Caitlin Henry – Eat Your Heart Out ‘Nothing is Permanent, Can’t Stay This Way Forever’

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Tamara May

It’s been quite the time away… well, longer than necessary, but Newcastle emo/rock outfit Eat Your Heart Out are ready to get back out there. Like so many musicians, vocalist Caitlin Henry had gone through her fair share of highs and lows as she too endured many self-doubts over her music career:

“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster, to be honest. There was so much uncertainty about things and just a lot of change. It’s kinda cliche, but having it taken away really reaffirmed how much music and being a part of this band really means to me and how important it is to me. The silver lining in that is it really made us appreciate it more now that we’re back.”

With their sophomore effort, Can’t Stay Forever (our review here), Henry and the rest of the band honed in on their craft and really took their own time with it. For the first time ever, the album process was just the band and producer Jack Newlyn chipping away in the studio. Caitlin, for the first time ever, took complete control of the vocal element:

“With our previous EPs, Will actually wrote the vocals and then as we went along, I started to have more input. On Fluorescence, all the vocals were written in collaboration with Zach, who produced that record and Pat from Movements, so we all kind of wrote the vocals together. But this was the first time where it was 100% my job, which was how I wanted it to be. I’m glad that you can kind of see that because we all kind of felt more confident about our songwriting and our performances and stuff.”

The overall vibe of the band’s new album, Can’t Stay Forever sees them finally coming into their own identity. That punchy emo/rock blended with uniquely Australian twist definitely sounds a lot more defined this time around. When first single ‘Down‘ came out earlier this year, it sounded like a breath of fresh air for everyone involved:

“I think ‘Down’ was one of my favorite songs we’ve ever written. I liked that it struck the balance and still has that kind of nostalgic sound, which I think a lot of our music has. There’s not really any other song that we’ve done before that we can point to and be like, yeah, this sounds like this. Like, it definitely did feel pretty new. I’m a sucker for like, the heavier kind of vibes too. I love when it gets a bit more heavy and rocky! Those are the songs that translate the best live. So ‘Down’ is definitely one of my favorites, and I think that it feels pretty fresh for us as well.”

It is Eat Your Heart Out at their most confident selves yet, opens up doors to heavier territory and the endless possibilities that are now available to Caitlin. In fact, we almost got one on this album:

“There was actually a demo that we had for the record, an instrumental demo. I think it was called ‘Turnstile’ because it sounded like a Turnstile song. Jack Newlyn, our producer on this record, was really pushing me to write some vocals for it. I really wanted it to make the album, but it didn’t end up happening. Who knows though? Maybe we’ll get it done and it’ll be some kind of like, B-side release. The guys would probably love if I actually managed to pull that off. But yeah, I need to work on my screams first and get a little bit more hardcore because that would be cool.”

Never say never, guys! We just need to reign in the gods and make some magic happen. The band have already worked with Patrick Miranda of Movements, so a Turnstile-kinda sound doesn’t seem too out there at all. Imagine a track with a pop punk, emo sound blended in with some Spiritbox vocals ala Courtney LaPlante:

“Oh my gosh, I love Spiritbox. I don’t know how Courtney does it. She’s an absolute machine. I wish that I had her skill. I’m sure she’s worked very hard at it for many years, and that’s how she has the skill. This is me just sitting here, lamenting not having a skill that I’ve never worked at.”

While this is potentially a skill she could work at for album #3, despite getting some awesome bucketlist opportunities early in their career, Caitlin reassures us that the recording process of Can’t Stay Forever was actually the most relaxed they’ve ever had:

“The recording process was the most relaxed we’ve ever had. I feel like honestly, just finishing the record was the pinch me moment, like the fact that we managed to get it done. After two years of trying to get the album written and then recorded and all that stuff. We didn’t go for any features or co-writes, apart from the two tracks written with Stevie Knight. There was no other copyrights or anything on this record. I feel like the real pinch me moment for us was just the fact that we got it done, and we did it ourselves and in our way for the first time without having a lot of other hands involved.”

With the album now out in the open, the band now look towards their lives being filled with an endless touring schedule as the next leg of their tour with Tiny Moving Parts is announced for Australia in 2023. With both bands having already ventured out to Europe earlier this year, it feels like this bill might end up being a worldwide bill:

“We went to Europe in April and May, which was phenomenal to get to go there for the first time as our first tour being back after COVID with Tiny Moving Parts and then we’re lucky enough to be touring with them in Australia again next year. The guys are phenomenal to watch live, so I’m very excited to do that. When this tour was announced, we did joke about it going worldwide. But that would be the dream. I’m gonna try and make it happen. I want to see it happen.”

As the album insinuates, nothing is permanent so we kinda just have to maximise every opportunity that’s thrown in our way, right? With the band members being your average twenty-something Australian, Eat Your Heart Out look like the right kind of musical idols the next generation of youth needs to look up to as they move through their confusing adult lives:

“It’s definitely one of the more upbeat songs and it’s a bit more lighthearted. ‘Twenty Something’ kind of talks about that idea of being in your mid-twenties, which is where I’m at now, and not knowing if you’re heading in the right direction, but also not stressing about it too much. Because it is what it is, you know what I mean? We don’t all have to be on the same path to be on the right path. So, I guess, it acts as a reminder to myself to not stress out too much about where I’m at, what I’m doing and comparing myself to other people. We’re all on our own timelines and on our own journeys.”

After the many life changes we’ve gone through these last two to three years, a pop punk life lesson from Caitlin Henry of Eat Your Heart Out is just what the doctor ordered. As you listen through the band’s latest opus, remember that nothing stays the same forever. Life is forever shifting into new opportunities for us all, and we all just gotta lean in towards that energy and appreciate it all.

Interview by Tamara May @citylightstam

Can’t Stay Forever is out now through Fearless Records.
Grab it here