Photo: Ellen Dixon

Whilst not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, part time chef and singer songwriter ERNIE is making soaring pop bangers in the hottest of fashions. Returning with the aspirant new single Awfully Strange, the Newcastle based artist has unveiled details of his forthcoming EP. Discussing his new single (which features guest vocals from IMOGEN), ERNIE revealed: "Awfully Strange is me, singing about my childhood best mate’s perception of me, aged seventeen. Around that time, in response to a traumatic experience, I was drinking heavily and partying a lot and was having pretty regular bouts of psychosis. I was all over the shop, my mental health was in tatters and my mates were often left picking up the pieces. I'd come out the other end of these episodes feeling so ashamed and like a total outsider amongst my seemingly healthy and happy mates... there was still a load of scepticism and a negative stigma around poor mental health among young lads back then as well so I just felt totally alienated. This tune was my response to that whole period of time. I wrote it when I was eighteen/nineteen and it’s only just seeing the light of day now as I’ve never gotten it quite right in the studio until now. I’m also super proud of the video for Awfully Strange too. I love the juxtaposition of my lovely childhood home movies paired with the sad lyrics; watching the footage back made me think about my friends in the period when the song takes place, and how they could’ve easily been struggling mentally too despite looking like they had perfect happy lives on the surface". Take a listen for yourselves below. ERNIE's  debut EP ‘Cold Cuts’ will be released November 3rd via Gravity Records.

Live Dates
3rd Nov - Star & Shadow Cinema, Newcastle
8th Nov - The Eagle Inn, Salford (w/ Theo Bleak)
9th Nov - Sebright Arms, London (w/ Theo Bleak)
18th Nov - Chamber East, Dundee (w/ Theo Bleak)
15th Dec - The Glasshouse, Gateshead (w/ Lanterns on the Lake)

f: https://www.facebook.com/erniethechef