Track of the Day: Rushes - 'Wide Eyed'

Alternative pop artist Rushes has returned with a brand new single 'Wide Eyed', released last Friday with a gorgeous accompanying music video set in Cork's Skibbereen.

Our Track of the Day is Rushes' first release since his successful 2019 debut EP ‘Glimpse’, which garnered over 1.5 million streams.

'Wide Eyed' will appear on the enigmatic act's forthcoming 'Glowchild' project, as a methodical examination of a talent consumed by self-doubt. The lyrics of the song explore the concept of attachment and the negative impact self-doubt plays when it comes to cutting ties with the past.

Rushes explains, “you linger and are constantly conflicted with whether or not you made the right decision. It's aching and it feels like forever to see past the doubt that clouds over your decision”.

‘Wide Eyed’ comes after a year of lockdown and pauses when, for the first time in five years, Rushes found himself living at home in his native Skibbereen. What he originally perceived as regression actually came to become something of a creative revival.

“Restoring the connection I had with my home, made me grow as a person, made me feel kind of more whole again” Rushes explains.

Sonically, ‘Wide Eyed’ finds Rushes at his most emotive yet, with his soaring vocals combining beautifully with the track’s dreamy yet grainy, lo-fi instrumentation.

“I wanted a classic feel on the production side” Rushes explains, “something that was quite raw, genuine and in some ways felt familiar”.

Shot by Eddie O’Flaherty and Stephanie Naughter (Jafaris, Soulé), the accompanying video showcases the local areas where Rushes grew up. The motif of the suit against the atypical green surroundings, encapsulates the track’s feelings of uncertainty and imbalance.

“I think the video depicts the narrative of the track” Rushes explains, “you've cut a connection but now you're on your own. It's like wearing the suit and yet having nowhere to go. I'm wearing my dad's old suit, I found in the attic, but it felt right".

The video was edited by Rushes who, with lockdown, had a lot of extra time on his hands and wanted to learn a new skill. He wanted to really showcase Skibbereen through his own eyes.

“This was very much a DIY project” Rushes acknowledges, “I had no idea how to edit videos, but I wanted it to come from me to keep that closeness of feeling”.

‘Wide Eyed’ is the introduction to a more mature and introspective artist, one who’s taken lessons learned in the past and built upon them.

"The songs are like my superpower,” Rushes adds of the creative process, “they give me the confidence to really show myself more seriously”.

The creative spent much of 2019 playing some of Ireland’s biggest festivals, including Other Voices and Body & Soul. In the same year, he also sold out his debut headliner show in Whelans, with support on the day from breakout Dublin hip-hop artist Malaki.

‘Wide Eyed’ marks the welcome return of an artist at his creative prime, ready to make his mark in 2021.

Check out the ambient video for the alt-pop gem below: