Ethan Doyle: “God Knows”
Punk Head: This is your first release under your real name after years of aliases. What made this feel like the moment to step forward as Ethan Doyle?
Ethan Doyle: The move was started because of an administration error with my previous catalogue, but I made a conscious decision after this to change my persona and my style. I felt very limited by my name, which I found pretty juvenile and hard to pronounce, and I wanted to explore what I could create and bring to life if I embrace my humanity - and the best way to show this change is by going by my real name instead of a fake nickname.
Punk Head: You talk about making “dual-focused” music, something that can sit quietly in the background but also hit deep if you lean in. Is that a conscious philosophy now, or did it emerge naturally from how you listen to music?
Ethan Doyle: It’s kinda complicated - it was never my original intention, as I just wanted to create some kind of alternative/lo-fi music. However, when I released a single called “198” in January 2024, I got a lot of feedback suggesting that people enjoyed listening to my music in the background because of its relaxing nature. Whilst initially it did offend me a little that people thought my music wasn’t interesting enough to fully focus on, I’ve come to acknowledge the merit in those compliments and now it’s a very important part of my work, as well as help me hone in on a genre and aesthetic. Everything I make now is a deeply deliberate and raw piece of music wrapped up in a trojan horse of relaxing and calming lo-fi music.
Punk Head: There’s a softness in the delivery, even when the subject matter is dark. Do you see gentleness as a form of resistance when talking about things like addiction?
Ethan Doyle: When starting out I was considerably more self-conscious about my voice than I am now, and when I had an urge to start writing lyrics and adding voice to music I was INCREDIBLY wary about this. But over time, I’ve also realised (similarly to the dual-purposed nature of my music) that this is a very soothing and interesting vocal technique. Talking softly doesn’t have to indicate cowardice or diminish a track, especially in my style. Vocals are an instrument first and foremost, and I want my voice to sound like it’s leaking from the instrumental, and that the two are more connected than you might think.
Punk Head: Making everything yourself forces you to wear every hat, from writer and producer to engineer. Does that control feel freeing, or overwhelming, or both?
Ethan Doyle: Overwhelming. Very overwhelming. Making the actual music is probably not even half of the amount of time I’ve put into my music career throughout my life - writing lyrics, creating cover art, planning albums, making websites, promoting it every way I can, etc etc. Sometimes it's nice to know that I have full creative control over my vision and my career, but it is so difficult to create everything. But I suppose it’s better than everything I make being decided by someone else though, so I appreciate that I can build my own unrestricted universes.
Punk Head: With monthly releases planned, how are you protecting your emotional bandwidth while sharing so much of yourself?
Ethan Doyle: Honestly, I’m not doing that at all really. In 2024 I did this too, and tried to release a song every month that year - eventually, around July, I had spent so much time trying to make music that wasn’t TOO raw or TOO emotional that eventually it got monotonous, boring, and I gave up. But this time, I want my emotions to bleed through and be part and parcel with the music. So hopefully, I can get truly committed and obsessed with my music this year. Stay tuned and follow my socials @ethandoyleartist for updates! Thank you!
