A darkly elegant exploration of feelings of rejection and defeat, Charlotte Spiral’s debut EP “Ideal Life” explores themes of self-hood, self-doubt, yet ultimately self-belief. The lead track, Wide Eyed, is about wishing it was easier to enjoy the simple things in life, a theme that is present throughout the EP.

Produced by Charlotte Spiral and Dan Carey (Bat For Lashes, M.I.A, Sia), a recent collaboration which was born out of time spent in Dan’s Streatham studio, the vocals on Wide Eyed are lush and nostalgic, soaring above ethereal piano and polished production: -“With ‘Wide Eyed’ we wanted to create a dream-like atmosphere, whilst retaining the sense of directness that is present in the lyrics. Dan’s method of working is based on making quick decisions and committing to them, which resulted in a sound that feels very instinctive and strong in its identity”.

Only Place I Know and End of Summer close out the EP, exhibiting the same introspective melody that permeate the band’s sonic style. Having met at Goldsmiths, the members have all been involved in multiple musical projects before and trace their influences from a wide range of artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Julia Holter, Moses Sumney, Patrick Watson, Susanne Sondfor, and Beach House. Wide Eyed will be accompanied by a video from director Morgan Sinclair. Shot wholly on analogue, this heavily textured visual piece sits perfectly within raw themes of the track.

Opening with the painting of a chair, the video follows the character on a surreal journey which plays on the idea that achieving something so simple can often seem like a distant dream.