Rising Nashville, Tennessee based indie-pop singer/songwriter, Eliza Harrison Smith has released her highly anticipated debut EP, "The Way I'm Wired".
TRACKLIST
Backslide
Bring You Down
Contradiction
Hypocrite
Supposed To Be Happy
Originally from the outskirts of Washington, DC, Eliza Harrison Smith was a naturally creative child with a great imagination and a love for writing stories. She started to learn how to play guitar in her teenage years, and those story-telling skills turned into a passion for songwriting. In 2019, she moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter. In 2021, she released her debut single, "Just Friends" and she didn't stop there. She made a name for herself in the local indie music scene over the past few years, releasing several singles that have been played on the radio and featured on both Spotify and Apple editorial playlists. She has amassed a total of over one million streams across all platforms, and currently has 76k+ Spotify monthly listeners. She's also spent the past few years doing shows, becoming quite the live performer, playing in iconic venues like The Bluebird Cafe and NYC's The Bitter End. In support of her EP release, she just played her own headline show at The East Room. "The Way I'm Wired" is an EP that touches on the complexity of mental health and wanting to better yourself. Produced by Christian Harger, the style has been comparable to Maggie Rogers and Gracie Abrams. Lets dive into these tracks!
Backslide
We kick off the EP with "Backslide", a mid-tempo indie pop jam about how trying to take care of your well-being is as simple as it seems. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, there's always something that puts you back to square one. Although there can be set backs, this is still a song of optimism, reminding you not to give up on yourself. Eliza sings, "Healing doesn't happen in a straight line, but I hate that it's so easy to backslide". This song has a rhythm that gets you moving, with a popping bassline. There's a gorgeous mixture of guitars and soft synths to add to the melancholic atmosphere. Eliza's voice is gentle and emotional; her tone is very reminiscent to Sasha Alex Sloan here, the queen of sad girl music.
Bring You Down
Track two is the leading single, "Bring You Down", which is about purposely keeping your struggles on the inside to spare the feelings of the ones that care about you, knowing it would hurt them too if they knew you were having a hard time. Although you know the right thing to do would probably be to reach out and get the help you need, part of you feels like suffering alone is better than being a burden. Co-written with Melissa Fuller and Christian Harger, Eliza describes "Bring You Down" to be one of her most honest songs she's ever released. With a unique and ear-catching soundscape, "Bring You Down" begins with a mini-intro of muted drums and piano before adding in acoustic guitar and vocals. The song builds dynamically and emotionally with some of the most gorgeous harmony arrangements and background vocals I've ever heard.
Contradiction
Next, we have "Contradiction", a highly relatable song about trying to understand yourself and the things that you think and do. It's hard looking in the mirror and feeling like you don't know who you're even looking at. You're constantly conflicted with yourself on the inside; and no matter how much you try to sort out your own feelings and figure out what you want, the next day you could just change you're mind and everything is a mess again. Eliza sings, "I'm consistently inconsistent, a walking contradiction". This track takes a raw, indie pop ballad instrumentation and mixes it with some electronic production elements, a style inspired by Coldplay. The down strums of acoustic guitar and piano take the forefront, along with soft synths and moments of vocoder vocals until we get these high-emotion dynamic shifts towards the end of the song which really just take the cake.
Hypocrite
"Hypocrite" is Eliza's message to herself, calling herself out in a light-hearted way with a super catchy bop of a song. It's definitely something many of us can relate to as well. Are you the person that everyone comes to for advice, but then you can't even stay true to that same advice for yourself? Well, then this song is for you. "Hypocrite" starts out with gorgeous, dissonant acoustic guitar chords before it continues to build and build into a full blown anthem. The groove is very nostalgic, with layers of stunning vocal harmonies that are reminiscent of 80's pop, a heavy bassline and an electric guitar riff that really just brings it all together. It makes you want to get up and dance, and helps you realize that it's okay to poke a little fun at yourself every once in a while.
Supposed To Be Happy
Last but certainly not least, we have the closing track "Supposed To Be Happy". There's a sense of guilt and confusion in this song about why in moments that are supposed to be positive - like birthdays, hanging out with friends, and Summer vacations - can you still not feel happy? You feel like there's something wrong with you, and you want to find a reason but you just can't. So, you fake a smile and continue to question and battle yourself on the inside in search for answers. Although this song has Eliza's signature indie pop drums and beat, the guitar and piano are more raw and use a stylistic choice that feels slightly Americana. You can feel it in the incredible melody here as well. You'll even notice just a teensy bit of country twang in Eliza's voice. I just have to say, what a fantastic decision for a final track.
Everybody say "Thank you, Eliza Harrison Smith!". No, seriously though, we need more music like this that covers the mental health epidemic our world faces. People need these songs to relate to so they know that they are not alone. Not just that, but Eliza writes it so beautifully and intelligently; everything from the lyrics down to the melody, and not to mention her breathtaking voice too. To be able to craft song after song after song so brilliantly is actually remarkable, and she deserves way more attention than she is getting. If you are a fan of modern pop, indie pop, folk pop, anything of that sorts, you will absolutely love Eliza Harrison Smith. I guarantee it. If you enjoyed this EP, I suggest checking out Eliza's YouTube channel where she has live performances of the first three tracks. I also highly suggest diving into the rest of her incredible discography. Make sure to follow Eliza below to keep tabs on what's to come!
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
FOLLOW ELIZA:
*Sponsored Post - Discovered on SubmitHub. A contribution was made to help create this article as part of a promotional campaign.