From Monash to LA: Sundown on Eden go global

Monash music students Jasmine Filer and Nathan Held were flown to Los Angeles last year by music industry figures looking to take their music to the international stage. 

The 19- and 20-year-old duo, Sundown on Eden, are taking their music beyond the classroom, performing in Melbourne and abroad while balancing their studies.

Sundown on Eden is the fusion of Held, a classically trained pianist and songwriter, and Filer, who has been singing since the moment she could talk. 

The pair have known each other since they were three, growing up playing music together throughout primary, high school and now at Monash.

“Performing with Nathan every week has honestly changed my life,” Filer said.

Their two weeks in LA were “one of the craziest experiences”, she said. 

The duo was “able to meet a lot of people [they] never thought [they] would be able to meet” and record music they will be able to release because of this trip, she said. 

The band recently played a sold-out show at Melbourne’s iconic Hotel Esplanade on March 6 – “only our second headlining show and the place was packed”, Filer said.

“Jazzy-pop, dance, storytelling” sums up Sundown on Eden’s essence, they said.

A typical show comprises original songs and covers of their favourite artists, including Raye, “who is very inspirational to both of us” as her music is “pop, [musically] intelligent and fun”, Held said. 

The duo often includes a throwback song to make the audience want to dance. “[We] always try to include at least one Amy Winehouse song in a set list,” they said. 

Held, the lead songwriter, said he tries to draw parallels between his and Filer's lives in their lyrics, and the duo hopes “people can relate to [their] songs” through their own lived experiences. 

“It’s such a powerful thing how music can impact someone’s emotions,”  Filer said.

Music is “special and intimate” and a language in itself, Held said.

The ultimate goal for Sundown on Eden is to make music for a living and return to LA, while reaching “as many people as possible” with their original songs, Held said.

Filer said that for Monash students looking to take the next step in their professional journey, connecting with people in the industry and putting yourself out there without fear is key.

Sundown on Eden’s favourite song they have written is their next single, “Forever and a Day”, which will be released in April and is “exactly who they are in a song”, Filer said.

The duo will return to the stage next month to play their biggest show yet. Catch them on May 23 at The Toff, playing alongside a 14-piece band.