Good Eve is Embodying a Year of Transformation on Her Debut Single ‘Leech’
Photo by Lee Foxcliff
Emma Spartz, known on the stage as Good Eve, is an independent artist based in Chicago. Originally coming of age in the Bloomington, Indiana music scene and a founding member of Six Foot Blonde, Spartz sat down with River Epperson to discuss all things Good Eve, her debut single “Leech,” the freedom that comes with creative control, and her newfound trust in her artistry.
Photo by Lee Foxcliff
SOUND STAGE: Thank you for sitting down with me today, Emma.
EMMA SPARTZ: Thank you for having me!
SOUND STAGE: If you had to describe the sound of Good Eve in five words, what would they be?
SPARTZ: Oooh, okay… five words. Wow.
SOUND STAGE: There can be a margin of error, don’t worry.
SPARTZ: Ethereal, haunting, vulnerable… I think those are the main three.
SOUND STAGE: Would you subscribe yourself to a particular genre?
SPARTZ: At the moment, no. I could fall under the umbrella of alternative or indie, but there are a million genres that fall under those. There’s a little dream pop, a little alt-grunge… with my current project, I’m exploring multiple genres. I think that’s something a lot of artists do now, you know? We’re all inspired by a million different artists and genres, and that, of course, influences the music you make in so many ways.
SOUND STAGE: Who and what are some of the artists and sounds you found yourself coming back to when you created Good Eve?
SPARTZ: Good Eve came to fruition over the past year. Looking back at what I’ve been listening to, I would say… a lot of ‘90s and 2000s alternative grunge. Autolux, Slowdive… Autolux’s Future Perfect from 2004 was a major inspiration. For modern influences: I’ve been listening to a lot of Wombo. Their album Fairy Rust and their most recent project, Danger in Fives, have been on repeat for me. I’ve loved Crumb for many years now, and all of their albums have always been inspiring. And Dora Jar has been a pop music influence for me.
SOUND STAGE: How did you come up with the alias “Good Eve?”
SPARTZ: Naming this alias was so chaotic… nothing felt right. I think it took me four months, collectively, and every day I would use random word generators and try to piece the results I liked together. I probably have about twenty pages in my songwriting notebook with all these random words. They don’t make sense together, but I was trying to make them work.
One day, while driving, I thought of the name “Eve,” and I immediately felt drawn to it. I wanted an alias that felt close to me, but also something different I could embody. I started thinking of words that could come before or after “Eve,” and eventually I landed on “Good Eve.”
SOUND STAGE: Previously, you had released music under your own name, but the album has since been taken down. Is there a reason you chose to use an alias this time around?
SPARTZ: I like the idea of having a persona I can grow into, and something that doesn’t have a concrete definition yet. The alias gives me more power in the creative process to start from a blank slate. When I was releasing music under my own name, it felt like I was pigeon-holed into a certain sound. It almost feels easier to define who I am under an alias.
SOUND STAGE: Having an alias is also helpful on a performance level: it lets you separate the art from the person who made it.
SPARTZ: Exactly. It’s almost like a character of sorts. It’s challenging to embody yourself and the art at the same time.
SOUND STAGE: Your debut single, “Leech,” releases this Friday, December 19th. It is produced by Max DiFrisco, who also hails from the Bloomington music scene. How did the two of you end up collaborating?
SPARTZ: I met Max not too long ago, actually. I met him this past April. We had always been in the same rooms and same groups of people, but we had never been properly introduced. He worked on Six Foot Blonde’s most recent record… I wanted to start fresh with my next release, and Max immediately came to mind. I reached out to him, and we had a weekend session where we made the title track of my debut EP.
If I don’t mesh with someone creatively, it’s really hard for me to open up and be my most vulnerable self. Meeting and creating with Max… I immediately knew we could make some magic.
SOUND STAGE: What are some of the ideas that inspired the writing of “Leech?”
SPARTZ: I’m a very avoidant person, I always have been, and when I think of a lot of the songs I’ve written in the past year, it’s very much helped me channel my emotions. I don’t know how I feel unless I’m writing.
With “Leech” specifically… I’ve experienced a lot of loss over the past year, whether it be personal relationships I’ve put an end to, or the loss of my Dad. With “Leech,” I was channeling the beauty of loss and how important it is to look back on these different relationships with love and be grateful for what they gave you.
SOUND STAGE: On a first listen, “Leech” is very dreamy, but there’s this sharper, almost sinister edge underneath. I found myself thinking of the biblical character of Eve, and how she’s portrayed as a woman who uses her beauty to seduce Adam into committing the original sin. Do you find yourself leaning into all of the baggage that comes with the name “Eve?”
SPARTZ: I grew up very, very Catholic. I no longer resonate with the faith, but the imagery and stories of Catholicism have always stuck with me. When I created the alias, the story of Adam and Eve definitely came to mind. When they eat the apple and realize they’re naked because sin exists… I find the whole story fascinating. I think Eve is very seductive, and I like the imagery of that.
SOUND STAGE: It’s also interesting to think, at least according to the Bible, that modesty is something that was born out of shame.
SPARTZ: I’ve spent so many years coming out of my Catholic foundation and the shame it brought me, so it kind of feels empowering to embody this character that’s very much outside of that, but still takes inspiration from it as well.
SOUND STAGE: Did you learn anything new about “Leech” during the recording process?
SPARTZ: I learned the importance of collaboration. For the longest time, I was convinced I could only rely on myself during the creative process, and I started to isolate myself. After I deleted the album I released under my own name, I sort of swore off creating with other people. It left a sour taste in my mouth.
But it was so refreshing, taking my demos to Max and seeing his reaction to them, and being able to give them an entire life that I envisioned, but also couldn’t create without him. The first day I took the “Leech” demo to Max, he just sat in silence and didn’t say anything… and just gave me a fist bump. I knew immediately I had made the right choice by collaborating with him.
“Leech” was actually the last addition to the EP I made. I probably wrote that song the most recently out of all of them. It was a very happy discovery that came seemingly out of nowhere.
SOUND STAGE: This is your first release since departing Six Foot Blonde. Has the creative process been different as a solo artist?
SPARTZ: Definitely. It’s been a couple of years now, but the creative process is much different with nine people. I’ve found out a lot about my voice and what I have to say, and I’m trusting my instincts. I’m using my voice in a much different way than I was previously. Before, I was all about belting and power vocals, but now I’m using a much quieter part of my voice. Not to say I don’t belt on this record, but I’m definitely exploring different parts of my vocal cords. It’s been very freeing.
SOUND STAGE: Have any of your former collaborators from Six Foot Blonde been a part of bringing this Good Eve record to life?
SPARTZ: On quite a few songs, actually. The first track features Brian Healey on the drums, as well as John Alex Rusyniak, who plays the saxophone. I had Brian come in and record drums for another track, too. I also need to mention Dominick Heyob. He didn’t play on the record, but I reached out to him with the “Leech” demo and mix, and he helped me with mixing notes. He has a great ear and even better feedback.
SOUND STAGE: Last month, you played your debut set as Good Eve, and your backing band featured some more Chicago transplants via Bloomington, The Matriarch. What was that like?
SPARTZ: Oh my God, it was amazing. Over the past two years, the members of The Matriarch have become some of my closest friends. They have been nothing short of welcoming, and it has really helped me bring this project to life. They actually reached out to me first, and they basically told me I was playing a show and they would be my band. They’re so wonderful. I was so lucky to have a group of people behind me who believed in me and my music so much.
SOUND STAGE: Was there anything in particular that drew you to collaborating with people from the Bloomington music scene, even after leaving Indiana?
SPARTZ: Moving to a new city on my own taught me a lot, not just about myself, but about the importance of community. When I was in Bloomington, I definitely took advantage of the community around me, but I’m not sure I used it to its full extent. It is so reassuring to be in a new place, but still having familiar faces you know you can rely on creatively. These people have seen me in all stages of my life, when I was taking my first steps to make my own music.
SOUND STAGE: On the note of not using your community to its fullest extent… I feel the need to point out that you helped found Six Foot Blonde in the middle of a pandemic. And even though you’re no longer part of the band, Six Foot Blonde has grown into something so much bigger than anyone thought it would be.
SPARTZ: Thank you for saying that. Everything I got to experience with Six Foot Blonde was amazing, anything a young twenty-something could ever want. I got to discover my dreams through them, and I’ll forever be grateful.
SOUND STAGE: What’s next for Good Eve?
SPARTZ: I wrapped recording my debut EP, not that long ago, titled How Come I Only Ever See Red?. I couldn’t be more excited. It’s a charcuterie board of all the different sounds that make up Good Eve, a melting pot. This is my first stepping stone into the world I’m building… I’m already ready to release more music, but first things first.
SOUND STAGE: When can we expect to hear more of this EP?
SPARTZ: January. We’re finishing the masters today, but it will be released sometime in January.
SOUND STAGE: How exciting. Thanks so much for talking with us today, and I can’t wait to hear more from Good Eve.
SPARTZ: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure.
Good Eve’s debut single, “Leech,” will be released on December 19th, 2025. Her debut EP, “How Come I Only Ever See Red?” will be released in January 2026.
Follow Good Eve on Instagram and listen to “Leech” available now!
