UK-based indie-alternative trio In Earnest just dropped their latest track, “Put Me Under.” While the trio’s front-couple, Sarah and Thomas, fuel the group’s songwriting, “Put Me Under” is a personal account of Sarah’s experience with depression.
Such a personal track carries a lot of meaning behind it, and we had the opportunity to speak with Sarah about how “Put Me Under” came to be, and what In Earnest has coming up next.
Your new track, “Put Me Under” tackles some heavy topics, like depression and the conversation around mental health. What was it like to write about something so personal?
“I’m quite used to talking openly about the topic of mental health. I started a blog on it about 5 years ago and it’s definitely therapeutic for me to write about. However, it’s also incredibly daunting when you share something so personal – there’s a portion of my brain that constantly steers towards negative thoughts and so I automatically think that no one will like what I create!”
There’s a stigma around mental health, so it’s nice to see a song trying to break that down and encourage speaking up about it. Do you think it’s important that musicians talk about it?
“Absolutely. As creatives, we are more likely to suffer from a mental illness and so I really try to encourage people to be open and honest about it. Opinions around mental health have definitely begun to change, so we just need to carry on! “
What was the actual writing process for this song like? Was it like writing any other song, or does each song get its own approach?
“Pretty much every song has a different creative process! I wrote ‘Put Me Under’ while on a dog-sit with two Shih Tzus (I get to look after dogs for a living!) and I ended up scrawling out all these thoughts about being lonely in a stream-of-consciousness format. For the bridge of the song, which became the last section, I thought about what I would say to my depression if I had the chance. The dogs were definitely serenaded that day as I worked through drafts of the song!”
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you guys?
“We like to be as chilled out as possible while recording! Our producer, Peter Waterman from Longcroft Recording, has a completely mobile studio setup, so we basically pick a place to hire and haul the gear there! We like to use barns in the middle of nowhere so we can go for walks and really get into the mood of each song before we record. Anywhere with animals nearby is always a draw – we bottle-fed some baby goats while recording our upcoming EP!”
What’s your favorite lyric on “Put Me Under”?
“The one that really stands out to me is ‘You are everywhere and nowhere.’ I suppose I was trying to get across the fact that having a mental illness is so difficult because it’s invisible. It totally absorbs you and every part of your life, yet most people cannot tell that you are suffering.”
Do you have any particular interests or artists that impact your music?
“At the moment, I’m loving artists that are really quite blunt with their feelings in their song lyrics, like Phoebe Bridgers, Dodie, Elliot Smith, and Hayley Williams.”
What’s a dream tour or collab you’d like to be a part of?
“The Beatles, but sadly that can’t happen! A collab with Dodie or Boygenius would be an absolute dream. I’d also love to play a show with Bon Iver.”
You’ve got a new EP coming up soon — is there anything you can tell us about it?
“It’s very personal, very honest, it combines both mine and Tom’s songwriting, and has some gorgeous strings parts! You can also expect to hear our producer sing backing vocals on a track (the lyrics were written on a pizza box!) and you may or may not hear the baby goats bleating (I wish).”
With a new song out and an EP on the way, what’s something you all are looking forward to in the future? Is there anything else we should keep an eye out for?
“We’re doing as much as we can from a Covid lockdown! Watch out for a couple of alternate versions of ‘Put Me Under’, and the next single called ‘Come Upstairs’ is due out in a couple of months too! The EP was recorded a year ago, so we’ve also been working on a lot of new tunes and we are brimming with excitement to get back to our very chilled, animal-filled studio.”
You can steam “Put Me Under” below. If you’re a fan of Dodie, Local Natives, or Foals, In Earnest needs to be on your radar. They encapsulate the emotion and atmosphere of the alt-indie sound, in a refreshing way.
