Song Premiere: Eilis Frawley ‘Illusions’

The Berlin-based percussionist's debut single is a delicious slice of avant-garde pop

Words By Jonny Tiernan

The debut solo release from Eilis Frawley automatically puts her in the ‘amazing drummers who also happen to be incredible solo artists’ category, alongside Phil Collins. But while Phil was content to smash out saccharine, shiny pop hits, Eilis has delivered an avant-garde track that tackles the trials of our modern lives.

You might recognise Eilis as the drummer from much-loved indie-popsters Party Fears, or perhaps more recently as the drummer in I Drew Blank, or maybe you know her as the co-founder of the Bang On platform, dedicating her time to offering space for women* in music. Basically, she gets around and does cool stuff, and now she is taking a step forward with her solo project.

‘Illusions’ is the first single to be taken from her debut EP ‘Never Too Emotional’, slated for an early 2020 release on Reckless Yes Records. The track features Krautrock-precision drum rhythms overlaid with straight and true spoken word vocals. If we had to pick two musical reference points, we’d say it has the attitude and style of Tune-Yards coupled with the experimental swagger of Battles.

Lyrically, it reflects the weirdness and mundanity of our day-to-day. Eilis describes the track as “a rollercoaster reflecting both the calm and chaotic parts of daily life. The song explores the various masks we wear in society – how we portray ourselves on social media, how we communicate with loved ones and our relationship to strangers.” 

We’re thrilled to be premiering this debut single, enjoy it below.