Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Ettie
THE RELEASE
Ettie, the maestro of anxious, gay, and caffeinated tunes, is a literary luminary turned musical wordsmith, specializing in the art of millennial angst. As an English Literature graduate, she wields language with finesse, crafting songs that resonate as profound storytelling experiences. Ettie is your unapologetically queer, unflinchingly honest companion on a journey through love and life, set to the backdrop of the nostalgic melodies that defined your coming-of-age years. Following the triumph of her debut EP, 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl,' which introduced the infectious anthem 'I'm Sorry to my Exes,' Ettie has firmly established herself in the queer-pop arena, amassing over 160k streams and 2m likes on TikTok. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Avril Lavigne, Hayley Williams, Pale Waves, and the boy bands of the 00s, Ettie's music is a visceral blend of raw familiarity and innovative narrative, marking her as one of the most promising newcomers in the music scene.
"Marty McFly," Ettie's newest single, is a touching song that will speak to anybody who has ever struggled with their identity and regretted not embracing it sooner. Ettie's songs, as a gay artist who came out in her early 20s, freely examine the complexity of her path, questioning why she didn't discover her true self sooner. With its distorted guitars and clashing rhythms, the song's nostalgic nod to the cult classic film "Back to the Future" mimics the film's climactic prom scene. It's a banger that combines Ettie's characteristic lyrical comedy with a melancholy contemplation on squandered possibilities. Ettie encourages you to get into the DeLorean with her, make peace with the past, dance away the anguish, and realize that life feels so much better when you accept your genuine self in 3 minutes and 12 seconds.
THE INTERVIEW
If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?
Hayley Williams, Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift and King Princess. I think from that you can say I’ll be your extra gay emo phase.
Were there any specific experiences or events in your life that influenced the song's lyrics?
‘Marty McFly’ is about wanting to go back in time and relive my formative years, but this time fully as myself: very gay. I was having a day where I was very in my feels, and thinking it was unfair that I lost a lot of my life to not feeling comfortable in who I was. But while we haven’t mastered time travel yet, they did in ‘Back to the Future’, so I took a little hop in the Delorean and wrote a song inspired by one of my favourite films.
Can you share any interesting anecdotes about the song's development with your co-writers or producers?
My bandmate has never seen ‘Back to the Future’!! I played him the song and he loved it, has been jamming it, and we even played it at a gig before he admitted to be that he had never seen it. He better have now!
What was the biggest takeaway or lesson you learned while creating this song?
To go where the passion is. I hadn’t met my producer Alex at Spit Records before our session, but out of all of the songs I sent him he was so passionate about ‘Marty McFly’ that I knew he had to have it. And it’s worked out so well!
How has your recent growth as an artist influenced the direction of your future work?
I just want to keep on making very queer, very literary and very raw music. I want to fill rooms full of people to sing our hearts out. Every choice I am making is to connect more with people and build a community that is here, queer, full of existential fear but also a fucking vibe!
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