When it comes to queer creatives, especially in London… you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t dabble in multiple mediums. The same is the case for musician Eden J. Howells. When they aren’t developing their music, they’re facilitating community spaces for LGBTQ+ artists, writers, you name it. Their most recent project? Queer Creatives London.
A few weeks ago, they hosted a fundraising show, all proceeds in support of their upcoming Sophomore EP, set to release in 2025. A true creative powerhouse, the event was imagined, organized, and facilitated entirely on their own in absence of a promoter or PR team. The concert took place at Bar Doña, where Eden’s excited listenership packed out the sold out venue. The supporting act, Molly in the Metro kicked off the evening before Eden took the stage, leaving spirits high. If you’re wondering what the evening entailed, imagine “red hot queer vibes, alt-folk music, and tasty mezcal drinks”.
Eden’s music is an unveiling of our many uncomfortable truths, often experiences many of us hold close to our chests. We tape these secrets to our insides, afraid of judgement, uncertain of what lies on the other side of doors labelled “do not open”. Their lyricism brings us to the table, sits us down. Warm but stiff, like a boulevardier in a dingy dive bar, fairy lights draped across ashen ceilings. The older sibling of your best friend’s best friend, someone familiar and yet lives separate to you. There’s something sentimental and aching about their music. Heart sewn to their sleeve, they also offer you the seam ripper.
Eden’s music is compelling for a number of reasons. One of the most primary being the way in which they touch on serious subject matter. All whilst allowing a lighthearted engagement with the tracks. This specific outcome, I find, is often quite difficult to achieve in tandem. Eden’s music is radically earnest whilst remaining head-bob and dance-worthy all the same. Dealing with heavier themes like struggles with mental health, FOMO, experience being trans and late diagnoses of ADHD & Autism. These experiences set to song are relatable to many.
Having released their debut EP in October 2023, the fool, Eden has been growing a dedicated fan base since. Their single nice enough has garnered over 27,000 streams on Spotify, for instance. They’ve also headlined sold out shows at iconic venues like Strongroom, and The Finsbury. Additionally, BBC Radio 1 presenter, Jodie Bryant noted that Eden’s work is born of “really raw and unique talent” noting that she believes there’s “an exciting journey ahead” for the musician.
Fans cheering and singing along, it became clear that the release of their upcoming EP will be a highly-anticipated one. The evening’s festivities also included a raffle which took place over the course of the evening. Many generous contributors donated their craft to Eden’s cause. Artworks, services like tattoos, photoshoots, alongside handmade clothing and ornaments were all on offer. There were also merch bundles as well as VIP gig tickets for guests to win.
After the live show concluded and lights came up it was time to sit down with Eden to learn more about their practice. Read more to dig into the direction of their upcoming EP, what it means to host a fundraising gig such as this, and future movement.
Social media as it conjoins with capitalism pushes creatives to believe they have to find their “niche” in order to be profitable. As someone who has multiple creative outlets like Queer Creatives London alongside your music, what do you think of this?
Yeah, I mean this is one of the many ways that capitalism affects art. I feel it a lot as an emerging artist; industry folks tell you a lot that you need to niche down to be ‘marketable’ enough to make it.
It’s a load of crap really. I’ll always be a firm believer that if you work hard, you’re good at what you do, you enjoy it and other people find value in it, nothing else really matters.
How did Queer Creatives London come to be and can you explain its purpose?
QCL happened kind of as an accident. I had a little group chat on Instagram of a couple friends who were also queer and creative, and I’d made a few videos on my socials asking if anyone else wanted to join the chat, to meet some folks who had a similar lived experience as them. One of those videos ended up reaching a lot more people than I expected, and so I decided to make an Instagram account and a Whatsapp community, so that everyone who wanted to be involved could be.
The purpose I guess is just to provide a space for queer creative folks in the city to share space with one another on a more intimate level, and without financial barriers.
Why do you think it’s important to build community and share resources as opposed to keeping these things to ourselves?
I can only speak for myself as a musician, but I’ve always felt there’s been this glass ceiling, particularly for working class artists, where we’re just not able to access certain opportunities because we can’t get in front of the right people.
So as I’ve started accumulating resources and wisdom, I’ve started sharing some of those things. This is actually also a big part of Queer Creatives London, and maybe another one of its “purposes”. I think it’s so important to break this narrative that unless you have connections with the top dogs, you can’t get anywhere.
Something I tell myself is that, “if it’s meant to be, it’ll be”. And also that attention and passion aren’t finite. Gatekeeping isn’t going to get me any closer to my goals, and I feel like it actually perpetuates this scarcity mindset, which can make it even harder to welcome opportunities that might come your way. So I’m an open book.
The new EP as you mention is coming out late 2025, and at the moment remains untitled, what can your fans expect from this new collection of songs?
I’m actually so excited to share the EP with everyone, because it feels so much like a piece of me, and one that it feels so important to share with the world. I think, actually, all of the songs are a step beyond anything else I’ve ever released. They’re still me, but just more.
I’m genre blending a lot more with this project, which is exciting for me. When I was starting out, I kind of thought I could only ever be an acoustic, singer-songwriter type artist, because I didn’t think I was musically skilled enough to play rock. Thank god that’s a load of bullshit! So yeah, this project has a lot more rock and pop influences than my previous releases. It’s cool.
If you imagine your listeners engaging with your music, where would they ideally be? How would they feel?
Oooh interesting… When I picture someone listening to my music, they’re driving, scream-singing the lyrics as they roll through traffic. I’m a big singer when I drive, so I don’t know, it just seems like the vibe. I hope wherever people are when they listen to my music, they find a piece of themselves in it too. That’s what I want for my art.
If your music was to appear in a movie soundtrack, which film would it be?
My girlfriend would be way better at answering this question, she loves film. One of my all time favourite comfort films is Submarine, and the soundtrack for that film is by Alex Turner. It’s soul destroyingly gorgeous, but so simple. I feel like my music would appear in a film like Submarine. Something sad and Welsh.
How do you combat the draw into gloom and cycles of suffering that introspection can sometimes present us as creatives?
This is a huge one. Dog videos on TikTok definitely do it for me (I mean, sometimes they do make me cry, but it’s nice you know). But I think also just engaging in other forms of art that are meant to make you laugh, or feel sexy. I love stand up comedy, I love Troye Sivan and Wham. And spending time away from art too, just being with people I love.
How does your queerness inform your creative practice?
It informs it a lot, of course it does, it’s a huge part of who I am and I’m very vocal about my queerness online and in my music. A lot of the songs on the new EP are about being queer, or specifically trans, but I don’t think you would necessarily know that unless I told you.
My songs are also just about being human. And the lyrics I write about my experience as a transmasculine person might also be relatable to someone who has no experience of being trans, or queer at all for that matter. I’ve heard it said to me many a time. So yeah, my being queer is a huge part of who I am as a person and an artist, but my music is for everyone.
Where did some of these songs come to be? Can you tell us about some of the places that you first began writing these tracks?
I’m wondering whether you mean “places” metaphorically or literally, so I’m gonna give you both haha. A few of the older songs on the upcoming EP came from when I was living back in my hometown, staying in my dad’s spare room. I was on Universal Credit, couldn’t find a job to save my life, and honestly was in a really bad place. After about 6 months I was able to move back to London with my girlfriend, and then came a lot of the other songs (including a couple love songs, eek). One of the tracks, though, is taken from around the time when I was writing for the fool EP, but it never made the cut on that project. Lowkey I’m so glad that it didn’t, because I’m so happy to be working on it now, with fresh ears, and I love it so much.
Favorite coffee shop in London? What’s your order?
For vibes, Briki on Exmouth Market. For best coffee, Climpson & Sons on Broadway Market.
My go-to order is a long black, always.
Spotify Wrapped 2024 just came out, what was your top listened to track this year?
My top listened to track this year was ‘Starburster’ by Fontaines D.C. And was anyone who knows me surprised? No haha. I will not shut up about this band.
Dream venue to play in London?
I honestly would love to play Omeara for the vibes. It’s not a particularly big venue, but I think the stage is so damn beautiful. I think this would be a cool goal for next year. I think we can make that happen.
Dream supporting act to come along for the ride?
Oh god there’s no way I could pick one, I know so many incredible small artists right now. With the rate she’s growing she’ll be too big by the time I get round to booking her, but I’m a huge fan of an artist called Ellur at the moment. Also Essence Martins. She’s doing bits and I’m obsessed!
If you could go back in time and tell your younger self advice, after what you know now… what would you tell them?
“Baby, you’re trans… Also your name’s Eden.”
Younger me would have an absolute aneurysm if I turned up as their future self to give them advice haha. And I think that says it all. No, but in all seriousness, I think I’d tell young Eden to back themselves. All my life I’ve felt that I’m not quite good enough, beautiful enough, creative enough, clever enough etc. But I see my brain in such a different way now. I see things in ways that a lot of other people can’t see them, and that’s so cool. And I have shit to say. So I’m gonna say it!
Any final thoughts?
Just that I’m excited for next year, and very grateful for everything that’s happened in this one. I didn’t release any new music this year, but I’ve been working hard behind the scenes to give you something in the new year. The first single is called ‘everything you touch’, and it’ll be out at the end of January.
Eden is on a fast track to musical success via avenues of community development. With a swiftly expanding following on social platforms, their message is able to reach far and wide. They’ve also received funding from Youth Music’s Next Gen fund which will assist in directly funding the EP. Though this is hugely exciting news, the funding only covers about half of the costs associated with the project. Therefore, they came up with the fundraising gig to assist with the rest. The tracks consider diverse themes associated with many particular moments throughout Eden’s life. Though the project will not be available until later in 2025, the first single on their EP is coming out at the end of January.
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Photographer: Sym kang
Words: Lauren Bulla