After a two year hiatus, in which he found himself returning to his hometown of Skibbereen in West Cork, Alternative pop artist Rushes is back with the release of his new single ‘Wide Eyed’, the first single from his upcoming project ‘Glowchild’.

‘Wide Eyed’ finds Rushes at his most emotive yet, with his soaring vocals combining beautifully with the track’s dreamy yet grainy, instrumentation. “I wanted a classic feel on the production side” Rushes explains, “something that was quite raw, genuine and in some ways felt familiar”.

The track comes after a year of lockdown and pauses when Rushes found himself living at home in his native Skibbereen, Co.Cork for the first time in five years. What he originally perceived as regression actually came to become something of a creative revival. “Restoring the connection I had with my home, made me grow as a person, made me feel kind of more whole again” Rushes explains.

The accompanying video shot by Eddie O’Flaherty and Stephanie Naughter (Jafaris, Soulé) showcases Skibbereen and the local areas where Rushes grew up. The motif of the suit against the atypical green surroundings, encapsulates the track’s feelings of uncertainty and imbalance. “I think the video depicts the narrative of the track,” Rushes explains. “You’ve cut a connection but now you’re on your own. It’s like wearing the suit and yet having nowhere to go. I’m wearing my dad’s old suit, I found in the attic, but it felt right“.

The video was edited by Rushes who, with lockdown, had a lot of extra time on his hands and wanted to learn a new skill. He wanted to really showcase Skibbereen through his own eyes. “This was very much a DIY project,” Rushes explains. “I had no idea how to edit videos, but I wanted it to come from me to keep that closeness of feeling”.