Ernest Aines Talks New Single, 2025 UK Tour And More

Australian folk songwriter Ernest Aines has just announced his new single, “Just Once” which will be released on 23rd May 2025. He kindly spoke to us all about the track, UK tour and more:

When did you begin songwriting?

I started in my late teens, though I think the seeds were planted much earlier. Songwriting became a way to process things I couldn’t say out loud — a kind of quiet truth-telling. It slowly grew into something I couldn’t live without.

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

Singing with my sisters in the back of Dad’s car — all of us belting out harmonies, with total joy. That’s when I first understood how music connects people.

 

You will be releasing your new single Just Once on 23rd May 2025. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?

Just once is about an ex-girlfriend who left me starving for acknowledgement and any showing of love or loving behaviour. She was a love bomber who quickly turned into someone who, after securing me as a partner, fled away from any form of affection. I’m not completely free of blame, I chose this person and ignored all the red flags. As many of us do when we’re in the immersive feelings of the freshness of love and attention. This one’s for all the people stuck in that relationship or healing from a false love.

Where did you record the single and who produced it?

I recorded it with Nathan Zammit at his studio in Melbourne, Australia ‘NZ studios’. Nathan has an amazing sense for space and subtlety. I love spending time in his studio, Bonnie the poodle keeps us company and is the quietest over-excited being one could be lucky enough to have the company of whilst recording.

 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

Once I filmed a promotional video for a gig, playing immaculate piano, Nathan, who studied classical piano, shove his hands through my armpits and played the whole time. Many were convinced that I was the next Rachmaninoff.

 

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

Yes — I played my dad’s handmade electric guitar, which honestly looks like a piece of wood from an old porch. It’s got a raw, organic tone that perfectly matched the emotional texture of the song. I also used a John Gom guitar that my friend Ruby lent me. It’s a giant dreadnought with four different microphones inside. I used that for the fingerpicking portion of this song. We also have Viola, a synth pad and multiple harmonies, some from my friend Indyana who played the Viola

Was it a difficult song to write?

Emotionally, yes. It’s vulnerable and personal. But it was great to get it out on paper. Definitely a pressure valve type of song, that once you get it physically out of you, you feel a lot better for yourself.

 

Which of your tracks hear you at your:

a) Happiest: tail tale— captures the story of a friend and I going on a journey on the kephler Trail in New Zealand

b) Angriest: I don’t really write angry songs, but Pixels reflects my frustration with how disconnected we’ve become in the digital age, even when we’re constantly “connected.”

c) Most reflective: Just Once, without question. It’s one of the most emotionally bare songs I’ve ever released.

 

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025?

Yes, Just Once is the first single from my upcoming album Shifting Scenes, due later this year. There’ll be more songs released in the lead-up — each one pulling back another layer.

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

That someone felt less alone. And that I told the truth.

 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I tour pretty simply — my acoustic guitar, a stomp box, and sometimes that old electric. I use a small vocal reverb pedal to keep things warm and atmospheric, but I like to keep the sound close to the ground.

 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

Melbourne. Lively, multicultural, independent, dynamic, thriving

How do you look after your voice?

Water. Sleep. Gentle warm-ups. And I try not to talk too much after shows, even when I want to thank everyone in person. I’ve learned that silence is part of the job, too.

 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It’s bleak, but also quietly full of love. Scoring that story would be about finding beauty in the ashes.

 

Who is in your touring band and what do they play? Or do you tour solo?

I mostly tour solo — it keeps things honest and intimate. But I’ve started inviting guest musicians for special shows. And I’m also inviting lovely artists to open on this tour. I know how hard it is to get good support slots — I would’ve loved someone to offer that to me early on.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

Ray Lamontagne, Bon Iver, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake. For newer artists: Deb Talan, James Blake, and my sister, Jessica Paige. They all write from a place that’s deeply felt.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

Yes! I’ll be touring across the UK again this summer — through the north and south of England — with a special show at the concert hall in Cardiff in Wales. It’s a mix of heritage venues, churches, and some beautiful new spaces.

What makes Ernest Aines happy and what makes you unhappy?

Helping people connect — that’s what makes me happy. Music can be a bridge, and I write to build those bridges. What makes me unhappy is disconnection — when we lose sight of each other.