We’ve written about Eilish Gilligan’s melancholic, heart-swelling singles on quite a few occasions, but never have we been treated to a full half hour of her floaty pop. That all changes on Thursday, when the Melbourne singer-songwriter releases her first EP Hospital, a six-track project self-produced during lockdown. Eilish put it together in a flurry of creativity, penning raw songs about insecurities, failed relationships and heated arguments on Christmas Day (relatable). It’s not all sad songs, though – there's one track about falling in love, a subject Eilish rarely writes about. She tells us more about how Hospital came together below.

How long has this EP been in the making for? It’s been actively in the making for about five months, but some of these songs are much older than that. The process has definitely been a bit bizarre due to the nature of 2020. I’ve spent a lot of time alone with this music – from the beginning whispers of the EP to the final product, it’s all happened in solitude. I think you can hear that on the record and I think it’s nice, in a sombre way. 

What was the best part about producing Hospital yourself? I’m a control freak, so naturally I adored being able to make this EP by myself and not having to rely on anyone else to help me. I love collaborating with other artists, and can’t wait to get back to it, but I have to say, making this EP by myself was a huge confidence boost. I feel proud to call myself a producer now. Before this EP, I would have hesitated. 

What was the hardest part of making Hospital? In all honesty, this EP was relatively easy for me – it came about during a glorious wave of unstoppable creativity around March/April this year, and I was able to ride that to the very end of the production process. The hardest track to pull together was “Calling Me Out”, but every family has a black sheep and I’m so proud of the way it turned out.

Do you have a favourite song on the record? I keep saying that “Flesh” is my favourite, probably because it’s the youngest and it’s actually a song about falling in love, which I think is quite nice and something I don’t often sing about. Although, I've recently been falling back in love with “October, December”, because I’m really proud of the arrangement at the climax of that song. There’s something so powerful and overwhelming about it. 

Any advice for healing from heartbreak? Read The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday, watch Someone Great on Netflix and just cry it all out. That’s what I did and it worked!

When are you at your happiest? In lockdown this year, I kept thinking back to my 2019/20 summer holiday. I was sitting in a smoothie shop, looking out at the ocean, and listening to Under The Dome by Stephen King. It was hot, but not too hot, and I just felt so content and fulfilled. I wish I could have warned her!

What do you do when you’re not making music? Generally thinking about making more music or listening to podcasts, reading, going for runs – very normal, boring adult stuff! I also adore watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and comfort-watching old episodes of The Simpsons like a true millennial. 

Hospital is available to stream from November 26th over here.