Polly Havelock talks to singer-songwriter Etham on his profound new ballad ‘Just Anyone’, the complexities of heartbreak, and the highly-anticipated upcoming EP ‘Everything and Nothing’….
Hi Etham, how are you?
I’m very well thank you. Very excited for this year and it’s already been great so far!
Your new single ‘Just Anyone’ dropped last week, and it might be your most heartfelt track yet. Can you tell us what inspired the song?
I think I wanted to capture 2 emotions in this song and the most obvious ones when breaking up with someone is sadness and anger little bit of anger but wrapped in a reminder that she wasn’t just anyone to me, she meant a lot in my life and I just wanted to capture a song that expressed those feelings.
Sharing such a personal concept publicly must be quite the experience – do you find the process therapeutic or daunting?
It’s a bit of both because to me music is supposed to be honest so your aware that your putting that vulnerability out there but also at the same time it’s a chance for people to connect which is what I like to try and achieve but that does come with the daunting feeling that it won’t connect with people but that’s the risk you sometimes have to take.
Just Anyone’ is the latest chapter in your upcoming EP ‘Everything and Nothing’, due out on July 4th. Could you walk us through the creative process behind the project?
Everything & Nothing was born from a place of feeling a little lost after a breakup and the phrase “Everything & Nothing” came to me whilst writing some of the EP in Nashville because I at that time I felt like I had everything I could ever need but in a a weird way it also felt like nothing because I was no longer sharing that journey with someone anymore so a lot of the songs have this bitter sweet feeling of acceptance but also capturing a feeling where you could have all these nice things but for me not sharing that with someone can feel empty.
You’ve said the EP chronicles your journey through heartbreak. What specific emotions are you exploring in ‘Just Anyone’?
I think I just wanted to have something that explained that the relationship I was in wasn’t just a part time thing or that person didn’t mean anything to me because I think she’ll always mean something in my life and I wanted to capture those emotions as well as voicing some natural sadness that you feel during a breakup.
2025 has already been a big year for you – from releasing a string of singles to your collaboration with K-pop star CHUNG HA on ‘Find Love’. What’s been a personal highlight so far?
I think every release has been a highlight because I wrote most of the songs last year so it’s just been really nice to see it all come alive and be on a string of releases in a way that I’ve never done before but I think “There For You’ was a big highlight because it was the first song that kicked off these releases and also one of my favourites.
What was your favourite part about working on ‘Everything and Nothing’?
I’d say my favourite thing about working on Everything & Nothing has been how little pressure there was to make this because I gave myself a lot of time to get the songs ready which I’ve never done before. Normally I would write the songs as the year goes on but the process of getting every song ready months before has been really nice.
Your cinematic sound has become a signature. If ‘Just Anyone’ were to soundtrack a film, which one do you think it would suit best?
I can’t partially think of one film but I think it would definitely suit those type of films that tell story of 2 people just trying to find a fulfilling life but caught in doubt which leads to second guessing their choices and wondering if the grass greener on the other side, a little like the story from “The Notebook”
Looking ahead, what are your hopes and goals for the rest of the year? Are you always writing and recording, or do you prefer to leave space between projects?
I’d love for my music to reach a bigger audience by the end of the year and hopefully start doing shows again. I think I’m always going to be writing music whether that’s for me or other artists so as long as I’m doing that then I feel like I’m heading int the right direction to fulfil my goals.
