To celebrate the release of his new EP 'Stages Of A Heartbreak' (out now), Jordie Ireland has shared the stories behind each track and how his first big release has come together.
This EP is a perfect combination between two things that I have always been fascinated by - conceptualism in music and the psychology of the human brain. I remember years ago learning about the various stages of grief that a person experiences during a hard time and wanted to transform each of these into a song. Each track in this EP symbolises the different stages that I personally went through during a heartbreaking experience in my life, and I hope that people listening to Stages Of A Heartbreak and feel like they are not alone if they have also experienced these things.
Different Way was the first track I wrote for the EP. It was written at a real low point in my life, and coming to terms with the fact that my first-ever relationship of seven years was starting to lose its spark. I co-wrote it with Cyrus Villanueva and Dom Youdan in two hours! I think because it’s such a relatable feeling, it allowed the song to kind of write itself.
Sober Of Us was written with Cyrus Villanueva and Aden Cah, and was where the EP concept of Stages Of A Heartbreak started. It fully encapsulates the ‘heartbreak’ stage of the EP. I met DASHA in LA for the first time, and we immediately clicked, it felt so right to have her on this track. Sober Of Us actually started as a country song, and it wasn’t until my friend Jeremy Drakeford co-produced the track with me that it turned into a pop-punk anthem!
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
This was the first song we released from the EP, which I wrote with Carla Wehbe and Cam Robertson on a writing camp! We wanted to write a song about the idea of going back to an ex for one night only. I feel like this is one of the most relatable songs on the EP! I’ve always loved Cam’s work with his band Glades and had gone to one of his shows in Sydney before we met. Initially, Carla’s vocals were going to feature, but when Cam started singing melodies, we knew he had to stay on the track.
The confusion and denial stage of the EP! The lyrics of the song can seem a bit confusing, and that’s the purpose, you can’t tell if the story is positive or negative, and this sums up the internal battle that everyone goes through in the first few months after a breakup. Crying At This Party was written with ROSIE, who is based in NYC and features bby ivy, who I connected with back in 2021, I loved her voice and was so happy to have her on the track.
Bad Days is about how someone special in your life can turn the worst experience and emotions around, making it all ok in the end – the lyrics ‘Feeling bad feels better with you’ sums it up! It’s the final track on the EP and features David Hugo, who I met while in LA.
Stages Of A Heartbreak is out now.