1. Starting Early
Having been raised in a house of musicians and actors, Billie Eilish began writing and singing her own songs from the early age of 11. Homeschooled, she joined the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and set herself on the road towards a music career, following in the footsteps of her older brother Finneas O’Connell!
2. Irish Roots
Eilish’s full name is Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell, as you might have guessed she does have some Irish blood, with her Father being of Irish descent and her mother of Scottish. So she should feel right at home when she takes to the stage at Electric Picnic this year!
3. The Music
Eilish released her debut single “Ocean Eyes” in 2017, with her debut EP “Don’t Smile At Me” coming out in August of that year. Five of its songs were RIAA-Certified, with one going platinum and five gold. In 2017 Apple named Eilish as it’s newest ‘Up Next Artist’ of 2017.
Her new album “WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” has been released on March 29th and features her singles ‘wish you were gay’ and ‘you should see me in a crown’ all of which achieved viral success on YouTube and Streaming channels.
4. Keeping it in the family
Not being the only musician in a family has its perks. Finneas, Eilish’s brother both produces and collaborates on writing her music. With a number of songs being written by the pair deriving from real experiences they shared, the two work closely and perform together on stage.
On writing with her brother, Eilish said; “[We] like to completely make-up things and become characters. We like to have songs that are really fictional.”
5. Heavyweight Influences
While Eilish mostly listens to, and aims to collaborate with Hip Hop and R&B artists such as Drake, Tyler, The Creator, Earl Stewart, A$AP Rocky, Vince Staples, and others. Having grown up in a house of musicians Eilish grew up listening to The Beatles, Green Day, Avril Lavigne all of these have combined to create a unique sound.