Ethan Hooley, 15, who goes by the name “TAXES”, is a singer-songwriter from South Ham.
His songs focus on mental health, a cause he has championed for as long as he can remember.
Ethan suffered severe anxiety growing up and felt his teachers never acknowledged his worries.
Ethan Hooley (Image: Ethan Hooley)
He said: “I’ve been homeschooled since Year 7. At secondary school, I struggled with severe classroom anxiety and felt immense pressure to fit into a traditional setting, despite explaining that I felt unready.
“Unable to speak up at the time, I turned to songwriting instead.”
Ethan has always been passionate about music and draws inspiration from artists including Ren and YUNGBLUD.
Many of his songs take inspiration from his personal experience with anxiety.
Ethan said: “In my song Pseudonymous, the line “Put me on the spot and I’ll become candescent” describes the humiliating feeling of being put on the spot in class-to the point where I once burst out crying in front of the room.
“It’s an issue I feel needs to be talked about much more openly.”
Ethan Hooley (Image: Ethan Hooley)
As a young artist, Ethan faces the challenges of setting up and paying for his music.
Ethan produces his music on a PC with a gaming microphone and pays royalties to use beats in his songs.
Ethan credits his family with supporting his music and keeping him going.
He said: “I wouldn’t be putting my music out there without them cheering me on every step of the way, and I have them to thank for keeping me going.”
See Ethan on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/artist/6pHdZEYd1NwGlcuc7N4vh8