Leeds 5-piece Eades follow up their 2022 debut album Delusion Spree with the EP Fight or Flight released on Friday 30 August. It was the final batch of songs recorded, produced and mixed in frontman Harry Jordan’s old basement studio (Bam Bam Studios) where almost all of Eades catalog has been written in the past.
Opening with ‘Fade Away’ Eades tackle the transition from adolescence, into early adulthood and eventually middle age. It’s a breezy, self-deprecating track which increasingly shifts into a stomper as it travels. This is the meaning of life “Eades style”, observational and at times, wry with tongue firmly placed in cheek:
“Giving marriage advice to my second wife,
I live how I live, and I like what I like.”
Fans will be delighted to see ‘Liquid Gold’ included on this EP, a firm favourite from their rollicking live sets. It tells of a rose tinted memory of numerous hungover walks from a friends sofa to home, only to be distracted en route by an invitation to repeat the night before. Suitably ambling along at a slow, plodding, shambling pace, until the hungover begins to wear off and the energy returns. Guitars and drums provide a sonic backdrop reminiscent of good times, the combined vocals of Henry and Tom O’Reilly adding to the overall feeling of having your arms around your mates and loving life in that moment.
‘Constantly‘ is a blast of a track. Having finished a tour supporting Wunderhorse Eades wanted to write songs that would turn up the energy at their gigs. ‘Constantly’ fits that brief perfectly. The electric guitar riffs at the beginning are crisp and sharp. The pace is for the rabble-rousers on the dancefloor, the singalong chorus perfect to for all to join in. ‘Loose Cliffs Edge‘ follows and brings a more emotive sound. Beginning calmly enough with guitar and vocals nevertheless is almost imperceptibly grows and pulls the listener in with every note. The track refers to Harry past struggles with anxiety and how with the support from his partner was able to take back control of his mental health. The ‘Loose Cliffs Edge’ is a metaphor for the place he found himself in on a daily basis whilst the “girl with grey in her eyes” refers to his partner, who without even realising it has helped change his life for the better. As Harry continues:
“The song came from a time spent on holiday in Australia with my now wife. I went for a walk on my own and ended up sitting on the seafront watching the surfers and listening to music. Sophie was sitting on the beach, and watching her going about her business filled me with a huge sense of contentment. I was thinking about how much my life had changed for the better with her in it and how slowly a lot of my anxieties had started to fade away. After that, I started to enjoy life at a slower pace and quickly my priorities changed for the better.
‘The girl with grey in her eyes’ refers to my wife Sophie – when we got together we always used to talk about the colour of her eyes and how they were forever changing colour. I called them pigeon, like the different colours on their feathers, but she just called them grey which I thought was interesting.”
The EP closes out with title track ‘Fight or Flight’. Its a song that ebbs and flows, perhaps reflecting the need for fight or flight at certain points in time. Eventually it all ties in beautifully as the quieter section slowly builds into the more raucous soundscape towards the end. Life is full of twists of turns and Eades have created this EP to reflect on their own experiences including anxiety, loved ones addictions and personal growth. The Leeds band share they wrote over 50 songs to create this EP. However they also admit that it’s a full-stop for the Eades sound as it is today. The future is bright indeed, but for now lets wallow right here in Fight or Flight. There is plenty of time to wait to see what tomorrow will bring.
Eades will be touring the EP during September.
For more information please check their facebook and instagram.
