Eleanor – ‘There’s No Quiet, There’s Little Relief’

Words by Nat Greener (Tits Upon Tyne)

Fresh off the buzz of her latest single ‘Sugar’ — a sultry, self-aware twist on the ‘sad song girl’ persona — Eleanor returns with a new EP ‘There’s No Quiet, There’s Little Relief’, that dances between heartbreak, humour, and heady groove. Layering bluesy roots with synth flourishes, offbeat textures and funk-driven rhythms, the record captures the sound of an artist revelling in experimentation while staying emotionally sharp. 

Already winning over fans across TikTok and beyond, Eleanor’s ability to flip between vulnerability and boldness is what sets her apart — and this project proves she’s only just getting started. We caught up with her to dig into the process behind the EP, the artists that fuel her world, and the moments that made this release one to remember.

You’ve called ‘Sugar’ the “fun one” on the EP — what kind of emotional or thematic spectrum does the full project explore? 

“If we’re talking about theme, I’d say we’re looking at dramatic as our starting point. On one side of it, we have sugar, a playful and silly ode to stumbling your way through sex for the first time, middle of that there’s prey. It’s full of platitudes, there’s a boy you can’t trust, what’s new right? And right at the other end is copper. An uncomfortably, spacious depiction of withering mental health. The project as a whole is a musical representation of me exploring who the hell I was at 19, cus I had no clue.”

How did you approach the writing process for the EP as a whole — was there a unifying mood or did each track grow from a different corner of your mind?

“It’s really interesting because this period of my life, my writing, felt very very emotionally charged when I wrote each song. Deep sadness, deep anger, deep pain. I didn’t realise it was an EP really until the songs were all written but I’d say once I had them it was clear they fit together and told the overall story of that period of my life. When I write I’m usually feeling quite upset about something, play with some chords and then just start singing- if it takes it takes. Each of these songs was born that way.”

Across the EP, you balance raw vulnerability with playful defiance — how important is that duality in your songwriting?

“I think it’s a really interesting juxtaposition- to be sensitive and delicate while standing firm and saying no fuck you for how you treated this situation. I definitely wanted to showcase how doe-eyed I was about certain things but incorporate the growth I (sometimes reluctantly) I gained from those experiences. If I haven’t learnt a lesson by the end of my song, it needs to be rewritten.”

You’ve been blending blues, funk, synth textures and more — what artists or sounds helped shape the sonic world of this project?

“I really don’t think, if you read my inspirations, that it would make much sense to be honest. Keshavara was massive for Sugar, the soundscape of what they create was all I could hear when we recorded. Snooks Eaglin, Solomon Burke, Etta James, Rory Gallagher, Julie London, Robert Johnson and The Monkees really gave me foundational inspiration for all these songs. It’s a pure level of magic I find harder to hear today. Modern influences for the EP come to anything from Birdy to Michael Kiwanuka to Dodie to Ariana Grande. They’ve all shaped this, shaped me.”

‘Sugar’ has clearly resonated with your audience online. Have reactions to your music on TikTok or live shaped how you think about future releases?

“Definitely! Sugar has such an audience on TikTok I never expected. It’s shown me how many people are out there wanting to support. This song was always dubbed the outlier of my set, I was told to cut it by a lot of people but I’m so glad I didn’t. It’s reminded me I can be fun as well as serious.”

Can you walk us through a moment during the EP’s creation — in studio or in writing — where something just clicked and the direction became clear?

“Matt and I were playing lapsteel for Copper, decided to on a whim cus he had one in the studio, and the sound- it was just everything I’d grown up being obsessed with hearing. The sounds that had grabbed me and kept me listening over and over again. That was the click for me, the rush of adrenaline that this was what I needed to be making.”

Is there a track on the EP that feels like the emotional core of the record — the one that defines it for you?

“Stuck on loving you. It’s everything that phase represents for me. Sonically, lyrically and also for the vocals- it showcases my range in a way that’s so fun. After having covid I had to retrain to sing it cus i’d been ill. It has these weird runs in it that technically shouldn’t work but do. How mad is that to have someone train you how to sing your own song again?”

You’ve mentioned playfully calling yourself the “sad song girl” — does this EP push against that label, or lean into it in new ways?

“I think it stands right in the center of it. I spent a lot of those years hearing “play something upbeat, something happy!!” And no I won’t, I don’t want to right now. I cordially invite you to find another artist if you’re not into it, but this is where I’m at. And there’s a reason people tell me they use my songs to process their feelings. That’s what it’s for. Cheaper therapy folks.”

If this EP could soundtrack a film, what kind of scene or story would it be scoring?

“I mean there has to be rain right? A doomed love story, push and pull, dramatic kisses. I live for film and tv soundtracks, I always Shazam in the cinema which feels deeply cool, I know. James Bond is the ultimate descriptor. Cold day in hell is our opening credits, for songs like Sugar or Prey I think action and steamy scenes, copper is the big montage when they’re walking alone thinking they’ve lost it all, ghost and stuck on loving you, that’s the dramatic finale when we’ve caught the bad guy.”

Looking ahead — with this body of work now coming out into the world — where do you want this release to take you in the next year, creatively or career-wise?

“I’m not sure I dare to dream but I really just want to connect with more people, I want this music to find more homes. I love playing shows and connecting with fans in person as well as other musicians. A festival or two off the back of this would be really cool as well!”

Follow Eleanor here