A near-death experience in the Himalayas was the inspiration for Eagle Eye Jones frontman Luke Saunders to write the single Alpine Meadows, which kicked off the band’s debut album, New Growth.
Central Coast audiences will have a chance to hear the music first-hand when the band plays at Wamberal on June 16 as part of an east coast tour.
“I was travelling through Nepal at the start of 2020 and as we got to base camp there was two weeks of crazy weather – falls of snow and then sunshine; prime condition for avalanches,” Saunders said.
“Sure enough, we were caught in an avalanche and had to run to a cave for shelter and hide there until the danger had passed.”
Seven people lost their lives at the location.
“It really brought home to me my own mortality and then I came home to COVID-19 and multiple lockdowns, which reinforced the fragility of life to the entire band,” Saunders said.
“We had started off as a bluesy rock groove band, but through that period we grew up.
“We began to take ourselves more seriously as songwriters and our writing became a lot more introspective.
“The result is more orchestral songs, with deeper messages and deeper songcraft.
“We were inspired by such master storytellers as Radiohead – they moved us and impacted us a lot.”
“The music was inspired by dislocation and disassociation in a frightening time.
“There are love songs, heartbreak songs and songs of triumph.
“They more or less follow our journey in chronological order – from feeling hopeful through a descent into madness and then a triumphant return to inner peace and hope.”
New Growth was recorded and produced at Studios 301 by Jack Garzonio, who worked with the band tirelessly throughout 2020 in order to perfect the songs – citing Jeff Buckley, Radiohead/Thom Yorke as influences.
The trilogy of early singles from the album, Alpine Meadows, Paperskin, and Wardrobe of Masks, have clocked over 80,000 organic streams on Spotify.
As decades of friendship and musicianship strained under battles with addiction and mental health, Eagle Eye Jones banded together, glued by the vision of their sound.
New Growth is a love letter to humanity; 10 songs which are intimate, interwoven stories of five friends.
Eagle Eye Jones plays at the Ocean view Café, Wamberal, from 7pm on June 16.
Tickets can be booked at https://eagleeyejones.floktu.com/
Terry Collins