#100 Gillie - Retirement Paradise
Welsh songwriter Gillie is back with an effortlessly beautiful EP Retirement Paradise. The EP follows the release of single Leaving Alone, and is by no doubt her most mature EP to date, perfectly capturing her musical tone. Released with Skivvy Records, Retirement Paradise is self-produced and recorded, demonstrating Gillie’s skilful musicianship. Multi-talented Gillie is also an integral part of the Laid Bare team making this release extremely special to us!
A sonic realisation as much as it is a personal one, the making of Retirement Paradise maps out the journey on which Gillie has struggled through these past couple years. Accompanied by the bass lines of Ailsa Tully and the drums of Finlay O’hara (Amapola), the EP illustrates her relationships with self, place and those around her, in a way that entwines both her vulnerabilities and musical talents
With the track listing in alignment with the order in which she wrote these songs, the path on which we follow Gillie down is one of reflection. “It’s telling of not only where I am in my life, but where I’ve been. Lyrically it’s an expression of mental struggle, but as I continued to write, a whole new side to the EP emerged, a side led by innate melodies, a realisation that in amongst it all, I can be happy making music again.”
Yet, despite the result of this process being a cause for optimism, its creation did not come without its fair share of setbacks and self doubt. A balancing act of the multiple tensions within life, despite the darkness within her lyricism, sonically the EP is freeing. Acting as a vehicle of expression for her subconscious, the melodies were developed to provide a sense of space that she had been longing for. “The guitars were written in a way to put a lot of air into the tracks. Doors off their latches, windows wide open, I felt like a breeze was entering my life, I was finally able to understand what I had to do to look after myself.”
An embodiment of inner frustration, opening track Reset drops the audience into the deep end, joining Gillie at her lowest point. Through the muted wails of her reverb drowned guitars, the drowsy swirlings of the track represent her struggles with insomnia and the acknowledgement that she needed to change. “I was run down, riddled with anxiety, and it felt as though it wasn't possible to be a real adult without breaking at every opportunity. This track was a much-needed externalisation. It was me signalling that enough was enough”
Next, and offering a change in tone from the rest of the EP, Leaving Alone acts as a process of transition for Gillie. Wearing teenage angst on its sleeve, through honey-sweet melodies, distorted loops, and wandering harmonies, the track is a pop sing along that has won over the hearts of many since its release.
However, in Still Dreaming there is a return to something far more natural for those aware of Gillie’s previous works. Drawing influence from the dark introspections of Loma, the piece is a return to the finger picked dream states that the artist has gained plaudits for. “Like many I found myself having all sorts of dreams over the past year, reality had become so mundane and it seemed that dreaming was the best opportunity for my mind to escape and take up adventures. It’s a feeling I tried to reflect within the choruses, creating textures to explore as opposed to opting for a predetermined narrative.”
But it is for the end that Gillie saves the jewel in her crown, her final form. A merging of her folk roots with this new found art rock resilience, Retirement Paradise acts as a tantalising finale for the EP. Embodying a summer warmth we all long to feel, the song is a feel good anthem that acts as a bridge for those wanting to follow Gillie onto pastures new. “I think this is the track that defines me as who I am today. I’m now aware that the people whom I previously thought lived slow and boring lives, have become the people I take note from. I often joke that I could go into retirement right this moment and live quite happily, and so that’s how this track developed”
Now at the heart of a thriving Welsh community based in London, featuring the likes of Ailsa Tully and Heledd Owen (Adwaith), there’s a sense that Gillie has found her calling. Tinged with summer possibilities and a ‘what if’ attitude, Retirement Paradise is the closing of a chapter for Gillie, a drawing of the line beneath her previous self. Now, with her head firmly back above the waves and the wind beneath her feet, she’s ready for whatever next comes her way
Check out Retirement Paradise below.
