Eve Belle has been killing it so far this year: she was chosen as one of Golden Plec’s ‘Plec Pics’ for 2019, released a new single followed by an EP The Fine Line Between Brave And Stupid. We caught up with her before her upcoming headline gig in Whelans.

For those who don’t know you can you tell me a bit about yourself and your music.

My name is Eve Belle. I’m a singer-songwriter based in Dublin. I’m a student at Trinity College Dublin.

Speaking about your upcoming EP you described it as  “sexy sad.” What do you mean by that?

My new EP is about learning life lessons through love, not all of which are positive. I guess it’s about the sadness and happiness I found from some sexy times in my life, thus the apt description sexy sad.

But in a good way. Like. Sexy sad.

— Eve Belle (@EveBelleSongs) June 26, 2019

I’m a big fan of your Spotify playlist ‘music i like’ which features Imogen Heap, Lorde and Talking Heads. What artists inspire you? 

I’m inspired by artists whose music makes me flinch. I love when I listen to something and feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach emotionally. Musicians that have elicited that response from me are people like Julien Baker, Frank Ocean and Hozier, I guess where the focus is mainly lyrical.

In the video for your song ‘Boy From Blue,’ you take a DART journey along Dublin’s coast. Has Dublin or your homeplace of Donegal influenced your songwriting?

It’s hard not to be influenced by Donegal. It kind of seeps into your soul as a place. The sea is definitely a recurring image in my music, things being swept into it, things coming out of it, and that’s definitely from growing up in Donegal. There’s a real connection to the elements there, the place is a pretty big part of me. Dublin has influenced me too, in a different way. It’s taught me homesickness and loneliness, but also independence and recklessness, all of which manifest themselves in some way or another in my music.

Do any of your songs touch on your sexuality or relationships?

I only really started discovering and accepting my sexuality in the past few years, and only came out ‘properly’ (if there is a way to do it properly) a few months ago, so my sexuality isn’t something that’s been referenced explicitly in my music. But questioning my sexuality was a big part of last year and that’s what the new EP is based on. It definitely contributed to the confusion, frustration and acceptance that you can hear in the songs, most of which is directed at myself rather than at other people. But coming to terms with my sexuality had prompted me to examine the relationship between my sexuality and my music, and that will be an interesting thing for me to explore going forward.

Me asking if someone is bi:
So… are they of… the cuffed jeans persuasion

— Eve Belle (@EveBelleSongs) June 30, 2019

Do you have a queer musical icon?

I’m a little bit obsessed with Hayley Kiyoko. Listening to her music was amazing for me as someone who wasn’t comfortable with myself. Hearing how strong and unapologetic she is in herself kind of chipped away at my own issues, and as well I deeply admire her standpoints on LGBT issues. Julien Baker also gets a mention here because I would gladly die for her to be honest. 

I first saw you perform opening for Darwin Deez in The Workman’s Club, you’ve also opened for Hozier and Wild Youth, if you could perform with any artist in the future who would that be? 

Probably Bright Eyes. They’ve been my favourite band for a long long time. Even though if I got into a room with them I would probably just start crying so I don’t know how constructive a collaboration it would be.

You can follow Eve on Twitter: @EveBelleSongs or Instagram @_evebelle_ and keep up to date with new music as well as news and general antics on Spotify and Facebook.

Eve Belle plays Whelan’s upstairs Wednesday, July 24 and you can purchase tickets here.