EDEN talks being an outsider, the impact of minimalism, and debut album "Vertigo" [Interview]

Already hot tipped by Lorde, Dublin-based Jonathan Ng a.k.a EDEN is surely an amazing artist to watch for 2018. His moving, and sentimental music corners less is more in all of the best respects. His music feels completely present, relevant, and real. The unspoken, and intimate quiet in EDEN's production demands close attention. These moments, are accompanied perfectly with beautifully directed visual mise-en-scène in singles such as "gold".  EDEN's music and individual arrangements capture an unusual glimpse into the expression of a civilian; inspired heavily by nuances from everyday life.

With news of EDEN's January 2018 debut album "Vertigo" breaking, alongside an announcement of a looming US string of live dates in March 2018 breaking (featuring an incredibly exciting, and newly refurbished show), we had to catch-up with the Irish musician. Hear more about EDEN, and what we might be able to expect from the debut album below.

EM: How did you first come to make music?

EDEN: i started writing songs when i was about 7 or 8 years old. i would take eminem songs and basically replace the lyrics with my own. it was all really terrible, but as i learned guitar and piano i started to write my own music, and a year later at 16 i discovered music production. i had been making music with my friends in bands and then suddenly i didnt need other people to create the ideas in my head. so i began working on music every second i could by myself.

EM: Has growing up in Ireland influenced your music?

EDEN: i definitely think it shaped me a lot. with so much media attention focused on what happens in the UK or the US, its easy to feel like a cultural spectator or outsider. especially when there wasnt a scene or community around me for the music i was making. i think thats why sometimes ireland can produce some real gems in music or film or art. the separation can really drive you to do things your own way and can give you an underdogs determination that can be invaluable.

EM: You have lovely clean production, its simple & minimal yet accompanied by hard-hitting song writing & lyrics. What kind of music inspires you?

EDEN: i have listened to (and had musical obsessions with) everything from boy bands, to screamo, to dance music, hiphop, and pop. whenever i find something new or exciting i tend dive into it as thoroughly as possible, but throughout my life has always been an appreciation for songs that can really move you. so when making the hardest drop wasnt interesting anymore i guess began sliding back to minimalism. the music is influenced by whats on my mind more so than anything else, and for an album that is really personal to me it just made sense. sometimes the smallest things can feel massive, sometimes things that feel the most monumental dont matter.

EM: I’ve been listening a lot to “crash” it’s so emotive and raw. Beautifully written. Lyrically it sounds like you have been coming to terms with loss. Would you be willing to elaborate more about this?

EDEN: i dont like to spell out what songs mean to me, because if someone interprets it in a certain way i dont want to discount that. sometimes ive written things and have only really realised what its about months later. one thing i will say is that the song is not really about other people. im a little bit tired of people assuming everything is about a relationship gone wrong haha.

EM: I gather you gained very meaningful support from Lorde! Can you tell me how that’s impacted your music/ life since?

EDEN: honestly that was really bizarre when it happened. i thought it was fake for a bit. if anything it was reassuring. i felt like so much of my music output has been been outside of everything else thats going on. maybe its the ireland effect. it was nice to feel included for a while – that im not completely separated from the artist i listen to and read about so much.

EM: You said of the gold video: “I really wanted to capture the magnitude in small moments. Sometimes things from one perspective can seem insignificant or unremarkable, and it's incredible how intense, exciting, difficult, or beautiful that same moment can be from another. The weird way things are always both momentous and insignificant at the same time; the world still turns regardless." The art direction seems to really fit your musical style perfectly, and I was wondering how much input you had on making the video?

EDEN: i actually had the pleasure of creating the videos with my friends. zhang + knight are two incredibly talented directors, and creating these videos with them has definitely been an inspiring process. i guess my job in this was almost to explain the broader direction of what i wanted to achieve with the videos and then when we were working through ideas and the smaller details to keep it focused in the right way.

EM: Your debut album Vertigo is out early in 2018, congrats! Can you tell us a bit more about what to expect from it?

EDEN: vertigo is 13 songs with about 21 or so years of life. its not a catalogue of the events that happened – i havent written a diary in musical form – but i guess its my way of making sense of the world, my place in it, even myself. and i think that reflects musically too. i dont think i could ever describe it better than it describes itself to be honest haha. i made music out of a web of things i couldnt figure out or say or otherwise. its the thoughts and words i could never find. still cant in some cases.

EM: You’re embarking on a US tour in March. Is it your first tour? Are you excited?! 

EDEN: third tour ! but i really feel like this one will be the most special one, possibly in my career. just after my debut album is out, with a completely redesigned show. i cant wait to get everything on the road and experience it with people.

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