I am here introducing with great pleasure an Australian singer and songwriter, a long-time performer, writer and producer: Hemans Erilia. Her music can be described as cinematic pop that is a personal and vulnerable narrative of love; an artistic fusion between Western and East Asian tones.
The new single ‘Lover’s Dream’ is an introduction to the highly anticipated debut EP filled with fairytale and heartbreaks. ‘Lover’s Dream’ is the heartbreakingly romantic opening to Erilia’s debut EP, as the lead single begins the vulnerable narrative of her healing journey after a toxic relationship.
The dreamy track is a jarring contrast to the raw and honest lyrics, as Erilia acknowledges that she had tricked herself into the illusion of a romantic relationship. With the waltz-like accompaniment, the soft yet expressive vocals and the fairytale-driven lyrics, the song is a cathartic experience that shares her painful acceptance of being naive and misguided.
In an emotional exclamation, Erilia recognises that she had “fallen for someone” that “never existed at all”, and thus had been “living in a lover’s dream”.
for Art-Waves Cultural Association
Hi Erilia, thank you for being here with Art-Waves. I'm so delighted to meet you and learn more about who you are as an artist! Before we get going, I would like you to introduce yourself to our readers. Where are your from originally? Tell us a little bit about your background, your studies, music influences…
Hi! Thanks for having me here! I’m Hemans Erilia, and I was born in Sydney Australia back in 2001. But I grew up in Hong Kong since I was 3, since my parents wanted me to really be familiar with my Chinese heritage. I came back to Sydney when I was starting high school, so I guess that is why I have such strong affiliations and connections to both Western and East Asian cultures. I am currently on my last year of my music bachelor degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and I would like to see myself as an aspiring musician making her way up to the Sydney music scene! A little fun fact about me; my name “Hemans” is a translation of my Chinese name given by my grandfather, and “Erilia” is a name I came up with by mixing my parent’s names together. I decided to use this as my artist name because it’s symbolic of my music career. I am able to do what I love because of the people around me, but also because of my own work and efforts.
Who are your masters and inspirational muses?
My biggest influences are Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift. Whether its musically, artistically or aesthetically, I look up to them a lot. I love the way Ariana Grande creates harmonies out of nowhere, and I love the way she sounds. With Taylor Swift, I love the way she can weave a story into her lyrics. Other influences of mine are Kary Ng and Joey Yung, both are Hong Kong based artists whose tunes I grew up listening to. I am also heavily inspired by a lot of anime music, in particular ones composed by Joe Hisaishi. My favourite of his is the theme song in Castle in the Sky.
How did you discover your passion for music?
I’ve always loved music in different forms, and I grew up constantly being surrounded by music. I did all the school choirs; I was in a musical theatre company in Hong Kong. I started learning piano at the age of 4; at one point my parents debated sending me to a music school, and so on. Looking back, music was everywhere in my life. But very distinctively, I know when I decided I wanted to do music for life. It was the first time I had properly wrote a song to perform for a song exam, and I really enjoyed that exhilaration and rewarding sense of achievement afterwards. I guess it had definitely helped that my teacher had told me I had a knack for it. But from then on, I had convinced myself that music was the way to go.
What is behind the story of “Lover’s dream" ? Is there something personal in there, like something that really happened to you or some emotions that you've personally felt on your skin?
“Lover’s Dream” is indeed very personal to me, purely because it was inspired by my first ever break-up. When I had first sat down to write this song, I had just been broken up with. And I was jamming to Olivia Rodrigo’s driver’s license, hoping to write about just how awful I felt, hoping to find a solution that could ‘fix’ what I did wrong, as if the song was a message out to my ex-boyfriend. I really thought this was going to be one of those sappy and cheesy sad songs. But the more I wrote, the more I realized that what was wrong with the relationship, wasn’t that I had not given enough to him. Rather, it was that I had given too much and accepted nothing to be returned. All because I had tricked myself into believing I was living a fairytale romance, when there weren’t even true romance to begin with. Thus, this song became my recognition of my naivety, as if I’m finally waking up from that fantasy.
What can you tell us of your another lead single ‘Mirror Mirror’ as preparation for the launch of her debut EP ? When the new single will be released?
“Mirror Mirror” is going to be fun one. I had the most fun working on it with my producer Dom in the studio, just because we would add the most random of sounds into the track for fun. This song will have heavy Japanese anime soundtrack and K-pop tones, mixed with the classic fairytale imagery of Snow White. The song is the turning point in my EP, where I finally switch from reflecting on my past relationship, to reflecting on my perception of myself. The song will be out early May this year, so you’ll hear more about it then! As for my EP, I plan to release it later this year, so you’ll have to wait to hear the full story of my fairytale!
I would like to imagine your music as a metaphor, with certain colors, particular scents, images of scenery … how would you describe yourself?
I always tell my friends that my retirement plan was to live out in rural France or rural England, and open up a bakery in my little cottage filled with colourful flowers. So, I would like to think that is a way to describe myself and my music. If I were a colour, I reckon I would be a daisy pastel yellow; a teaspoon of adventure, three cups of playfulness and just a bucket load of flowery bubbliness and cheekiness.
If you had to pick one song of your new EP that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Probably the very last track in the EP, “My Lullaby”. Firstly, because it is fully produced by myself, so sonically speaking, this track is how I hear music in my head. Secondly, and most importantly because this song is my acceptance to letting myself heal and no longer dwell on this pain. In a way, this song is about finally letting myself go to experience a new love: my own love towards myself. This song is a plea from me towards myself and everyone around me to accept that my healing comes at my own pace. It is also the grand finale of the EP, and the narrative comes full circle: where the lover’s dream began as my fantasy to mask a toxic relationship, the lover’s dream now becomes my dream to learn to love myself properly. Thus, “My Lullaby” is the most vulnerable and authentic song in the entire EP, because as an aspiring artist, I am still learning to love my craft and my identity, and to appreciate them in their truest forms.
An album that changed your life is…
Positions by Ariana Grande. Not just because she is my favorite artist, but mostly because I truly appreciate the vulnerability and softness she encompassed within that album that is so different to her previous ones. Her album came into my life at a time of self-doubt and loathing, and it is this album that gave me hope for healing and self-love. I really related to her hesitation of opening up to love after being beaten down brutally by said emotion, and I truly loved how it gave me the reassurance that I would heal from my pain with time. I remembered there were nights where I would just lay in bed and listen to the entire album non-stop, and I would tell myself, “This is the type of love that you should be welcoming into your life, and it is not undeserved. This pain you feel now will not last.”
What is the general creative path of song writing for you?
I like to start with a message, a story to tell. So, I always begin with my lyrics, making sure that the words feel true and right to me. Usually, I would take inspiration from quotes in books or images on Instagram that triggers a scenario in my head. When the words are right, the sounds and the music speak for themselves. The lyrics lean into their own vibe and feel, and I like to start picking out instruments and sounds that do them justice. When a solid musical base is set, it makes it easier for me to sing on top of them and to layer vocal harmonies to them.
How has the Sydney music scene challenged or benefited you artistically and individually?
Since my musical aesthetic can’t really be defined as purely pop or purely cinematic sounding, it is quite hard to find a solid audience group to share to. Especially since the Sydney indie sound has such a distinct tone to it, my niche fusion of Western and Eastern sound has a hard time fitting in. Sometimes, I also find it hard to fit into the music scene in Sydney in general, and I think a lot of people with binary cultural backgrounds can relate to this. I can never fully fit within just Western culture, or just Asian culture, since I was exposure to both cultures during the most influential and defining moments of my life. You also don’t find many artists who are Asian Australian being featured much. So being in the Sydney music scene - or being in this industry in general – where music has to have a defining category in order to find the ‘right’ audience, my niche and personal aesthetic has a hard time reaching out to many people.
What was your dream job as a child?
Oh, I wanted to be all kinds of things! I started wanting to be an actress because I was always on Disney Channel, and I wanted to be just like Gabriella from High School Musical. I also wanted to be a marine biologist because I liked dolphins. Then I wanted to be an architect until I realised you had to do mathematics for it. So, music really was the best choice for me.
What do you do in your free time, any hobbies?
I love to bake and cook. Especially when I see images or videos of aesthetic looking food. I would feel a huge urge to go and replicate it myself. I also love to read, since I love delving into a different world and mindset from mine. So if anyone’s got a good book recommendation, I would love them!
If you got the chance to write a song based on your favorite book. What book would that be and why?
Probably “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J Mass, which is the second book within a trilogy. Just because that book has one of the most beautiful character developments, where the main character grows to love herself and not fully dependent on others. The book is also sort of a retelling of the story between Hades and Persephone, so I could imagine writing this incredibly gorgeous and dreamy song about the book’s slow burn romance arc, full of angst and hope.
What does music and making music mean to you and your listeners? Tell us about the power of music.
Music is all about sharing a story, or a feeling and experience to someone. For me, it’s like meeting up with your friends and loved ones after a long day and sharing your day with them over food and drinks. It’s comforting and fun, it’s what brings people from across the world together. It’s a truly beautiful thing.
What was your most memorable live show?
Probably my first ever live show with Breaking Sound at the Sydney Lansdowne Hotel back in February. It was the first time I had performed live to this scale as a solo act, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences ever. I am super grateful to all my friends and family that showed up to support me, and in making this moment more memorable and fulfilling.
What are the musical goals you wish for?
I would love to release a full-length album in the near future! I would also love to play more live shows in different places around the world! It would also be wonderful working with new people on new projects.
A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
In terms of Sydney, I would love to perform in the ICC Theatre, since it was the venue where I had my first live music experience, so it would be wonderful to see myself there. In terms of internationally, I would love to perform at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. I’ve visited the venue once on a school tour, and I remember being so in love with the interior of the theatre! It would be such a treat performing there.
Where and when are you going to perform next?
I have two shows planned with Breaking Sound Australia. One in April 13th at the Sydney Lansdowne Hotel, and the other in July at the Oxford Art Factory. I am also planning a special show to launch my EP later this year, so make sure to stay tuned to find out!
Do you have any advice for those that might not know where to begin, or may be too afraid to share their talent with the world?
As cheesy as that sounds, just go for it! There is literally nothing stopping you, and you don’t even have to start off so seriously at first. That can be so overwhelming and off-putting. Just remember that the sole reason you are doing what you are doing, is because that is something you love and wanted to do. And just start off doing it for fun! Who knows where that can take you, but definitely further than if you don’t do it at all.
I close this interview with our usual question: what is Art and who are the artists in your opinion?
Art can be anything as long as there is a story or an intention behind it. It is something that creates a sort of shared experience and connection with others, where others can relate to it in any way. So, anyone can be an artist in my opinion, as long as you are doing it for something; whether it is for someone, or for yourself!
Erilia, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I hope your music comes to be more and more known and can bring deep emotions to tons of souls. I wish you much success and for your dreams to come true!
We look forward to seeing you in Italy!
Marianna L.
for Art-Waves Cultural Association
To keep up with Erilia, and listen to more of her music check her out online on :
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hemans.erilia
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5t8K7MXyK6jDXX51t6sfQQ?si=1xDBQso8TkCYmov8y3yajA
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/hemanserilia
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hemanserilia
Lover’s Dream is written, composed and performed by Erilia, produced by Maari Music’s Dominic Cabusi, mixed and mastered by Ebony and Ivory Entertainment’s Saul Santilli.
The song has been released on 16th February on all streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Youtube Music.
Stream ‘Lover’s Dream’ here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6P8l3qhUyCtFkfPpLuBtTW?si=Z4gYNPbjQdyjIiA0KW17YQ
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