Erin K: Little Torch

Erin K releases her debut album, Little Torch, tomorrow. Having spent her childhood in Texas, then raised in London, she is currently based between the States, UK, and also Italy, where she spends most of her time either touring or working with a children’s camp for kids with haemophilia. Her life today, in the wake of musical acclaim in Italy, is a world away from when she nervously started experimenting with insightful and playful compositions at open mic nights in London.

No sooner had she started showcasing her autobiographical tales than she had risen through the ranks as one of London’s most talked about artists on the anti-folk scene. Having headlined shows at Union Chapel and Bush Hall, she then took her live shows to the next level with a performance at The London Olympics and Paralympics. She recently completed her 5th tour in Italy, and is set to head out again this April for yet another tour, this time promoting her latest album, Little Torch.

With NME proclaiming her ‘a filthy-mouthed indie darling’, and The Guardian labelling her ‘an R-rated Pam Ayres for Generation Y’, Erin is excited for a return to her adopted home, and to showcase her latest compositions. She spent this past summer working on her first ever collaborative collection, which saw her team up with The Zen Circus’ Andrea Appino, and she is now ready to reveal the record that resulted from enlisting her producer friend’s assistance.

The third single (see video above) from her eagerly awaited Little Torch album, No Control, is a great track, and certainly showcases Erin's songwriting ability. We at Headliner definitely hear a bit of Suzanne Vega in there - which is certainly not a bad thing - but it's also got a modern twist to it, in part thanks to the smooth production; it's a catchy song which fuses indie and pop, with a dollop of folk for good measure - and it really works.

Erin breaks down the track for us in her own words: "The song discusses a feeling of being out of control, reflected in this video by the changing weather and play between warm and cool imagery. Here is the response of a girl to her own relationship and subsequent reminiscence. Shooting in Iceland was truly a dream for me. It’s such a unique and ever-transient landscape, like no other. I hope there is a bit of playfulness within this video as well, as we experienced a lot of joy in it’s creation! An unexpected moment involved two naked girls running onto the basalt beach and posing on blue icebergs while we were filming a single take shot. I don’t think any of us could quite comprehend what was happening at that moment!"

We're not surprised..! Keep an eye out for Erin K, who will appear in the next issue of Headliner.