29 November 2025

Messy Eater (Design)
Charlie Ellis (illustration)
Nida Mozuraite (Photo)
What was the inspiration behind the EP?
The EP was inspired by a real array of music coming out of the southern states of the US, particularly 70s soul artists like Al Green, 70s rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd and 90s hip hop acts like OutKast. A massive overall influence was the production style of The Dust Brothers who produced some of my favourite records like Beck’s ‘Odelay’ and ‘Paul’s Boutique’ by the Beastie Boys.
How long did the EP take to create from start to finish?
Overall, around 6 months. Four of the tracks were created at the same time, while one track (‘Keep On (I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead)’) was a slightly older track that just really fitted the vibe.
Which track was written first?
‘Keep On (I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead)’ was written first, but the first track that really gave the EP its direction and identity was ‘Slowcoach’.
Do you have any personal favourite tracks?
‘Slowcoach’ and ‘All Out Of Time’ – they both encapsulate the Southern Fried vibe and they’re the most fun to play live too!
Were any tracks difficult to write?
Not really! I felt I had a great creative momentum with these tracks and the pieces came together really nicely – it was a very fun bunch of tracks to work on!
What do you have coming up in the next 12 months?
I have a new EP coming in early 2026. The first single will be out in January – more details announced very soon!
Genre: Indie/Alternative
Released: 22nd August 2025
You can find out more about York artist Messy Eater and “Southern Fried” on his website or via Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify or TikTok.