Joel X Eleanor explore love’s dark obsession and tender intimacy on their double single “Garden Plot / Something Strange,” blending drama and melodic depth.
London-based duo Joel X Eleanor bring colour, drama, and fun to modern music with a distinctive, precision-driven approach. Both autistic and detail-oriented, they craft every lyric, melody, and sound with careful intention. Eleanor, a Hungarian-born Brit raised in a literary and musical family, contributes her poetic instincts and rich contralto voice.
While Joel, who grew up in remote Myanmar without electricity, discovered pop music at age eleven. He brings expansive instrumental and production skills. Together, they merge poetry with layered sonic textures to create a sound that feels both personal and cinematic.
The duo first earned a cult following in London’s underground scene as the rock band Sweet Anna between 2022 and 2025. Reemerging as Joel X Eleanor, they formed a power alternative project built around their creative synergy. Joel writes, produces, and records the music, while Eleanor shapes lyrics, vocals, and the emotional direction of each track. Their work blends heavy guitars, layered synths, and bold melodies, producing music that is dramatic, thoughtful, and unmistakably theirs.
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“Garden Plot / Something Strange”: Two Sides of Love
Their new double single, “Garden Plot / Something Strange”, examines love from contrasting perspectives. On “Garden Plot”, Eleanor transforms a romantic gesture—planting a garden instead of giving cut flowers—into a meditation on obsession and longing. Joel’s brooding production deepens the tension, turning domestic imagery into symbols of fixation.
Recorded partly at Joel’s grandmother’s house in Birkenhead and an AirBnB in Derby, the track features unique percussion using a miniature Christmas tree of aluminum cones. A subtle nod to Eleanor’s Hungarian roots includes a whispered line from Attila József: “Bite me, bite me – or I’ll bite you!” The Camden and Walthamstow-filmed video amplifies the song’s unsettling romantic energy.
In contrast, “Something Strange” presents vulnerability and intimacy. Joel captures the emotional shift of sharing life and space with someone for the first time. Eleanor’s layered vocals highlight the warmth of closeness, portraying the subtle ways two lives intertwine.
Mixed and mastered by Julie Bartley at Rolling Audio in Newcastle. Both tracks demonstrate Joel X Eleanor’s signature style: guitar-driven yet melodic, dramatic yet intimate. Drawing inspiration from Radiohead, Muse, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. While nodding to London’s modern jazz harmonics, the duo continues to carve a space where romance, obsession, and vulnerability collide.
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