Ea Othilde transforms hurt and frustration into atmospheric indie-rock on “I Forgot You”

At just 21, Ea Othilde has already built a catalogue that many artists spend years chasing, with two studio albums and two Norwegian Grammy nominations to her name. Since first writing songs at the age of 12, she has steadily shaped a sound defined by delicate vocals, sharp lyricism, and grunge-tinged instrumentation. “I have a core group of artists who have meant a lot to me. Elliott Smith has been very formative to the way I write. I have also been inspired by PJ Harvey's artistic identity and how she has portrayed herself as an artist and musician,” she says.

Atmospheric guitar textures pulse beneath a shoegaze haze as stripped-back instrumentation and raw songwriting steer the track between vulnerability and grit. There is a quiet bitterness running through the track as Ea Othilde revisits the aftermath of a relationship in which she found herself cast as the villain, grappling with the tension of having her story told by someone else. “I write very personal music, and this song is about something very concrete. It is a strange side to releasing music, that suddenly all the emotions are out of your head and in everyone's hands. I feel very vulnerable,” Othilde shares.

“I Forgot You” is part of Ea Othilde’s upcoming EP, You'll Leave the City, set for release June 12th via Koke Plate. The EP took shape in Florence last summer during a creative residency for lyricists and songwriters. Working alongside producers Hans Olav Settem and Marit Othilie Thorvik, Ea Othilde wrote the project over the course of two weeks. “It’s one of those memories I will carry with me forever,” she reflects.

The drum groove sways beneath the gritty guitar riffs, anchored by an understated bassline that quietly guides the melody. Delicate and sincere on the surface, her vocals carry a raw, deadpan edge that sharpens the emotional weight of the lyrics “The circumstances surrounding the recording were very formative for the sound, both on the song and on the whole EP,” she explains. “I was very inspired by bar italia, as they have a very stripped-down sound with crunchy vocals. But at the same time, we recorded the entire EP in two weeks in a different studio than we usually work in, so we had much less time and fewer instruments.”

The influence of Oslo’s close-knit music scene runs throughout the project. “I’ve lived in Oslo all my life. Everyone on the project has been from Oslo, so I feel like I live in a bit of an Oslo bubble,” she shares. Following the EP’s release, Ea Othilde will take the project to a run of summer festival appearances, including Øyafestivalen in her hometown.