Eleni Drake - “Guts”
Photo: Georgia Walters
Searching for clarity and space, Eleni Drake abandoned the UK to find herself in Melbourne, AU. Like other artists, she did this with the hopes of starting over, breaking some bad habits, and exploring life outside the confines of a comfort zone. On this journey, she found the pieces that would eventually become songs for her new record, Surf the Sun. And one of these pieces is a track called “Guts,” which we are very happy to share with you today.
Drake’s voice is very refreshing, yet pleasantly familiar, as it contains bits and pieces of some of our favorite vocalists, including Julien Baker, Lana Del Ray, and Adrianne Lenker. “Guts” begins a bit more upbeat than our usual brand of folk music, immediately informing the listener via drum kit that this is going to be more of a toe tapper than an acoustical serenade. In fact, we do not hear an acoustic guitar in here at all, as the phantom lead soars above the steady rhythm. This is where Drake’s vocal arrives, softly and wonderfully as she cooly delivers unto us a vulnerable love song. As we’ve stated multiple times in our features, there is absolutely nothing like some well placed “ooooohs” and this song nails them– they are ethereal and magnificent and though, at first, we were not expecting them, they are the spectral glue that holds this track together.
There’s a great deal of vintage vibe here, whether you are hearing the ‘70s production wizardry or the ‘90s Mazzy Star-ness of the delivery– this thing is super smooth and an absolute joy to find in our stack of submissions. We are immediate fans and eagerly awaiting the rest of Surf the Sun.
About the track, Drake adds: “Guts is really about when someone holds a space for you that makes you feel so full. Being able to open up to someone, share experiences with them, and they respond with such love and care for you, is such a beautiful thing. You feel seen and heard. I typically struggle to open up to people, and always find it easier to do it through my music, but this specific person made me feel like I could tell them anything and I appreciated every moment I got to spend with them. So I guess the song is just about the love and gratitude I have for this person, and big thank you to them, for letting me be a part of their life.”
And real quick, while we’ve got you, do not miss the first single from Drake’s upcoming LP, “Harsh.” Because it is quite charming and acoustically raw and wonderful:
-TM