Fuegostine's Music Club

Harrison Storm: Heartbreak, Healing & the Story Behind Empty Garden | Fuegostine's Music Club

• Matt Firestine • Season 2 • Episode 24

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In this episode of Fuegostine’s Music Club, Harrison Storm sits down for a heartfelt and honest conversation about the experiences that shaped his new album Empty Garden. Fresh off a six-week European tour, he reflects on the breakup that sparked much of the record, the emotional core behind “Someone Else,” and what it means to make music that feels both vulnerable and grounding.

We explore the realities of touring, the pressure (and freedom) of releasing music, the push-and-pull relationship artists have with social media, and the peace that comes from real human connection. Harrison also shares the albums that moved him growing up, the song he’s proudest of, and where he hopes to take his sound next.

Topics in this episode:
• The breakup & grief that inspired Empty Garden
• Writing “Someone Else” and collaborating with Winona Oak
• Touring Europe vs. the U.S.
• Vulnerability on stage
• Why songwriting is both therapy and resistance
• The struggle of social media as an artist
• Albums that influenced Harrison
• What’s next creatively

If you love honest songwriting and intentional artistry, this episode will stay with you.


About Harrison Storm:
Harrison Storm’s sublime second album, Empty Garden, casts a spell from the moment it opens, starting with sonic shifts from hypnotic pop and ghostly folk, which then swerves into rock boasting bold arrangements, layered backing vocals and lush instrumentation.

The plan was a step up in production from last year’s debut album, Wonder, Won’t You?, which followed the Melbourne musician’s five EPs of assured alt-folk. To date, his songs have racked up 550 million global streams and aired on Triple J and Radio 2. His hit Sense of Home was certified Gold in Canada.

Lyrically, Empty Garden deals with a break-up, digging into emotions and detecting patterns to prevent them being repeated. Never has Harrison bared so much. Nor has he ever been as open to advice.

Some of Empty Garden was written with musicians on road trips and at writing camps, such as Winona Oak on “Someone Else.” Harrison’s main collaborator, however, was producer Freddy Alexander, whom he met in Stockholm last spring. Over numerous visits to the city and months on WhatsApp, the pair recorded ten tracks, a handful of which they co-wrote.

The relationship at the heart of Empty Garden came to an end in late 2023, shortly before Wonder, Won’t You? was released. Harrison spent much of 2024 touring around the world, and on adventures in between, songs simply flowed.

“With distance, you can appreciate the good times and be grateful for the joy that they brought you,” he says. “Without endings, there can’t be beginnings.”


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