the case, and if so, have you found the process of penning these lyrics a cathartic experience?
Caitlin: The lyrics on this album are very personal to me, they are definitely the most personal songs we’ve ever written. It was incredibly cathartic to get those emotions and feelings off my chest, and I definitely felt a sense of relief once it was all finished.
It may seem like a difficult question, but what do you hope to achieve with Florescence?
Caitlin: If someone out there can relate to the songs and it can give them some sense of hope or solidarity in knowing that they aren’t going through something alone, that’s pretty special. We’d also be very happy if the album allowed us to tour in some places that we’ve never been before and meet some new faces, as well allowing us to revisit some places we’ve already been!
Hailing from Australia, your country has a long-list of quality bands across the spectrum of rock and metal. What do you think it is about Australia’s pedigree for quality bands and what do you think EAT YOUR HEART OUT have to help you stand out in the crowd?
Caitlin: I think Australian bands inherently know that if we want to stand out and be seen on the same level as bands from the UK and US we have to work a lot harder, because we’re so far away and often quite isolated from the rest of the world. I also think Australia has a really supportive and diverse scene for up and coming bands, and we aren’t scared of putting together a mixed bill and putting bands next to each other that wouldn’t usually cross paths. We have always just tried to make something genuine and real, and we put a lot of emotion into what we do and hope that people can see that and relate to that.
Once the record is released, I imagine the focus will turn to touring to support your new release. What touring plans do EAT YOUR HEART OUT have for the rest of 2019 and can we expect to see you on UK shores this year?
Caitlin: There’s nothing we can announce yet but we are really hoping we can visit the UK this year, it’s definitely very high on our list of priorities! We’d also love to head back to the US because we had such a great time there last year.
To close, we’ll offer you the floor. Do you have anything to say to the readers of Distorted Sound?
Caitlin: Thanks so much for checking this interview out, and if you haven’t listened to our debut album Florescence yet please do! We really appreciate it.
Florescence is out now via Fearless Records.
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