Ella Ion On Her Double Single, Debut Tour, And Finding Power In Vulnerability

Ella Ion’s music is an invitation to step into the complex layers of the heart, where raw emotion and delicate vulnerability meet the strength of self-discovery. The Australian alt-folk singer and songwriter, known for her striking blend of folk, indie-rock, and country influences, is gearing up for the release of her new double track, Mess In Your Eyes // Vultures. With these two tracks, Ella not only explores themes of emotional struggle and resilience but also announces her debut Australian tour, alongside headline shows in London and Glasgow, and a much-anticipated performance at Green Man Festival.

As she takes the next step in her musical journey, Ella shares her evolving sound and personal growth with a remarkable blend of gentle introspection and powerful sonic clarity.

Mess In Your Eyes feels like both a love song and a self-reminder. Was there a moment in writing it where you realised you needed the words as much as your friend did?

As I was finishing the lyrics to the song and singing the chorus, written initially as a sort of lullaby to my friend, “You got a lot to be, baby, how can you see with all that / With all that mess in your eyes”, I realised that I had been struggling with a quite paralysing experience of imposter syndrome. Singing these words became an act of self-love as much as an act of uplifting love for my friend. I needed to hear that the self-deprecating thoughts I was having were only holding me back and that it was time to let go of my self-doubt and keep pushing forward.

In Vultures, you capture the ache of watching someone you love change in painful ways. How do you approach writing about others’ struggles while protecting your own heart?

My writing is usually very introspective, and I find much of my lyrical purpose in sharing observations of the way I think and interact with the world at large. Writing about the struggles of someone else was new territory for me, but I have always loved storytelling in song. When it comes to protecting my own heart, I haven’t quite figured that out yet. Performing and releasing my music is always quite guttural for me. But I don’t see anything wrong with that - it’s just the price of vulnerability in striving to make good and honest music.

You’ve said these might be your brightest songs sonically, even though the themes are heavy. Was that contrast intentional — to balance weight with lightness?

The contrast was not entirely intentional, but I’m so glad that it happened. The production choices were just a part of the flow in the studio. Stefan and I were able to prioritise having fun in the moment and playing around with all the gear and instruments to make something sonically exciting.

Fragmented-folk is a beautiful way to describe your sound. How do indie, folk, and country each show up in your songwriting?

That would be for the listener to observe and decide! But I can safely say I draw on these genres for inspiration as I know the most influential artists in my writing have sat in those genres (e.g., Neil Young, Bonnie Prince Billy, Angel Olsen). To me, the sentiment behind “indie” music is just doing whatever you want. Which is essentially what I’m doing at the moment - a natural exploration of genre that comes from writing and releasing whatever comes out of me.

Your live shows range from intimate folk to explosive post-rock. How do you decide what version of yourself (and your songs) to bring to the stage?

This depends on my band and my mood. I honestly have so many personalities when it comes to my music. Sometimes I feel soft and feminine, sometimes my inner masculine comes out. I am known to be very disorganised with setlists (by choice), writing them at the last minute most of the time. I have a lot of unreleased songs which I enjoy playing live as a way to workshop them over time before recording. I tailor my setlists to whatever the band arrangement is - if I have the full band, it’s going to be a heavier set where we can take full advantage of the drums, and if it’s a duo set, it will tend to be more country (often I’ll play with another vocalist for harmonies and a cello/violin/second guitar), and if I’m alone, it will be the more tender and free-structured songs that work best by myself.

You talk about “reclaiming agency” with this release. How does that shift show up in your music and in your personal creative process?

Reclaiming agency is really the theme of how I’ve been engaging with my music career and creativity as a whole this year. It’s my first year of touring and I’ve done a lot of it, so much of it being by myself - something I would’ve been so scared to do not that long ago. Creatively, I’m just putting it all out there, not trying to fit into a box and letting my process be guided by honesty and enjoyment. With my debut album, Waiting (although I’m incredibly proud of it and so grateful for all the people who helped bring it to life) I wasn’t as confident in demanding what I wanted with my sound. I was much younger, and I didn’t know who I wanted to be or what I wanted to sound like. Now I know that I just want to sound like me, whatever form that takes.

Both tracks feel deeply visual — almost cinematic. Do you picture scenes or stories when you’re writing?

Absolutely, especially Vultures, as it plays out as such a story for me, and the sonic landscape just immediately brings so many colours and textures to mind. I worked with Izzie Austin on creating a visualiser for this song - and she did such a beautiful job at understanding my vision. In fact, we ended up having pretty much the same vision from the start, so it was a serendipitous pairing.

You’ve already been praised for your lyricism on Waiting. How do you feel your writing has grown between your debut LP and now?

I find that my later songs have a lot less edits. I’m learning to let my words flow out and accept the way they were conceived in the moment, as this is often the best outcome for the song. I don’t want anything to feel forced, and if some lines come out more poetic and profound and others come out more simple, direct, or playful, that's fine with me. I still feel I have a long way to go, though, and as I gain life experience, I trust and hope that my lyricism will evolve in unexpected ways.

With festival shows and headline gigs coming up, what do you hope listeners carry with them after seeing you live?

I just hope that my listeners feel that refreshing buzz you get after something really inspires or moves you. I hope they leave with a slightly new perspective or an eagerness to go and create something themselves. I also hope that my vulnerability makes my listeners feel seen, and encourages them to be more open-hearted and less afraid to express themselves.

You’ve said you’re carving out your own path in real time. What excites you most about the direction you’re heading next — musically and personally?

This year is really the first time I’ve found the courage to drop everything and do music full-time. It’s been a big year of firsts for me, and I’m learning a lot on the fly when it comes to touring, recording, running my own business, and all of the industry-related bits that come with committing to the cause! Musically, I’m learning to hold on tightly to who I want to be as an artist and maintain authenticity, while being open to new forms of collaboration and tighter deadlines. Personally, I’m navigating the importance in creating boundaries, prioritising self-care among the chaos, and remembering to foster the connections with the people I care about most.

With Mess In Your Eyes // Vultures, Ella Ion proves that her music has never sounded brighter, even as she delves into some of the most emotionally poignant themes of her career so far. Whether she’s capturing the fragility of human connections or the delicate process of healing, Ella’s songs offer both a cathartic release and a sense of lightness—allowing her listeners to feel understood, uplifted, and inspired. As she continues to carve out her own path in music and life, it’s clear that Ella Ion’s journey is only just beginning. Be sure to catch her live at one of her upcoming UK shows or across the globe—Ella’s presence on stage is a force to be reckoned with.

Photography courtesy of  Jo Veloso.