T. Priestly has built a magnetic world on his latest EP, Heathen Heart. Three years in the making, it is a collection of tracks born from heartbreak, shaped on London dancefloors, and sharpened by the emotional complexities of queer relationships that rarely make it into the mainstream narrative.
Sonically, the record drifts between cinematic pop, dark electronica and indie textures, but it’s the feeling that lingers with its listeners. Immersive and dreamlike, the EP unfolds in layers, synth-driven and richly textured, with emotive vocals that cut through its hazy, nocturnal atmosphere. Each track feels distinct yet seamlessly connected. It’s a full-circle experience.
Much of the EP was shaped as a means of survival. Written during a period of personal turmoil, the songs became a way for T. Priestly to process and ultimately let go. That sense of catharsis is resonant throughout. Whether that’s in the escapism of London’s club scene, where he found solace among strangers, or in the quieter, more introspective moments.
This EP has been three years in the making. Looking back, how do you feel about the person who started writing these songs compared to the person releasing them now?
Three years fly by! When I started these songs, I was heartbroken and hurting and of course, music was my sacred ground. I used these songs as a way to reflect and let go of a relationship that taught me hard lessons. As a result, I have grown into myself and am making some of the best music to date that I have ever made.
You have spoken about the EP exploring queer relationships that exist outside traditional structures, particularly from the perspective of the “third” in an open relationship. What made you decide to tell that story so candidly?
I think as a queer person, we naturally live very non-conventional lives, even just in existence, and these can shape and form our relationships outside of traditional monogamy. This EP defines my experience in a relationship that resulted in turmoil. Relationships only work with honest and open communication, and I was not given that. I have always been an open book with my struggles and how I live my life with the hope that it can help and inform others to not make the same mistakes. Music is my favourite vessel, and the Heathen Heart EP defines that time.
The new single ‘Caesar’ feels particularly charged. What does the title symbolise within the emotional arc of the EP?
Caesar is a song about understanding the weight in your relationship. How we worship our lovers just as historically we have worshipped our Queens, our Kings, our Caesar’s. It’s about the power love holds over one another.
Your sound blends cinematic pop, electronic textures and indie influences. When you’re creating, do you start with a mood, a story, or a specific sonic reference?
This EP was cultivated on a three day trip into the Norfolk countryside with my friend and collaborator, The Man, The Myth, The Meatslab, where we just isolated and made music and these songs just came out of a need to regulate my emotional state. Creation for me usually comes from a melodic or lyrical idea and the music is just something I like to explore and experiment, add and take away. There never seems to be a clear recipe.
You explore queer relationships that exist between online and offline spaces, often outside traditional hierarchies. How do you think digital intimacy has reshaped modern queer love?
For better or worse? Digital intimacy has so much potential to bring people together who may have never even crossed paths but it also has the power to take away the need for random connection. I am a human with limited energy and capacity and I’ll always seek out shortcuts if I am given the chance. Balance is a word that always comes to mind but something I have never been good at. Those real true human connections will always prevail over their digital counterparts, at least in my experience for the better but equally, we have never had more ability to connect at any time.
London’s club scene plays a significant role in the emotional backdrop of the record. How did those nights out sonically influence the project?
Clubbing has always been a means of resistance and it was a valuable channel of escapism for me when I needed it most. I was regularly partying around London yet always sober in these spaces. I felt vulnerable and yet it allowed me to be one person in a mass of bodies. It was a perfect way to combat my loneliness and be inspired by the music in those spaces. Sonically, it drove me towards new ground and ultimately led me to my own party S.S.M (SOSUEME) and DJ sets in cities around the world.
What do you hope listeners feel, not just hear, when they experience the EP from start to finish?
I hope that they can see themselves in the stories of love, loss and infatuation. Everyone knows a person who fell in love with someone who didn’t deserve them and I hope this EP can be a means to process those feelings and take away any shame or remorse. We are all humans who make mistakes.
What is your favourite track on the EP and why?
‘I Let You Out’ has a special place in my heart. It was made very quickly in the late hours of the night and when you play it out loud and the rhythm switches in the dance break, it just gives me so much joy and release. I’m reminded of how far I’ve come.
Having worked behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer for other artists, how does stepping into your own project as T. Priestly change your mindset in the studio?
When I work with other artists I am much more of a fly on the wall, trying to see the world through their eyes. It is inevitable that my sound and ideas will rub off but ultimately when I work alone my mindset is rooted in my experience. It’s a special thing to be welcomed into another artist’s world and to see the world through different eyes is to understand your own world better.
How important is visual identity and storytelling to you as an artist in 2025?
So important! With the rise of AI, listening to a body of work from start to finish, hearing someone’s story and seeing how they created it, their humanity is so important. I remember when there was a moment when everyone said album’s were dying and it’s clear that we are so inundated with media and visual spaces that there is a place for music in all forms everywhere. Singles, albums, visual albums. The hardest part is finding the support and funding to be able to make a visual identity clear and consistent. There is so much incredible art out there that may never see the light of day but it’s more important than ever to see the truest sense of talented humans creating art because it’s their life force, their survival.
What’s next for T. Priestly?
We had our first headline show last week and I’m excited to play more shows soon and gearing up for the next SOSUEME Party in London! The next music just gets better and I’ve got some exciting collaborations and am so grateful to see my team build and people who are discovering the music. Welcome to the Priestly world! We’re just getting started!
Heathen Heart is out now via This Feels Right Records.
