Ethan P. Flynn

A musical polymath known for his prodigious output of experimental, lightly psychedelic pop, Ethan P. Flynn was already somewhat of a veteran indie presence when, at the age of 21, he issued a career retrospective as his debut album. Prior to that, the London-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist had racked up intriguing collaborations with big names like FKA twigs and David Byrne before joining the Young Turks roster. Rather than entering a studio to begin a proper album, he simply cherry-picked from the bounty of unreleased highlights already in his vault to make 2020′s B-Sides & Rarities, Vol. 1.
A native of Yorkshire, Flynn’s creative talent was apparent throughout his teenage years and earned him a place at London’s Guildhall School of Music to study electronic music. Already a well-heeled home recordist, his influences ranged from Baroque pop to jazz, classic singer/songwriter, and outsider noise music. A sort of magpie in terms of styles and sonic elements, he also developed an affinity for playing nearly any instrument he could find, making him a go-to collaborator for artists like Jockstrap, who were also fellow Guildhall students. While still in school, an opportunity arrived to contribute to David Byrne’s 2018 album American Utopia. With such a significant credit under his belt and a host of connections waiting to be made, he decided to drop out of Guildhall and devote himself to writing and recording.
A chance meeting with left-field pop star FKA twigs led Flynn to Los Angeles, where he co-wrote several songs on her 2019 album Magdalene, which was released by the Young Turks label. Not long afterward, he joined the Young Turks roster and made his official debut with “Everybody’s Dying to Meet You,” a song he’d written in L.A. while working on FKA twigs’ album. Over the previous years, Flynn had developed an aggressive work ethic and was known for recording nearly a song a day. Sifting through his years of unreleased material, he compiled a representative ten-song set that Young Turks released in September 2020 as B-Sides & Rarities, Vol. 1. ~ Timothy Monger