Photo by: Eugene Fox
Melbourne artist Eugene Fox has just released his debut single; a stirring folk track titled ‘Miss The Goalie’. The track oozes with the charm of clever songwriting and sweet, plucky guitar melodies, and was written and recorded in his home studio in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. A song which felt impossible and then, all at once, inevitable, Eugene’s process of crafting the track was a swift and surprising one. On the creation of ‘Miss The Goalie’, he expressed;
“I wrote and recorded the founding parts of the song in January, on a stinkin’ hot day on The Porch, My Stage… The strings on my Martin were totally f@$%ed at the time. The fretboard buzzed like bees, while birds were overtaken by cicadas and I felt the life in the guitar humming along underneath it all. The guitar wouldn’t stay in tune. But the song never left me. And in the end, I just thought, I’ll tune it once more and do one take of everything and see what’s what. It was weird. It quickly felt finished…” EUGENE FOX
A spirited and innovative artist living with autism and ADHD, but not receiving a correct diagnosis until more recently in his journey, Eugene Fox has spent many years flying under the radar when it came to his own solo creative pursuits. With a mass of experience writing and recording music for his own sense of joy and expression, it is time now, more than ever before, for Eugene to transform this expression into a form for a wider audience to enjoy. Eugene said, on the experience of finding harmony in the interaction between his neurodivergence and art form;
“I write best when I empower the broad nature of my neurodiversity… I have to protect my eyes and ears even when inside often. I’m very grateful to have these solutions as well as a lot of energy and drive. It’s exciting to see so much of my Art developing and have people eager to have access to the Art. I use noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses on a daily basis, without them, my light and sound sensitivity makes it impossible to function. But I can always see the music.” EUGENE FOX
The single arrives alongside a mesmerisingly psychedelic music video, featuring Eugene dancing his heart out to the track, the impact of which is amplified by some trippy visual effects:
Exploring themes of powerlessness, regret, sex, creation, hedonism, hope, new life, and so much more, ‘Miss The Goalie’ is all at once haunting and yet joyous; poignant and yet hopeful. A song mixed and mastered by the brilliant Peter Holz (Gang of Youths, Peking Duk, Vance Joy), it balances eerie, bluesy sounds and dark humour with a bright sense of hope, and a focus on the idea of love in its many forms.
“‘Pluck another soul, another baby love is bold’. That’s me saying if you make something, make it with love. And look for the upside even in pain and misery.” EUGENE FOX
‘Miss The Goalie’ is out November 7th
Eugene Fox: Official Website | triple j Unearthed | Facebook | Instagram