If you haven’t already immersed yourself in On The Surface, the debut EP from Kiara Eve, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now. The EP is a four track collection of brilliantly cinematic indie-pop; the kind of music you can lose yourself in completely.
So fresh off the EP’s release, we caught the artist herself to chat all about it, her writing processes, musical influences, and what the future holds.
With her epic debut EP, On The Surface, fresh under her belt, we caught up with Perth-based artist Kiara Eve to chat all about it.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
KIARA: Hey, I’m great thanks for asking! I’m catching up on emails at the moment – it’s been a busy week!
HAPPY: We’ve been loving the new EP! How does it feel having it out there in the world?
KIARA: Thanks so much! It’s really exciting and pretty surreal when you start to see that people have heard the songs in other countries, that’s when it really hits home that it’s out.
HAPPY: For a debut release, it feels like you’ve got a very certain direction of your sound. How long had you been making music before releasing this project?
KIARA: I’ve recorded a few acoustic demos in the past but this was my first proper go. I’ve always had a really strong idea of the sound but have tried out a few different styles over the years. I just always seemed to come back to this cinematic sound.
HAPPY: Could you walk us through how a Kiara Eve song comes together? Is there a general process, or does it vary from track to track?
KIARA: For me it’s generally lyrics first but sometimes a song will start as a melody. Usually the ideas come at the strangest times so my iPhone notes and voice memos are full of random half written songs. From there I usually put the lyrics or melody to guitar and then I just let them sit for a little bit. The songs that tend to stick in my head for a few days after I’ve written them are the ones I work on further.
HAPPY: Do you have a favourite song off the EP?
KIARA: It always changes for me but I do have a soft spot for I See You. It’s probably one of the more vulnerable songs I’ve written and one of the hardest to write. It’s nice to hear that it’s resonating with people too.
HAPPY: There are a heap of different sounds being thrown around in your music. Did any particular artists influence this release?
KIARA: I was listening to a lot of Lana Del Rey and Fleetwood Mac while I was writing and recording so there is definitely some influence from them. It’s always been really important to me to have the core of the songs feel organic and timeless but also have a contemporary feel, it’s something Lana does so well. But it’s also kind of a reflection of my listening habits in general, I jump from listening to everything from film scores to contemporary music with the change of a song, so it all ends up influencing what I write.
HAPPY: Are there any other artists you’re really loving at the moment?
KIARA: I’m really loving The 1975. I saw them on tour when they came to Australia recently and their show was phenomenal, I’m really looking forward to their new album and catching them again when they’re here in February for Laneway. I’m also really loving Lewis Capaldi, what a voice! Looking forward to seeing him in January too.
HAPPY: What’s next for Kiara Eve? Any other exciting plans in the works?
KIARA: Music video next! I’m currently in the planning stages before filming but really excited at how it’s all coming together so far. Stay tuned!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
KIARA: Thank you!
On The Surface is available now. Listen above.
