By Colin 
When Etaoin Rowe first began releasing music in 2021, it became clear almost immediately that she was a rare kind of artist. Her songs carried an intimacy that felt like reading pages torn from a diary, yet her melodies lifted those private moments into anthems that thousands could sing back. In just a few singles and one EP, she established herself as an artist whose honesty was as compelling as her voice. We wrote at the time that she had “wasted no time establishing her unique writing style and effortlessly memorable brand of modern pop,” and her streaming numbers, which quickly crossed the ten million mark, proved that listeners across the world agreed.
A Childhood Shaped by Tradition and Curiosity
Etaoin’s Irish identity has always been at the heart of her story. With a mother from Waterford and a father rooted in West Cork and Wexford, she grew up steeped in the sounds of Irish traditional music. She often describes herself as a “Fleadh baby,” a child raised in the atmosphere of Irish festivals and sessions where music was not something distant or formal but an everyday part of community life. That immersion gave her an instinct for melody and story that continues to shape her work.
At the same time, her upbringing in west London opened the door to a different musical world. The city’s scale and diversity exposed her to the immediacy of pop and the intimacy of singer-songwriters who thrived on detail. That dual experience, the communal roots of Ireland combined with the urban heartbeat of London, has become a defining element of her artistry. She belongs fully to both spaces, and that mixture gives her music its unique emotional language.
A Bold Entrance
From the very beginning, Etaoin refused to wait for opportunity to arrive. As a teenager she once picked up the phone and cold-called the owner of Ealing Studios, a leap of faith that led to her working with sound engineer Michael Briggs. Together they recorded “Pale Damp Cheeks,” a song that would be played on BBC Introducing and mark her first breakthrough. That moment revealed something important about her character. She was willing to put herself on the line for her art, even before anyone was watching.
Her debut single “Bedroom Walls” followed and instantly showed the depth of her songwriting. Released during lockdown, it felt like a private confession shared at a time when many were starved of connection. Etaoin explained candidly, “When I fancy people, I write really sappy songs.” That vulnerability became her greatest strength. She invited listeners into her inner world without filters, and in doing so, gave them space to see themselves more clearly.
Style That Marries Pop With Soul
Trying to define Etaoin’s sound is to miss the point slightly. What makes her compelling is not a genre but a sensibility. She can sing over the barest acoustic guitar and reduce a room to silence, or deliver choruses with the kind of power that belongs on festival stages. The influences she cites, from Taylor Swift’s pop precision to Elliott Smith’s raw intensity, explain part of the picture. What makes her unique is the way she translates those inspirations into something that feels both intimate and cinematic.
Her voice is central to this. It is clear and pure, but never fragile. It carries an emotional strength that can handle both whisper-soft vulnerability and full-bodied intensity. That range allows her to write songs that feel equally at home in hushed bedrooms and in front of thousands of people. It is no surprise that audiences, hearing her for the first time, often describe the experience as unforgettable.
Songs That Stay With You
Every Etaoin release feels like an event, not because of hype but because her songs carry such emotional weight. They are not just singles to be added to playlists, they are markers in an ongoing journey that her listeners feel privileged to follow.
In 2023 she gave us “I Hate How I Look in My Head,” a song so raw and unflinching that we immediately knew it was one of her defining moments. We chose it as our track of the year and wrote that it “pulls on your emotions, each line hitting harder than the last.” Her voice on the recording is both delicate and determined, carrying lyrics that capture the universal struggle of self-image with rare honesty. Hearing it feels like sitting with a friend who has finally found the courage to admit what you have both felt for years.
Later that year she surprised everyone with a seasonal cover of “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday.” Where the original is celebratory and bright, Etaoin’s version revealed the emotion at its core. She explained, “I’ve always felt such a strong emotional connection to Christmas time … I love how everybody is that bit merrier.” Her performance was tender, wistful, and quietly powerful. We called it “utterly beautiful” because she managed to transform a familiar classic into something that felt entirely personal.
The next chapter came with “Dead to Me” in 2024, a song that marked a shift in tone. Here she was unapologetic, fierce, and brilliantly direct. The chorus was unforgettable: “I hope your iPhone smashes / And then your car crashes / You lose your drug stash.” We described it as fearless and honest, a song that showed she could channel anger and frustration with as much clarity as sadness or longing. It expanded her palette, proving she was capable of writing in colours far beyond the muted greys of heartbreak.
In April 2025 she returned with “Golden,” which may be her most devastating release yet. We described it as dreamy, devastating, and completely mesmerising. The lyrics capture the moment love becomes impossible to hold on to: “You’re the deepest colour golden, you’re the rain in my drought, but your heart is so frozen that I’m on my way out.” It is rare to hear poetry delivered with such restraint, but Etaoin makes every word feel lived-in and real. With “Golden,” she proved again that her songwriting is not just confessional, it is transformative.
Recognition and Live Milestones
It is little wonder that recognition has followed. Being named one of Amazon Music’s “Ones to Watch 2022” was a landmark, made unforgettable when she saw her own face on a billboard in Leicester Square. She called the experience “totally mental” and admitted she felt “starry-eyed.” For anyone else it would have been overwhelming. For Etaoin, it was a reminder of how far determination and honesty could take her.
Live performance has always been central to her growth. She has supported artists including Beoga and Gavin James, each show offering lessons in connection and resilience. Performing “Golden” for the first time at a St Patrick’s Day concert in Trafalgar Square was a defining moment. She later said it felt “kind of at home,” an extraordinary statement given the scale of the stage. That calmness reflects her natural ability to turn any space into something intimate, regardless of its size.
Her more recent live experiences show just how far her reach has grown. Supporting The Ting Tings brought her into the orbit of one of Britain’s most recognisable indie-pop duos. Her set, filled with raw honesty and striking melodies, offered a striking contrast and won her new fans instantly. And in 2025 she announced that she would join Australian duo The Dreggs on their UK and European tour. It is the kind of opportunity that will put her in front of thousands of new listeners, all of whom will soon discover what those who have followed her from the beginning already know: that Etaoin is one of the most special voices of her generation.
Honesty as a Guiding Principle
What sets Etaoin apart more than anything is her honesty. She has spoken about skipping university lectures to write songs in basement practice rooms, and how she often sings words she could never say aloud. “If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing,” she explained in one interview, a statement that could serve as a mission for her entire career. She confronts her fears, doubts, and insecurities not to wallow in them, but to grow through them, and in doing so, she creates songs that allow her listeners to grow too.
She has also addressed subjects that many artists avoid, particularly the pressures of body image and self-perception. Her willingness to put these themes into her songs makes them feel not just personal but vital. When she sings about the gap between how we look and how we feel, she is giving voice to a silence that many have carried alone.
Collaboration and Community
Collaboration has been another strand of her journey. Her duet with Tadhg Daly, “Not Over You,” captured the complicated emotions of unfinished love. She described how it tells the story of “words left unsaid,” that peculiar ache of knowing you should move on yet still feeling the pull of someone’s voice. The song was written quickly and recorded with immediacy, and that urgency can be felt in every line. It is a reminder that sometimes the best songs arrive when you stop overthinking and simply allow emotion to flow.
Beyond individual collaborations, Etaoin thrives in creative communities. Between London and Ireland she has surrounded herself with writers and producers who value honesty as much as she does. It is an environment that encourages her to keep experimenting, to push boundaries, and to continue refining her unique voice.
A Distinct, Evolving Presence
Looking back at her journey so far, it is remarkable to realise that this is only the beginning. In a few short years she has gone from calling a studio owner for a chance to record to standing on festival stages, from writing songs in university basements to seeing her face on a Leicester Square billboard. Each milestone has been earned through a combination of raw talent, relentless determination, and a refusal to be anything other than herself.
We have followed every step of her path and have been consistently moved by her ability to turn personal struggle into universal art. Her songs do not offer easy answers, but they do offer truth, and in that truth listeners find recognition and comfort. Whether it is the defiance of “Dead to Me,” the fragile confession of “Golden,” or the quiet hope in her Christmas cover, her music creates emotional spaces that feel both intimate and expansive.
Etaoin is not just an artist we admire. She is one of the most important voices of her generation. To us, she is the definition of what it means to make music that matters. She takes her own fears, joys, and heartbreaks and transforms them into songs that feel like they belong to everyone. That is a gift beyond measure, and one that will continue to shape the future of modern Irish pop for years to come.
You can find Etaoin on Instagram and discover why she’s one of our favourite people ever by listening to all of her music.