This week we have Penny Eau, with her live session tracks ‘Coffee Grinds’, ‘I Will Find You in Every Lifetime’, and latest single ‘Password Temptation’!

Who is ‘Penny Eau’?

So I’ve gone through a handful of names now, and this most recent persona ‘Penny Eau’ is where I’m at now. My previous music no longer resonated with me, so built this fresh start, this fresh rebrand. I really wanted to pay homage to Liverpool, which explains the ‘Penny’ part pretty obviously! I wanted something that brought in nature and being outside, I wanted to tie in something organic, so ‘Eau’ is ‘water’ in french – fun fact for you there!

What do you stand for in your music?

I want to speak about fearless topics and taboos in my lyrics – ideas that are underrepresented in most songs. For example, the first track I released under ‘Penny Eau’, Lavender and Gasoline, is about open relationships, because I think monogamy never really resonated with me, and growing up I never had those songs to relate to. So I took it upon myself to create these songs myself, and break these cultural taboos! Anything that younger me would’ve appreciated hearing in songs, that’s what I write about.

You do a fair bit of live performance – any that have stood out to you?

I love opportunities to make the gig as immersive as possible. I appreciate getting the chance to decorate the space; in the past I’ve brought out plants for the stage etc. Playing in Liverpool generally as well, the atmosphere is incredible. I’ve spent a lot of time in LA, and it’s a completely different vibe. Whenever I’ve played here, people are proud of upcoming artists, and proud of discovering something new – gigs that come to mind there for me are LIMF and the Digital Music Festival – the atmosphere of the location has a lot to say about the cultural support that you receive.

You’ve been between LA and Oslo recently, what’s brought you back to Liverpool?

Liverpool feels like home, first and foremost! It’s difficult to put into words, but the first time I came here it felt like deja vu: like I was coming home for the first time. I never really felt at home back in St Louis, Missouri – I didn’t fit in or share the same ideas as the people that I was around, but once I came here I found my community, I’m always drawn back here no matter how far I roam.

Listen to the full Penny Eau interview on Local and Live Episode 22, and be sure to keep updated with all things Penny Eau by following @pennyeau on socials!