The Line by Glass Eel

Glass Eel is the solo project of London-based artist Alice Western, whose work weaves together the sharp edges of folk tradition with the dissolving outlines of psych, grunge and indie. Inspired by the second, translucent phase of an eel’s life cycle—where tiny creatures drift unseen through the ocean like strands of glass—the project captures a sense of dislocation, fragility, and survival in uncertain environments.

On debut single The Line, Western explores the fine tension between holding it together and letting go. Lyrics like “I’ve been bargaining with time, and the line / begging for a bend, a detour, a mile” trace the emotional flatline of waiting, the dread of inertia, the quiet pressure of staying upright when collapse feels imminent. The arrangement is spare but insistent—acoustic strumming underpinned by a solid groove and delicate flute from Hannah McLoughlin (Spike), each element circling a central hook that lands with deceptive lightness.

Produced by Seth Evans (HMLTD, The Greep), Margo Broom (Big Joanie, Fat White Family), and Gabriel Gold (Tenderhost), the track resists embellishment in favour of something more exposed—letting dissonance, repetition, and restraint do the emotional work. There’s a subtle grunge influence in the edges, but nothing nostalgic; Glass Eel sits in its own quiet unease, pulling from folk’s storytelling impulse while stretching its sonic borders outward.

Record Label.

Spewing morbid noise out into the void.

http://modrecords.co.uk/

Mix series:
https://www.mixcloud.com/memorialsofdistinction/

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