Welcome to In Conversation, a special interview column on the site where we sit down with artists and dive deep into everything music. This week, Joe sat down with Caitlin Henry of Eat Your Heart Out to discuss their upcoming record, touring the UK, and a decade together as a band.
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Joe: What are your reflections on Eat Your Heart Out nearing 10 years as a group?
Caitlin: It will be 10 years this year. We formed in 20212, when most of us were still in school. We just started playing youth shows, and then it felt like there was a turning point in 2015 when we got our first proper recording done. We went to a proper studio and started doing some DIY tours.
I have felt both sides; sometimes you see where massive bands are at after 10 years and they’ve done six albums and are selling out arenas. We still enjoy it and that’s why we do it. We’re still fairly young because we did start when we were in high school. It can be easy to compare yourself to other bands with “they’ve done X amount,” but it’s a lesson that everyone is on their own timeline and everyone’s career flows in its own way. It did feel bad to lose two years to the pandemic, as there were two years where we didn’t do anything. It was out of our hands, and that kinda sucked, but everyone was in the same boat.
Joe: Are there any particular moments across those 10 years you look back on?
Caitlin: The first time we toured internationally in the United States in 2018 — that was one. I remember when we got the offer and it was like, “this is it, we’ve made it. We’re going to the U.S.” That’s pretty cool. Obviously it’s not glamorous, but when you’re there it’s the best time ever. It’s like any low-to-mid-level tour, getting out of Australia felt awesome. Signing to an international label, especially being from Australia and a label from America somehow finding you is pretty wild. There’s definitely been a few moments where it’s been like, “this is awesome.” We were meant to play a few shows with Jimmy Eat World the month COVID kicked off, which was bucket list. They are one of the two bands who are top of the bucket list to play with. That for me was huge, but COVID came along.
Joe: How was the UK and Europe tour?
Caitlin: It was our favourite tour we’ve done to date. We went out with Tiny Moving Parts. They were the loveliest people to be on tour with and were so generous and so accommodating. That is a good place to start. The shows were incredible, and everyone who turned up each night were so open to finding new bands to support. We had heard mixed things about Europe: either it’s going to be really rough and terrible or the venues and stuff are so generous. Every day we would turn up and there would be the full green room spread of food and all that stuff. In Australia you’re lucky to get a green room and can’t even get water sometimes. When we got to the UK and Europe it felt like we were in heaven, and we got really lucky and had an awesome time.
Joe: How was it in Germany with places closing early?
Caitlin: That was kinda weird. We did find that out as we played a Saturday night on our first show there. Someone in our team told us that we would need to go to the shop that night as all the shops close on a Sunday. We were like “what do you mean all the shops close,” and told us that all the shops close for real. Thankfully our photographer was across it so we didn’t get caught out. Maybe we will come back next time and it will eat shit. Maybe we’ve cursed ourselves now.
Joe: Do you feel more confident going into it now you’ve had the experience of releasing a full length?
Caitlin: For our first record, in hindsight we had no idea what we were doing and the work it takes to create an album. All we had done before that was EPs on our own time, and to suddenly be put in a situation with the label of making a record in a timeframe, we went in horribly unprepared, and it ended up being incredibly stressful. We were all proud of the record but it felt like it wasn’t everything it could have been because we didn’t have it all there. This time, we were not doing that again and knew what it takes to put together a record. We put a lot more work in, we all worked ourselves really hard on our songwriting skills. There’s still so far to go but it felt like a step up from Fluorescent and we didn’t want to rely on other people’s creative input and relying on co-writes. This album was a totally different experience, as we learnt so much from making our first record. It ended up being fun and we enjoyed creating a record which was a polar opposite from our first experience. It’s been a really cool experience and I am glad the first album taught us that lesson.
Joe: What has changed in the songwriting on Can’t Stay Forever?
Caitlin: I know for me, it’s been an evolution as when we first started the band all the vocals were written by Will, the guitarist. Over time, we worked, and on our Mind Games EP it became 50/50 on vocals. By the time we got to Fluorescent it was me writing them but with our producer Zack and Pat from Movements, who co-produced our record. This time around it was all me. It has felt like an evolution of me gaining our confidence. For years, I felt like I couldn’t write vocals and I didn’t know how. I think I was always too scared and someone would be like, “this is garbage.” This time I was like, “Nah I’m gonna do it, this is our band, this is what I am here for. I have to actually step up.” And for me that was one of the main differences; it felt like I could do it for once. With the guys, they are always evolving the ways they write instrumentals and people contributing different things. Overall, everyone felt more confident in what they were contributing and it wouldn’t just be shot down.
Joe: Do you feel there’s more nuances to the record?
Caitlin: Yeah, and I would rather have something like that, where you can find something new each time rather than one listen through and you’re done, which I almost feel like Fluorescents, not to diss ourselves, was like that because it was written in a rush. We didn’t really have a chance to explore those nuances, and you listen through once and you’ve heard it. There wasn’t an incentive to go back to it, so I’m glad that has been picked up on and I would hope that is what people would pick up on.
Joe: What has inspired the look and feel of the record’s aesthetic?
Caitlin: We wanted to revamp the aesthetic and have it look really fresh and different to what we have done before. We have started doing a lot more of that stuff ourselves and in-house. Our bassist Dom and his partner Jackie are graphic designers, so the artwork was done by them, which was really cool. Previously we had outsourced it and had got someone else to do it. This time we’ve done it in our little circle, which has made it more cohesive as we’re all on the same page. We can bounce it back and forth rather than handing it off to someone to make something. It’s really cool in that way to have it all connected like that. We just wanted something that represented the record. I’m not one of those people who sees sounds in colours and all that. I do get that feeling though; with Fluorescents, it felt dark and a green sort of aesthetic. With this one it felt brighter and an orange/red energy. It all makes sense I suppose, having more of that design stuff. Even with the videos that we’re creating for the non-singles, it’s all being done within house.
Many thanks to Caitlin Henry for sitting down and asking our questions about the new album. Make sure to check out our full review of Can’t Stay Forever! For all things EYHO, alternative rock, and the Aussie scene, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.