Part-time chef, full-time singer-songwriter, ERNIE serves up his own brand of heartfelt indie rock, stirring that hazy, nostalgic feeling in with layers of brooding vocals, fuzzy guitars and warbly synths; whilst touching on themes of adolescence, family, relationships and the trappings of being the “odd one out” in a small northern town.
ERNIE - whose real name is Joe Ernest Allan - has spent the last two years in the studio working on a dense collection of songs, and in recent months has been honing his live show, playing alongside the likes of Sam Fender, Wunderhorse, Baxter Dury and English Teacher, and showcasing at festivals including Live At Leeds, Boardmasters and The Great Escape.
Produced by Josh Ingledew alongside Thom Lewis (Sam Fender), and mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Catherine Marks (boygenius, Foals, Wolf Alice), ERNIE’s debut EP Cold Cuts was released in November 2023 via Gravity Records. Having received widespread praise across the broadsheets (The Sunday Times, The Independent) and key indie champions (NME, The Line of Best Fit, Dork, Rough Trade, La Blogotheque, Clash), as well as support from BBC Introducing, John Kennedy (Radio X), Matt Wilkinson (Apple), Tom Robinson, Huw Stephens and Radcliffe & Maconie (6 Music), he is firmly cementing his status across the emerging indie landscape.
"One to watch" - The Sunday Times