With over one million collective streams across Spotify alone, Melbourne producer, singer and songwriter Eilish Gilligan has made a big mark over the past couple years, releasing incredible stand-alone singles and thoughtful, eccentric EPs that showcase the vulnerability of an innate and reflective songwriter and producer, coupled with powerful pop production and arrangements.
From the get go, Eilish was quick to gain airplay and support far and wide; her warm, spectral pop music has earned well-deserved praise from the likes of triple j’s Zan Rowe, Richard Kingsmill and Nick Findlay, full triple j rotation with 2018 single S.M.F.Y (which became one of the most aired songs over the summer), glowing write-ups from Rolling Stone Australia, Red Bull, and NME, a feature on Bandcamp’s homepage, and live supports with local upstarts including Alex Lahey, E^st, Confidence Man, and SAFIA.
In the midst of a the COVID-19 pandemic, Eilish created a space for her community online through Twitch, streaming to thousands of followers and regularly featuring on the Front Page of the platform. She wrote, produced and engineered her debut EP Hospital in 2020; a soft yet piercing collection of music evocative of Phoebe Bridgers and Lorde, Eilish proved her artistic versatility once again. She celebrated the release with a sold out show at The Corner Hotel in January 2021, and won the coveted, industry-voted ‘Best Producer’ accolade at the 2021 Music Victoria awards for her efforts.
Up All Night, released on May 14, 2021, is Eilish’s first single for 2021 and the first taste of her EP First One To Leave The Party. Up All Night was premiered on triple j, produced by Dave Hammer, and written alongside Alex Lahey and Japanese Wallpaper. It’s been featured on NME, Purple Sneakers, The Interns, Backseat Mafia, Thomas Bleach and more – and debuted at number 9 on the AMRAP Metro Charts.
Her second single for the year, Get Well Soon, racked up thousands of streams upon release and was featured on multiple Spotify Editorial playlists. The EP First One To Leave The Party features collaborations with local legends Alex Lahey, Japanese Wallpaper, and Lach Bostock of mansionair; demonstrating the true depth and versatility of Eilish’s artistry – where Hospital was soft, quiet, emotional, First One To Leave The Party is unabashed, innovative, surprising and uplifting pop.
There is an athleticism to Eilish’s performance – you can tell there’s craft there, a certain training and sense of discipline that’s hard to cultivate without years of work. There is power in her vocals, but restraint, too; she knows that an emotional gutting is done better with a whisper than with a yell. Her masterful sense of control brings to mind Bat For Lashes & Kate Bush – like both those iconic pop auteurs, Eilish has a keen sense of how deeply devastating a lone voice and some synths can be.
