October and the Eyes: "The moment you start worrying about what your audience thinks is the moment you've been poisoned"

With a new EP, ‘Certificate of Participation’, October And The Eyes continues to blur the lines between music, fashion, and art. Check out our latest Hype playlist cover feature.

Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Alexander Schipper.

Wake me up when September ends? It might not have been what Billie Joe was getting at, but maybe he should meet October, the enigmatic force behind October And The Eyes, a project that defies easy categorisation and laughs in the face of convention. As she prepares to unleash her new EP 'Certificate Of Participation' upon the world, October finds herself in a moment of transition. "I'm currently packing up and compartmentalising my life into little boxes and bags in preparation to move," she reveals. "I have since discovered I have six odd socks, three hair brushes I never use, and too many instruments. Actually, I take that back; there are never too many instruments, just too little space."

This sense of organised chaos seems to permeate October's world, a reflection perhaps of growing up in a household where silence was a foreign concept. "My upbringing was always noisy and filled with music. It's hard to recall a memory that involved silence," she reminisces. "My mother studied Piano at the London College of Music and later became a music teacher. I have vivid memories of being squashed in between my two brothers in the backseat on long road trips with Mum playing Chopin or Bach or The Planets suite by Holst and her quizzing 3-year-old me on what instruments I could hear, what time signature was playing, or whether it was a major or a minor key."

It wasn't just classical music that filled the air in October's childhood home. Her father, while not a musician himself, played a crucial role in shaping her musical palette. "My dad isn't musical as such but is a big music fan who introduced me to The Kinks, BB King, and Miles Davis, which had an equally important impact on my taste and style, I'm sure," she explains. "The stereo was always on and playing something, and for my entire childhood, I could not fall asleep unless the radio was playing. The silence scared me."

Add to this musical melting pot two older brothers who were perpetually involved in various band projects, and it's clear that October's path into music was less a conscious choice and more an inevitability. "Everyone would come round and rehearse in our dingy playroom shed," she recalls. "I guess as a natural result of that, I fell into performing and making music from a really young age rather than it being a conscious expedition. It was loud, noisy, and chaotic all the time, but I wouldn't have had it any other way."

However, the road to October And The Eyes was not a straightforward one. When pressed about her musical journey, October is refreshingly candid about her previous musical incarnations. "There are too many to count, all of which are far too embarrassing to talk about," she admits with a laugh. "There was a brief odyssey into hyperpop before hyperpop was even really a thing, which – ah – we won't go into... As a teen, I kind of just wanted to be an anonymous beat producer. There was the neo-jazz era age 12… Yeah, I've been there, done that, and got all the t-shirts. Oh yeah, I almost studied musical theater so let's definitely not talk about that."

Despite these musical detours, there has been one influence that's persisted, for better or worse. "The only constant throughout my entire life has been my absolute adoration of 60s psych, in particular, The Doors. Jim Morrison, unfortunately, shaped the trajectory of my taste in men since my wide-eyed discovery age 10. Awful, really."

Today, October And The Eyes stands as her own unique blend, joining elements of post-punk, psychedelia, and alternative rock, as showcased in her new collection, 'Certificate Of Participation'.

The EP, as October explains, draws inspiration from some heavyweight literary influences. "I'd been reading a lot of William S Burroughs, JG Ballard, and Bret Easton Ellis when I started writing the EP, and I was consciously pulling inspiration from these guys," she reveals. "Aside from the sci-fi, post-apocalyptic themes that run throughout these authors' works, they are really great at capturing just how vile and selfish and despicable the human race is with comedic flare."

But beyond the literary influences, 'Certificate Of Participation' also serves as a commentary on the challenges faced by young people in today's world. "To really boil it down, the themes across 'Certificate of Participation' emerged from a place of helpless despair about young people trying to figure things out in this life, all the while having drawn the short straw," October explains. "All these parameters of success that were set up by our parents and grandparents have vastly shifted and become more and more unattainable and unrealistic. It's about looking at the state of things and saying, actually, doing the bare minimum and staying alive and striving for a simple form of happiness is enough. Most of the songs are, of course, laced with a good dose of humour and irony because if you don't laugh, you'll cry."

The creation process for the EP was a blend of solitary bedroom production and collaborative studio work. "I had pre-written and produced all of the tracks in my bedroom, as I always do, and then recorded some live demo takes with the band," October explains. "Then, the incredible Yves Rothman came to London to record the live band properly at Holy Mountain studio. We did this very quickly in three days, so there's a real sense of urgency to the recordings. I think that works well with the overarching themes."

This approach to production mirrors October's overall musical philosophy. "I treat my music very much like a collage in which I cut and paste found samples, old demo recordings that were done shittily on my laptop, drum machines, and digital synths are layered with live drums and analogue synths. It all ends up in the finished product," she says. "Yves Rothman just totally got that from the get-go, and actually, a lot of the time, it was his recommendation to keep certain older elements in the final songs."

Interestingly, October's approach to lyrics is somewhat unconventional. When asked about her favourite themes to write about, she responds with surprising candour. "I could quite happily never write another lyric again. Often, I think my own voice or lyrics ruin the music that I've made." For October, the pleasure lies in the creation of the music itself. "The greatest joy has always been the actual writing, arranging, and producing the instrumentation itself," she admits. "That feeling of hearing something in your head and being able to physically translate that into sound is really better than any drug."

This focus on the emotive power of music over lyrics extends to her listening habits as well. "Lyrics mean so little to me when listening to others' music, too. I think words can only say so much and often feel inadequate, whereas music can convey an intricate spectrum of emotions. Music informs and manipulates your emotions, which I think is kind of magic, really, as corny as that sounds."

Beyond her musical endeavours, October has also made a name for herself in the fashion world. However, her relationship with the industry is complex. "The fashion industry has always and will always be inspired by musicians, and musicians have always needed to be dressed," she muses. "The 'care-less' attitude, the style, the fanfare. I mean, Hedi built a whole career dressing his models up looking like junkie rock stars from a by-gone era."

Despite her success in modelling, October maintains a pragmatic view of the industry. "You know, modelling itself isn't interesting to me at all for obvious reasons – sure, the paycheques are nice (certainly a lot nicer than those I receive from making music), but it's never been something I've really cared for or wanted. It's a disgusting industry, really. I've only really wanted it when I've needed money to fund my music projects."

Her interest in fashion, it seems, stems more from an appreciation of artistry and craftsmanship. "What I genuinely care about is artistry, whether that is in design, photography, set design, whatever. I am fascinated and endlessly inspired by craftmanship and genuine dedication to art for art's sake. That is what I love about the fashion industry."

When it comes to her personal style, October's description is succinct and evocative: "Four words: leather, silk, feathers, and fur," before making sure to stress "all thrifted, of course."

As for musical influences, October's tastes are eclectic and wide-ranging. "I'm loving Bar Italia at the moment. I love Dean Blunt, too. Iceage is a big one, Yves Tumour, Pretty Sick," she lists. "The common denominator across all of these artists is that they really just don't give a shit. They just make what they want, put it out, and that's it. You either come to the party, or you stay at home - they don't care. The moment you start worrying about what your audience thinks is the moment you've been poisoned."

Her influences extend beyond contemporary artists, spanning decades and genres. "As for not-so-current artists, I love The Doors, of course, The Gun Club, The Cramps, Siouxsie, and The Banshees. I love folk artists; Leonard Cohen, Dave Bixby and Jackson C Frank. I love Mulatu Astatke, Miles Davis, and Alice Coltrane. God, I mean, I could rattle on for days! And they all inform the music I make in one way or another, consciously or not."

Looking to the future, October is brimming with ideas. "I wanna write an ambient EP and also an organ-led EP. I'm sorta just throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks," she shares. "I don't like being pigeonholed. Rock'n'roll can never die, that much is true, but a girl can have a little fun too, ya know?"

In addition to her musical projects, October is also making waves in the fashion world. "I have a cool collaboration out with Ann Deeulemeester at the moment! They made a collection with my face on it! And my lyrics and my band name. Real pinch me moment that got me all wide eyed and excited," she enthuses.

With 'Certificate Of Participation', the next evolution of October And The Eyes feels like an important one. It's a project that promises to challenge, provoke, and entertain in equal measure – much like its creator. Rather than easy homogeneity, October stands as a beacon of originality, unafraid to push boundaries and explore new territories. As she continues to blur the lines between music, fashion, and art, one thing is certain: nobody is going to need reminding to wake up for October. ■