These are some of the reviews & features of Elmer's tunes, and interviews with him. Many of them were published while he was still releasing music under the name (EM). The post titles are links to the original pages of the reviews/features/interviews.
El Bondi interview
Published 14/08/2025
Photos and Text: Anabella Reggiani | Courtesy of Press |
Getting to know… EM
Eddie Mead, aka EM, is an independent artist with a peculiar mix of garage rock, post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia.
This Englishman has already released five albums since 2020. One of them, Dumbo , is being reissued on vinyl for the first time by Shore Drive Records in the UK: “ Dumbo was recorded during a time of isolation, in bedrooms and attics. I recorded and released three albums in the preceding months, and I kept up that pace while making this one. It’s the record I’m most proud of. When writing this album, I wanted to sing stories that others could connect with. The lyrics are a release of my own turbulent thoughts, while also exploring those that many of us experience. Although it may seem dark, I had a great time recording the music that surrounds those stories. It’s the best synthesis of the sounds that exist in my mind.”
-And you decided to release it on vinyl…
– Shore Drive Records in the UK has been kind enough to release “Dumbo,” first on CD and now on LP. It’s the first time one of my albums has been pressed on vinyl. I’ve also recently reissued the CD version.
-Tell us how you started making music, what your beginnings were like.
-I started releasing solo recordings under the name (EM) over a decade ago, when I was still in high school. Some of them can be found on my first album , including a recording I made in high school. I was experimenting with the limited equipment I had, recording drafts of what I wrote and uploading them to the internet. From 2015 to 2018, I was in two bands: first Backer and then Mercer. Those years were a lot of fun and productive, along with a lot of personal difficulties. In short, a lot of great music came out of it. In 2019, I founded the band Wisher, which didn't last long. Our songs only exist as demos, but in my opinion, they capture some of the best I've ever written. When those projects dissolved, I went back to recording my solo songs.
-Why did you decide to start a solo career?
-I find it liberating to have complete control over my music. I can express myself precisely through it, which is one of the main reasons I do it. Although those years were personally difficult, dedicating myself fully to composing and recording has kept me going. It's cathartic to put certain feelings and experiences into music. Perhaps those who listen have gone through similar things and can relate to the lyrics.
-Which artists influenced your musical path?
-My father, a professional musician for decades, had a huge influence on me by introducing me to a lot of music that I still cherish. Thanks to him, I loved punk by the age of five. Many bands, like The Clash and Buzzcocks, for example, quickly became important to my musical development. I especially remember the first time I found and listened to his Television CD of Marquee Moon; an incredible experience. He encouraged me to play any instrument, and I taught myself a few. Bob Dylan's music has had a huge impact on me since my teens. After leaving my first band in high school, I wrote and played folk songs on my own. My songs still contain elements of folk music. Guided By Voices influenced me enormously, and I delved into lo-fi production. I usually only use a few cheap instruments in the recording process. It's what I have and what I know. Other bands that have inspired me include Dinosaur Jr., The Replacements, My Bloody Valentine, Big Star, The Cure, Nick Drake, Mission of Burma, Alex G, and Cloud Nothings, among many others.
-And now… what's next?
After “Dumbo,” I recorded my next album, “Turbine Regalia,” which was released in 2021. I continued writing nonstop. I had almost finished another album, but after some events, the files were lost. This halted my creativity until my good friend Tate, my sister Isis, and I started a recording project called NITE DINO. Our album “NEVER” is open-ended, so we added songs as we created them. Now, a few years later, I’ve been able to recover those files. In recent years, it’s sometimes been difficult to stay motivated, as my mental health fluctuates. However, I’ve released recordings sporadically since 2021, some of them from the previously lost album. I’m currently working on the rest of those songs, as well as some new ones I’ve been writing. I’ve found the inspiration I needed to keep creating music, and I’m excited to share my new experiments with the world.
Paris-Move review of ‘dumbo’
(received second-highest rating)
Quiz: What do The Oh-Sees, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Television, Fat White Family, Wire, the Buzzcocks, and The Cure have in common? Look no further, it's obvious: from Mush and Tramhaus to what many lazy (or opportunistic) press agents nowadays refer to with the catch-all term "post-punk," the Soft Machine of '66/'67 and Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd remain as their roots. Hiding from his home in Indiana under the transparent moniker (EM), Eddie Mead defines his music as a cross between garage rock, post-punk, shoegaze, and psychedelia. With no fewer than five self-produced LPs to his name, he stubbornly continues to distill his own music from his home studio, as if confinement had always been his natural environment. As lo-fi as it might have been tolerated some twenty years ago, this LP, recently reissued on vinyl, reveals the same fearless inventiveness once displayed by the Byrds of “Fifth Dimension,” Brian Wilson of “Vegetables,” Pete Townshend of “Disguises,” the 13th Floor Elevator of “Easter Everywhere,” and Love of “Da Capo.” Nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything is recycled!
Patrick DALLONGEVILLE
Paris-Move, Illico & BluesBoarder, Blues & Co
PARIS-MOVE, March 18th 2025
feature On Subterránica
(EM): Lo-Fi Garage Punk From the Cold Forests of Wisconsin
Published February 6, 2025
By Underground
In the lonely depths of the Wisconsin woods, one artist has found his voice in chaos and introspection. Eddie Mead, under the alias (EM), has become a leading figure in lo-fi garage punk, a raw and emotionally charged sound that navigates between melancholy and distortion.
Since the release of his debut album, dumb decades, dumb centuries, in 2020, (EM) has maintained a relentless production pace. With a discography already boasting multiple albums and EPs, his music reflects years of experience in the underground scene, first as the frontman of bands like Backer, Mercer, and Wisher, and now as a solo artist.
Their style is a mosaic of influences ranging from Bob Dylan and Television to My Bloody Valentine and The Replacements. With home production recorded in bedrooms, attics, and small-town garages, (EM)'s songs have an intimate, handcrafted quality. Despite their lo-fi approach, each track is meticulously constructed, combining layers of intricate guitars, ambient noise, and unconventional structures.
Eddie's lyrics explore themes of isolation, nostalgia, mental illness, addiction, and recovery. With writing influenced by authors such as Kurt Vonnegut and T.S. Eliot, his songs are raw confessions that invite the listener into an introspective and surreal world.
In 2021, he released Turbine Regalia, an album that delves into the emotional highs and lows of addiction and recovery. Initially, the album was released without promotion due to its personal nature, but over time, Eddie has found the courage to share it with a wider audience.
His creativity knows no bounds. In 2022, he formed NITE DINO, a collaborative project with Tate Sampson and his sister Isis Mead, working on an ever-expanding album titled NEVER. And now, in 2024, after moving to Indianapolis, he's immersed in the production of his next album, with plans for a 2025 release.
Meanwhile, (EM) celebrates the vinyl reissue of dumbo through Shore Drive Records, marking a new milestone in his career. His ever-evolving music continues to be a haven for those seeking authentic, visceral, and emotionally charged sounds.
review on We Write About Music
(EM) tears it up on double single release, "Newbooksamepage" & "Olwil"
July 23, 2022
Serving up a double single release consisting of the songs “Newbooksamepage” and “Olwil”, (EM) has done it once again on these sonically progressive tracks. Please read on for a closer look into the music, as well as a much needed background on the artist.
From the mind of Eddie Mead comes his solo project titled (EM) that has shown off his capabilities as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and beyond. The singles are titled “Newbooksamepage” and “Olwil” and delve into the garage punk genre in which they experiment with inventive instrumentation, unique vocal deliveries, and odd time signatures. Ultimately we’ve come to love both so incredibly much and are sincerely recommending everyone out there crank these up and get them playing.
Having played music for over 20 years and now really building up his discography as (EM) after holding the moniker of 10 years, we can safely say there’s a ton more on the way from the artist. In fact, there’s another album on the way, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. As for these two new singles, they’re bursting with creativity and originality through the near 9 minutes in total runtime. Each holds its own distinct feel and style, but the signature essence are purely (EM) and the way he presents himself and classic song compositions. With a garage rock revival currently happening, it’s music like this that lets us know the genre is 100% headed in the right direction.
As mentioned, each song has its own shining moments, but particularly one of our favorite passages was on “Newbooksamepage” during the instrumental breakdown when the song gets a moment to breathe and stretch out instrumentally. Not only does it show off the immense skills of Eddie, but so often we feel garage-style songs are rushed and to the point. Another major facet of the both is that both are quite dense lyrically, so much so that we already know we’re going to be coming back for future listens to correctly break down the contextual themes presented. However, given that a full record is on the way, we’ll be looking forward to seeing if there’s an overarching message displayed in its entirety.
With all that being said though, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to know that (EM) has completely nailed it. We’re urging everyone out there to give this a spin, follow him on his social media, and to keep up with all major news on the way.
review on Edgar Allan Poets
newbooksamepage + olwil is Eddie Mead’s Single | Indie Music
Bands We Like
By Poe · July 20, 2022
Good Day Noir Family,
welcome to Edgar Allan Poets indie music corner. A space dedicated to the best new artists and bands we find around the web. Today’s Featured artist is Eddie Mead and his single newbooksamepage + olwil.
The psychedelic and vintage style proposed by this artist is interesting.
A musical vision that takes its cue from the 90s but at the same time manages to be modern. The chord progression is intricate and the rhythmic cadence fluctuates.
Honestly, it is one of the first times that I see an artist playing with such freedom with the rhythm. These compositional nuances push this genre towards the avant-garde.
The production is raw and sincere and this is another essential feature of the compositional style of this artist.
The thing I liked most about Eddie Mead is that this artist didn’t follow commercial rules to create his music. He only follows his instinct and travels a musical path never traveled before.
I’m curious to hear what his mind will be capable of giving birth to in the future. Prior to this, Eddie Mead also released a full album Turbine Regalia which you can listen to here: https://edymeaday.bandcamp.com/album/turbine-regalia
newbooksamepage + olwil is Eddie Mead’s Single Out Now!
Innovative!
feature on Tinnitist
included in:
Monday Mixtape | 68 Songs To Keep Things Cool (Side 1)
By Darryl Sterdan - 2022-07-18
That Blogger Music review of ‘dumbo’
February 2, 2021
(EM) is the solo moniker of recording artist Eddie Mead. Building on his experiences playing in several local bands of various styles and volumes (such as Mercer, Backer, and Wisher), he’s assumed full creative control and released his first four proper solo albums throughout 2020. His latest, ‘dumbo’, synthesizes his familiar heavy guitar riffs with more fluid, psychedelic textures and arrangements.
In writing music, Eddie finds his main emotional outlet. Lyrically, he examines isolation, nostalgia, dreams, memories, mental illness, substance abuse, addiction, and the struggles of recovery. His words are sometimes stream of consciousness, or can be influenced by the works of Kurt Vonnegut, T.S. Eliot, and Beat Generation authors.
Musically, (EM) blends together a strange hybrid of lo-fi garage rock/shoegaze-sludge-pop with elements of folk and some psychedelia. Amongst his many influences are Bob Dylan, Guided By Voices, Wipers, Television, Nick Drake, Dinosaur Jr., Joni Mitchell, My Bloody Valentine, Destroyer, Wire, Big Thief, Pavement, Frankie Cosmos, Mission of Burma, Slowdive, darn it., The Replacements, Angel Olsen, Big Star, Sonic Youth, DIIV, The Cure, Technicolor Teeth, Purple Mountains, Tenement, Mannequin Pussy, The Exploding Hearts, Chinese Telephones, and much more.
This album is impossible not to listen to from beginning to end, the hooks are strong and grip you even when you think you have escaped them. The lyrics in each single capture your attention within seconds and I feel any listener will be able to relate to them. The combination of sounds, instrumentals and vocals work so well together on this incredible album, it has something for everyone to enjoy.
It was hard for me to pick my favourite track from this album as each track has its own anthemic sound which makes it special. If I really had to pick one that has managed to stand out a little more from the other tracks it would be ‘massive gamble’, this single is full of energy and lyrics that make you stop and listen to every word, I found myself hooked within seconds and tapping along with the song.
This album was something completely different to what I usually enjoy listening to, but I could not help but love what I was hearing. It’s safe to say I’m a fan and look forward to hearing more music from Eddie in the future.
Great job!
9/10
By Ollie Cooper
Shoegaze Blog review of ‘dumbo’
Vittoriano Capaldi January 25, 2021 The sounds burn
A shoegaze Monday of a shoegaze year
(EM), Dumbo . A mysterious moniker, a bizarre title, and a dog lying on the floor on the cover: this Wisconsin project has everything it takes to attract attention. Modest Mouse appears among the influences cited , and indeed the reference makes perfect sense: slightly lopsided, very lo-fi indie rock, perfect for listening to while slumped on your bed (perhaps just like the aforementioned dog, why not?).