The Emberlands: Helen of Troy
The Emberlands – “Helen of Troy”
by Jack Rush
Emerging from the vibrant music scene of Aarhus, Denmark, The Emberlands is the solo project of Danish-Irish musician John Nicholas Marx O'Sullivan. With deep roots in shoegaze, noiserock, and postrock, O’Sullivan brings a wealth of experience and emotion to his latest release, the hauntingly beautiful single “Helen of Troy” from the album “A Whole Year of This”. The track marks a defining moment in his evolution as a musician—and it's entirely self-made. Every note, every lyric, every layer of production comes straight from O’Sullivan himself, who wrote, performed, recorded, and produced the song in his home studio.
“Helen of Troy” is a cinematic soundscape inspired by the shimmering atmospheres of Slowdive, the bass-driven grit of The Pixies, and the soaring, emotional climaxes reminiscent of vintage Coldplay. The track unfolds like a dream—introspective and immersive, brimming with abstract lyrical imagery that explores the sacrifices we make for love and the emotional depths that often remain unspoken.
Driven by a strong DIY ethos, the recording process itself adds a layer of intimacy to the song’s emotional weight. Vocals were tracked in a closet on a sweltering summer day, and what began as hallucinatory ambient noise ended up inspiring additional layers that give the track its surreal, ethereal texture. As O’Sullivan puts it, “I started hallucinating ambient noises at one point… and realized the song sounded wrong without them.”
More than just a single, “Helen of Troy” is a statement—a culmination of O’Sullivan’s artistic identity and a window into his broader vision for The Emberlands. It’s a bold step forward following his ambitious 2023 challenge to write and demo a new song every week, which led to the creation of the album “A Whole Year Of This” which blends indie rock, dreampop, shoegaze, and neofolk, echoing the moods of Wild Nothing, The Raveonettes, and early Mew.
Formerly a member of Antennas to Nowhere alongside members of the black metal/shoegaze band Møl, O’Sullivan is no stranger to pushing musical boundaries. But with The Emberlands, he’s carving out something entirely his own: raw, emotional, and undeniably captivating.
As he says of his journey: “I’ve always been scared to share my music with the world, but I’ve come to realize that as long as I have my own validation, everything else is secondary.”
With “Helen of Troy”, O’Sullivan doesn’t just share his music—he opens a door to something personal, powerful, and profoundly moving.
Have a listen and connect with The Emberlands:
The Emberlands | Facebook The Emberlands (@theemberlands) • Instagram photos and videos
