With a voice that aches with emotion and lyrics that cut straight to the heart, Etham has a rare ability to turn personal heartbreak into something deeply resonant. As he gears up for the release of his highly anticipated EP, Everything and Nothing, the UK singer-songwriter gives us a glimpse into the stories behind the music—including his raw and honest new single, Still Can’t Move On.
We caught up with Etham to talk about his songwriting process, the evolution of his sound, and the lessons he’s learnt along the way.
Hi Etham, how are you?
I’m well, thank you. I’m very excited for the year ahead, as there are so many releases and exciting things happening, and I really hope to be announcing shows as well, so it’s a big year ahead!
What can you tell us about your new single?
It’s just a really honest song that’s kind of written in a diary-type style, and it’s about a breakup I experienced in 2023, and when I was in LA for a month writing the EP, I woke up one morning and still had this ache in my chest, which then the lyrics “Waking up, catching my breath before it settles in” came to me, and so I took it to my friend Scott, and we just got stuck into it, and we ended up loving it.
‘Everything and Nothing’ is shaping up to be an emotional rollercoaster. Can you describe the EP in just three words?
Real / Therapeutic / Emotional
A lot of your tracks have this late-night, sitting-alone-in-your-room kind of energy. Do you write mostly at night, or does inspiration hit at random moments?
It definitely hits at random moments, but I’d also say some of my favourite stuff has been late at night.
You’ve mentioned that ‘Still Can’t Move On’ has one of your favourite vocal performances. Do you ever get super particular about takes in the studio?
Yes, I used to be a lot worse with overthinking the vocals, but actually with this one, I and Scott both agreed that because of the nature of the song, it needed imperfections, and so I limited myself to 4 passes for each section and then just stuck with what we had.
Songwriting is often about perspective. Is there a song from your past that means something completely different to you now than when you first wrote it?
I think “You’re The Reason” is the one that stands out because that can mean different things at different times in your life and the person I actually wrote that about I now look at it in a different way and relate it to someone else.
Do you ever revisit old song ideas or unfinished lyrics, or do you prefer to keep moving forward creatively?
Yeah, I do sometimes revisit old songs, lyric ideas, and chords because it might not have been right for that specific moment, but sometime in the future it might really help move an idea along.
You’ve worked with artists all over the world, from South Korea to the US. What’s been the biggest “pinch-me” moment of your career so far?
I think touring with Tori Kelly was one of my favourites because I really didn’t feel like I belonged there, but I was really excited by the opportunity.
You’ve been releasing music for a while now—what’s one thing you wish you knew when you were first starting out?
Just relax and don’t put so much pressure on yourself; time does go quick, but it can also go very slow, and as long as you keep going, then you’re only going to become more experienced and better at what you do, so don’t stress too much.
If you could collaborate with any artist right now—alive or dead—who’s making that dream duet happen?
There are honestly so many, so it’s very hard to pin it down to one person, but I guess someone like Max Martin to write with, and then singing, I think someone like Billie Eilish would be really cool.