Lost in a Memory is the solo music project of musician and producer Emmanuel Morales, affectionately known as Manny. He has been playing music on various instruments since 2008 and as of a few years ago, he began releasing original, self-produced creations onto streaming platforms.
Recruiting the musical talents of Albuquerque New Mexico-based vocalist Zandi, the latest single delivered by Lost in a Memory is titled “False Promises.” Taking this heavy-hitting sonic composition and pairing it with eye-catching visuals is the way Manny operates his foundation of storytelling through numerous senses. Exuding an amplified atmosphere in the raging intensity brought on by the colossal percussion patterns, chugging guitar riffs, and Manny’s smoldering timbers, you’re instantaneously brought into a world that is fresh with a vibrant blanket of cold, hard energy.
Unleashing their virtuoso with a supreme vigor, Zandi comes in on the second verse to take the spotlight with prevailing vocal techniques that tell her side of the narrative, as the song acts as a call and response to each person’s outlook on the situation. With forceful video edits enhancing each scene, both Manny and Zandi can be seen on the shoreline performing their hearts out through a series of quick-cut scenes as they feed off of one another’s liveliness.
Navigating us within lyrical motifs such as ‘You are sorrow. You are darkness. You’re the memory I want to forget,’ you hear the dynamism of both Lost in a Memory and Zandi collide in a larger-than-life showcase of pent-up emotion that truly gets their fan bases up and out of their seats.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Lost in a Memory, and Zandi. Congratulations on the release of “False Promises.” With such a passion-fueled performance offered up, could you please share the inspiration behind the song’s meaning?
Manny: Of course! My good friend Zandi Ashley and I had gone through our own separate breakups from toxic relationships (not with each other lol) and we used those real-life past experiences to create the narrative of the song. The lyrics of the song are about a fictional former couple whose relationship ended badly and both get their turn to express their past frustrations with each other.
Zandi: Manny & I had just produced a cover for a pop-punk song called “forget me too” and we really wanted to ride this pop-punk energy and we were looking back at our respective experiences with failed relationships and that inspired the theme of the song.
How did you two come to collaborate on this project? What was it like working with one another?
Zandi: We’re both really good friends and we both really bonded over liking pop-punk music and being musicians and we figured why not make a badass pop-punk song!
Manny: Zandi and I have worked together on covers and projects in the past, in fact, I currently play guitar for Zandi’s band Scorpio Szn whenever we play live so we have a history of working together prior to this song which made the process so much fun!
Zandi: The progress making the song had its up and downs (filming the music video) but seeing the final product being released was very rewarding.
Could you please take us into the creative and recording process that brought this song to life? What did it entail?
Zandi: In terms of lyrics I played off of what Manny was playing on guitar and immediately I had a melody! The fact that that we both write using similar methods of using the notes app on the phone to brainstorm ideas was very helpful. I was looking through the notes on my phone and found the phrase “False Promises” and thought that we can work on that idea.
Manny: Making the demo was a very organic process, we started by recording a simple chord progression on my phone’s voice memos app while Zandi sang vocals and the structure came together very quickly! I then took that basic idea and worked on the full production process of recording every instrument arranging the music, etc. Making the song was a smooth process thanks to Zandi’s many years of experience writing melodies and lyrics and to my experience in producing.
In the music video for “False Promises,” how did this vision unfold? You both feed off of one another’s energy and it truly shows on screen!
Manny: Back in March Zandi was in Orlando Florida on a business trip for her band Scorpio Szn which was the perfect excuse for me to go visit with friends as well as film the music video at the beach. While filming the video we didn’t get the perfect sunny day I envisioned, instead we got a cold, gloomy & windy day which ended up adding more energy to the video and added elements of real frustration that elevated our performance and it shows.
Zandi: I was really living the dream of being in a pop-punk music video. I really wanted to make middle school me proud so I channeled my angst from the scene/emo days and went off and unleashed it on Manny throughout the video.
What would you like new listeners to know about you and the music that you create?
Manny: 2021 is going to be a busy year for Lost in a Memory, I have plenty of new music and videos I’m working on, as well as playing live shows and collaborating with other great artists like Zandi!
Zandi: I'm honored to be involved in this project with Lost in a Memory. I’m also in my own band called Scorpio Szn, we’re a pop duo and we just released a new song called “Sugar Sugar.” On all streaming platforms so check it out!