It feels so, so right to be starting off the new year with one of the freshest acts out of Ireland right now: singer-songwriter EFÉ, whose latest EP, What Should We Do This Summer ?, was released in October of last year. It was written and recorded during and immediately after EFÉ's first year of college, and features a handful of emotionally-charged tracks which act as snapshots of what it's like to exist at such a transitory point in your life. Summers in college are so much different than summers in high school. Your youth has an expiration date that you have no control over, and it always feels like, as much as you'd like to enjoy it, you can't ignore the looming threat of the real world.
Having originally released a handful of tracks on Soundcloud under the name 'Anita' in 2019, she rebranded as EFÉ in order to bring her unique, soulful sound to a wider audience. When she released her debut single, "Seven," in June of last year, it immediately caught the attention of RTÉ and BBC.
On What Should We Do This Summer ?, EFÉ said, “I started writing this EP around the end of my first year of college, a time where you go through so much change and meet new people – just a very different experience to secondary school. I believe there’s an innocence at the beginning of the EP, and once you reach the end, the answers are different.
I feel like this EP was like a memory of Summer, which was my reasoning for wanting to release this as Summer finishes. The person you were at the start may not be the same person at the end. We’re all just trying to find our way. The main theme within this EP would be growth change. I hope listeners of whatever age just kinda know that many people are in the same boat of trying to figure stuff out and not knowing exactly what it is they want from life. We’re all just trying to navigate our way with, sometimes little to no guidance.”
If you're a fan of Arlo Parks or beabadoobee, or you're just trying to start your year off on the right foot, I'd highly suggest giving EFÉ a stream. Her music has this way of making you feel transported and comforted, like if you were to close your eyes, you'd be right in that memory of summer with her. My personal favorite tracks are "Seven," "Table for Two," and "Garden." I promise you that if there's one artist you want to keep an eye on right now, it's EFÉ!