A bit more than a decade or so ago, the sadly defunct British magazine Q celebrated an anniversary and sent a form with questions to many artists such as U2’s Adam Clayton, Kate Bush, Paul Weller or David Bowie. The latter decided to go his own way, by talking about different things, one of which was that one of the best aspects of the internet was being able to access great music at the touch of a click.
I’m in a similar case, here. Through the chameleonic West Coast producer OFxSHxRE, we could discover the duo MiRii where he was partnering with British songwriting ace Clea Llewelyn. The result of this collaboration was two brilliant singles, “Bad B*tch” and “Ger Butter”.
Now OFxSHxRE has produced a set of songs to be released as singles from mid-July until late this year with an up-and-coming duo That Kid Eileen.
And here’s another story we know about how the internet brings people together, but that still amazes us.
You’ll remember that at the peak of the pandemic, different communities in different cybernetic places created new music collaborations or allowed artists to play, even if no concerts were allowed (in QRO we talked, for instance, of the live Twitch streaming by J GRGRY from Seattle’s Moore Theater, in late March 2021). That Kid Eileen drew from that creative energy and the bond created finally materialized in early April 2023.
TKE blends the chill rock vibes of HEART, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift if they were sharing a joint outside an LGBTQIA2+ bar. But it’s more than that.
So far, That Kid Eileen has released three digital singles: “Where U At”, “Hey Hey” and the very recent “Baby Steppin’”.
Partly, the subject in all three songs is finding a commonplace in the world, a place which has to be shared as loneliness (even if chosen, as suggested in “Hey Hey”) may not be as positive as we think, even if we’re running away from the pain caused by another person.
At another level, That Kid Eileen’s lyrics seem to represent an inner child seeking nurture and fulfilment through music and a positive community, something that can’t be done alone.
Sonically, the arrangements of the songs are sparse and minimalist, seeking intimacy and enticing the listener to sing along, as well. A touch of drum here, some guitar mothers there, and with the voice in close-up most of the time, the results are very effective and catchy, a mix of mid-American music and West Coast vibes. Plus, the songs share the fact that they’re pretty short, which help them becoming instant earworms.
The duo are at the start of their career, but they are continuously working on new tracks, most of which will be released fortnightly until the end of the year.
Watch this space!
