Ripples & Paper Moons: Eleni Drake
- Josh Kitchen
- Oct 31
- 5 min read
Finds the Light in the Dark on New Album - Chuck
By: Josh Kitchen / October 31, 2025
“I see the state of everything around me / I excavate the meaning of it to feel seen,” Eleni Drake sings on “Paper Moons,” from her latest soul-baring offering, Chuck — out today. It’s a sentiment from someone searching for, and then realizing, it’s okay to feel joyful in a time of great collective pain. On Chuck, Drake sings about not regretting the feeling of light and appreciating life. On “A Wonder Day,” she reflects on a relationship ending but the beauty she found in that ending, and the love that still persists. Not everything that ends has to be tragic, and on Chuck, Drake comes to that conclusion across twelve tracks filled with dreamy ballads, folky waltzes, and saccharine melodies that prove Drake is one of the most distinctive songwriters shaping the indie landscape right now.
I caught up with Drake to chat about letting these feelings of ebullience out and wearing them on her sleeve, her great new Flipturn cover, and what she’s watching for Halloween.
Your new album, Chuck, is out today - Eleni, it’s so good. You just put an album out last year, and now a new one, Chuck is already here. You have so much music coming out. Talk to me about the last record, this record, and what Chuck means in this part of your musical journey.
I always tell myself I’m going to take a break — not from music, but from writing — and then next thing I know, I’m writing something again. This was probably the longest break I’d ever taken; I hadn’t written anything for nearly a year. When Chuck came about, it was all kind of written within under two months. It was just time to talk about things that are happening in my life. I find the best way to have that cathartic release is through music. I’m lucky to have an outlet where I can create something, so that’s what I did.
What I love about Chuck is there’s such a spectrum of human emotion on this album. It feels relatable and musically diverse, from songs like “Afterlife,” this pastoral gem, to “I Don’t Not Love You,” which is so raw. Talk to me about that diversity.
Thank you. I didn’t want to limit myself or fit into a box. Not that the songs are so far away from each other that it doesn’t make sense — it’s just that some have more folky elements like “Afterlife” and “A Wonder Day,” and others lean heavier with electric guitars like “I Don’t Not Love You” and “Paper Moons.” It was more about what the songs were trying to say — some were a little more gritty, others more delicate.
When you write a song like “Half Alive” versus “Ripple,” they each have their own path — it feels like you chose the right direction for each.
“Ripples” was the song I struggled with the most. At first, it was going to stay in 3/4, more like a waltz, and then it ended up not being that at all and became the happiest song I’ve ever written.
What I love about “Ripples” is that it feels like the centerpiece of the album — such a rush, and the lyrics are so visceral: “You remind me of what I lost and the ripples I get caught.”
Thank you. I didn’t think it sounded like me and needed validation from friends who told me I was being ridiculous. It was too happy, and I got scared about leaving the misery world I love to put myself in. Then I thought, yeah, fuck it. I didn’t listen to it for a long time, but when I did, I realized it’s good — it’s where it’s meant to be.
It's been a hot stretch in LA, but I was listening to Chuck when it was raining a few weeks ago. It felt perfect for that weather — then a song like “Ripples” feels like the sun poking out.
I love the rain. I love listening to music in the rain. It feeds my dramatic self. I’m glad you heard it when the weather was gloomy.
What’s your perfect song to listen to in the rain — that perfect melancholic bliss?
Not a song — a whole album: Bon Iver’s self-titled album. It just screams moody forest rain.
I was listening to some of your older stuff — like “Sun Bear” from your 2021 album I Can’t Stop the Dawn. Talk to me about your growth from then to now, because it still sounds like you, but there’s so much life lived in the new songs.
Yeah, I’ve had moments where I want to delete everything I’ve done before because it makes me cringe, but then I remember I was younger then. It’s important to have that timestamp there for myself. I still think it sounds like me, just more developed. I’m older now, maybe a bit more mature in my songwriting.
It’s part of the journey - it got you here. And when you listen to Chuck and your older stuff, you can hear how much you’ve grown musically and lyrically. The album feels like it has a beginning, middle, and end. I love "A Wonder Life" as the opener.
That song was written about a previous relationship of mine, but we ended on really good terms, and they’re still one of my best friends. I wanted to write a song about how wonderful they are and how special they are to me. I wanted the music to mirror that sweetness. If you play the album on a loop, it comes full circle.
It’s refreshing to hear that — no one ever talks about relationships that end kindly!
I have nothing but good to say about most of the people on the album.
You also have a new cover out— your version of Flipturn’s “Swim Between Trees.” How did that come about?
I met them last year when they invited me on their tour. Their album this year was so good, and they’re unbelievable live. I told them how much I loved it, and a few months later their management reached out asking if I’d fancy covering a song. I said absolutely yes. The original is so good that I was nervous, but I’m glad I got to cover it.
It’s great. I love covers that reinterpret songs rather than copy them.
Same. I could never replicate what they did. It’s beautiful and unique in its own way. I just hope I did it justice.
What was the last movie you saw?
The latest Conjuring - The Conjuring: Last Rites. I love that whole franchise — they do scary movies very well. It wasn’t their best one, but I enjoyed it. The storyline and acting are good, and one thing I love is they never make it cheap toward the end. You know how scary films sometimes fall apart and you’re like, “Well, I’m not scared anymore”? That franchise does a pretty good job of keeping it strong. The Nun didn’t scare me though — that was the day Mac Miller died, and I remember just sitting in the cinema staring at the screen. I think that whole franchise does horror right.
Perfect timing for your Halloween release!
Yes, I’m very excited about that.
When people hear this record, what do you want them to take away from it?
It’s vulnerable, truthful, and honest storytelling from my perspective. I want people to take away acceptance — own up to your mistakes, understand that not everything lasts, and that’s okay. When it comes to relationships, acceptance from both sides matters. You can’t force anyone to be where they don’t want to be.
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