Joel X Eleanor Explore Two Sides of Love on Double Release “Garden Plot / Something Strange”
Joel X Eleanor are a London-based power alternative duo whose music blends emotional intensity, theatricality, and meticulous craftsmanship. Both autistic and deeply detail-oriented, the pair approach songwriting with unusual precision, treating every lyric, melody, and production choice as essential to the emotional impact of the song. Eleanor, a Hungarian-born Brit raised in a literary and musical household, brings poetic lyricism and a striking contralto voice, while Joel’s unconventional upbringing in remote Myanmar without electricity shaped a unique relationship with music after discovering pop at age eleven. Together, they combine those contrasting backgrounds into a sound that feels cinematic, dramatic, and deeply personal.
The duo first gained a cult following in London’s underground scene between 2022 and 2025 as the rock band Sweet Anna before evolving into Joel X Eleanor, a project more fully centered around their creative partnership. Joel handles the instrumentation, production, and recording, building expansive arrangements filled with heavy guitars and layered synths, while Eleanor shapes the emotional core through her vocals and lyrics. The result is a bold and immersive sound that balances alternative rock energy with dark pop sensibilities, creating music that feels both intimate and larger than life.
The new double single from Joel X Eleanor, “Garden Plot / Something Strange,” looks at love from two very different emotional angles – one darker and more consuming, the other quiet and unexpectedly tender. “Garden Plot” started as a simple romantic idea from Eleanor after Joel once asked her for flowers, imagining a living garden that would keep growing instead of flowers that fade. But Joel’s production shifts that idea into something moodier and more obsessive, where everyday domestic images start to feel charged with longing and emotional intensity. It was recorded in a couple of really personal, lived-in spaces over Christmas in Birkenhead and Derby, even using a makeshift aluminium cone “tree” as percussion, which gives the track this slightly odd, handmade feel. There are also small personal touches woven in, including a whispered reference to a Hungarian poem by Attila József, which adds to the sense of intimacy underneath the unease.
On the other side, “Something Strange” feels softer and more grounded. Written mainly by Joel, it’s about that strange, almost surreal shift when you go from being alone to suddenly sharing your space, your routines, and even your bed with someone else. Instead of big drama, it focuses on the small emotional adjustments and the quiet disbelief that comes with closeness. Eleanor’s layered vocals bring warmth to it, giving the song a gentle, drifting quality. Mixed and mastered by Julie Bartley at Rolling Audio in Newcastle, the two tracks together show how Joel X Eleanor balance intensity with vulnerability, pulling from bands like Radiohead, Muse, and The Smashing Pumpkins, but filtering it through something more personal and emotionally direct.
Make sure you check out ‘Garden Plot / Something Strange’ on Spotify below and on YouTube below!
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Joel x Eleanor
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Who am I? Just some guy who decided to start writing on the Internet years ago and now operates his own brand and site. Owner/Operator of Modern Neon Media, I make all kinds of niche content to suit my interests at the time. DIY Enthusiast, Brewmaster extraordinaire, and avid freak for geek culture. Follow on my socials for a more “on” version of me.
