10 Questions With Beaux on His New EP 'how can i sleep? i'm wide awake'


With a reputation for slaying the EP format, we were very keen to hear more about beaux's latest project, which was built with some sense of making his live show pop even more. Being huge fans of live music, big energy sets especially, we reached out to this UK-based artist to find out about his latest EP, how can i sleep, i'm wide awake, what's next, and what to eat if you are a fussy eater. 

Ones To Watch: Who is Beaux?

Beaux: I’m an artist and producer, I write quite matter-of-fact lyrics about all parts of my life, you know, all the good stuff: fear of failure, death, heartbreak, love, friendship, childhood. I’ve got it all covered.

Besides the obvious, what is how can i sleep? i'm wide awake all about?

This EP is a collection of thoughts I’ve had as I’m laying in bed trying to sleep, you know when your mind is just bouncing from one random thought to another, like a pre-dream journal. There’s not being able to sleep because I’m so excitedly in love, then there’s worrying about not doing enough for my mum, and there’s feeling disconnected from my hometown because it’s changed so much in my lifetime and yet it still feels special because my family and my memories are here. It’s all the things that keep me up, for better or worse.

The EP has quite a range of emotions, styles, and tempos. How’d you settle on the songs to include?

I wrote “benadryl”, “let’s go” and “can’t help but let you down” around the same time, so they already felt like they were a part of the same project. I’d written “all of this (and more)” a while before and this felt like the perfect project for it - the song is like a stream of consciousness, which sort of encapsulates the idea of the whole EP. I wrote “stay in my heart” even earlier, and again, it just made sense to me, lyrically, that it should be a part of this EP. I think I focused on the sentiments of the songs over their tempos or styles. That’s something I seem to have done across all the EPs—each song feels lyrically attached to the title of their EP.

Any collaborations? Who produced the EP?

I made “let’s go,” “benadryl,” and “can’t help but let you down” with Jonah Summerfield at his house and at the Dirty Hit Studio. It was quite a pivotal time, as I was expanding my sound with live shows now at the forefront of my mind. “all of this (and more)” was me and Hoost; he’s a legend and was very patient with me, because I originally recorded the vocals myself at home, and then re-did it with him like three times because I just kept trying to perfect a very specific way I wanted to sing it. And lastly, “stay in my heart” was with Bram Inscore, who I worked with a lot on my last 2 EPs, so it’s cool to have another song out with him on this new EP! I also asked my friend Hugo Silvani, of Pale Waves, if he could record a guitar solo for "can’t help but let you down” and he sent back this beautiful solo which really completed the song.

Given your myriad of influences, how do you describe your sound?

My sound is an amalgamation of everything I’ve ever been inspired by, mixed with my quite diaristic lyrics and my self-taught production.

Can we expect more of this style in the future, potentially on an upcoming album?

I definitely think a lot of this style will continue into my first album. I think these EPs have been a journey of experimentation and learning, and I want to use everything I’ve picked up to make a really cohesive record that really defines my sound.

Besides this excellent EP, what else should we be on the lookout for?

As I’m writing this, I’m getting ready to do my first headline show that’s just sold out! So hopefully there are a lot more live shows coming in the new year. I’m also starting to work on my first album, which I think is the next move.

What's inspiring you right now outside of music?

I’ve been getting into graphic design, so I’ve been picking up a lot of books and watching videos online about that. I’m also feeling a bit inspired by my friend Lyle (who plays drums at our shows), who’s been telling me that he started eating healthier and he’s doing all this exercise, and now I’m thinking it’s about time I follow suit.

Underrated food or dish that the world needs to know about?

It’s not a dish, but look up Julius Roberts on TikTok, not only is he the most charming man you will ever lay your eyes on, he’s also an incredible chef. I’m a fussy eater, I probably wouldn’t like 80% of the food he makes, but it just looks so good in his videos.

Who are your Ones To Watch?

Cathy Jain and tinyumbrellas are supporting my show next week. I’m very lucky to have seen them both live already and they are both incredible artists. tinyumbrellas also has such a strong aesthetic with her artworks, her videos and her social media posts, it all ties into the world of her music so well. Cathy Jain’s live set sounded so sick, it’s really polished, and she’s smashed it with her new EP.

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