Billie Eilish: ‘My love for music is 95% because of The Beatles’
Billie Eilish grew up in a musical household, and the young singer-songwriter believes her first childhood obsession helped her become the artist she is today. The band who pillaged their way into Eilish’s life and invited her to believe music was the answer was The Beatles, who she still holds close to her heart today.
In 2021, Eilish looked back at how they shaped her life when she played Glastonbury Festival alongside Paul McCartney. He created the music that soundtracked her childhood, and if it wasn’t for The Beatles, there’s a strong chance Eilish would have never made it to the Pyramid Stage. Although Eilish is a serial record breaker, performing on the same stage as McCartney was her sweetest achievement.
Eilish’s love of The Beatles is down to her parents, to whom she owes a great portion of her career. Much of her story is down to the impact of Eilish’s creative parents, Patrick O’Connell and Maggie Baird, who homeschooled their children rather than give her a traditional education. From an early age, the O’Connell Jr’s were educated on the importance of using art to express themselves, with their curriculum prioritising creativity over conventional subjects.
Speaking to Variety, Maggie revealed: “It was the Beatles who inspired them to begin writing their own songs. Because the class was for kids, I had to simplify it: Here’s ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, let’s give these pieces of the song a name. The class was just an hour a week for 10 weeks or so — but Finneas was like [mimes’ Eureka!’ moment], and in a few months he formed a band. All I had to teach him was the basics, and he immediately got it — and the same with Billie.”
The Beatles gave Eilish a framework for her songwriting and provided the fundamentals upon which she later built. No group has inspired more people than The Beatles, who somehow continue to influence every generation.
In a conversation with NME, Eilish spoke about their influence and said: “It doesn’t matter how old you are, where you’re from, what you look like or who you are: you can do this.” She added. “The Beatles were what raised me. My love for music I feel 95 per cent owes to the Beatles and Paul. It’s insane to think about.”
Additionally, Eilish also once named her favourite songs by The Beatles to Vanity Fair: “I love ‘Something’, I love ‘Julia’, I love ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’.” The singer also added ‘Anna (Go To Him)’ from Please Please Me and ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ from Abbey Road before stating, “Gosh, I could go on and on. I love The Beatles”.
Listen below to Eilish paying tribute to The Beatles by covering ‘Something’.
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