EMÆL is an eclectic cello-fronted five-piece collective that has converged many genres of music ranging from their classical roots to indie/alt-pop influences. They create cinematic and texturally ear-grabbing songs, constantly shapeshifting between organic and electronic worlds.
Luring listeners into a cryptic universe of luxurious reverberations, the tantalizing tones of their most recent single have us on the hook. “Equation (Gallán),” tours us through an underworld of transcendent impressions that swarm our minds in vivacious imagery.
Playing into the malleable routes that they often highlight, EMÆL brings a miscellany of genres into a pool of diversity. “Equation (Gallán),” shines brightly as a modern folktronica composition that trickles through your sound system clinging on to every inch of your being.
Inspired by EMÆL's travels to the opulent lands of Ireland, Gallan is known for being a magical standing stone in the center of Bere Island. The complexity of this arrangement carries us through an ethereal ambiance as we float amongst the mind-altering soundscapes of warbling piano keys being performed, robust cello notes, hybrid staccato drums, and a powerful choral counterpoint outro.
The songwriting techniques embraced grasp the lyrical content in an inviting tenor that radiates themes of grappling with love and using the fight to find the deeper meaning of life. In this immersive listening experience, EMÆL transports its audience to the verdant shores of Ireland, forever searching for the equation that answers it all.
Taking our breath away, we invite you to join us in the euphonious tones that are brought to life in a colossal escapade of profound vocalization fusing together with cascading instrumental hues.
Congratulations on the most recent release of, “Equation (Gallán).” How long did the creative and recording process take before this single was finalized in all artistic ways?
Thank you! We actually first recorded the instrumental for the song about three years ago. We were at Daniel Kristoff’s home studio; him, Michael Womack, and I. We knew we had something special that day but we were unable to write vocals. The instrumental sat on my hard drive for years before I picked it up again while on a hiking trip in Ireland. I hiked around all of Southern Ireland and while learning about the lore/history of a particular standing stone, Gallán on Bere Island, I came up with the lyrics and vocal melody. I was actually walking through bogs and green hills and castle ruins while humming and creating the vocals for the song. When I return to my studio in California I recorded the vocals and spruced up the track a bit. At this point though I felt the end of the song needed something special. I found an old parchment homework for a 16th-century counterpoint class that I was taking in college. The professor who taught this class was by far the best professor I had during my studies, Dr. Lloyd Rogers, may he Rest In Peace. This old homework that I found was meant to be sung by a choir so that’s what I did. Joslyn Sarshad and Michael Womack sang this outro with me. It was originally in a major key so I transcribed it to minor to better suit the song. I really love this choir outro and I hope others enjoy it too.
What are you hoping that your listeners take away from the messaging emitted in this track?
This track is about humans searching for something. Sometimes we’re searching for love. Sometimes we’re searching for a purpose. What are we even doing here? It’s so easy for each and every one of us to become overwhelmed in existential dread and feel lost as if nothing makes sense. This song is meant to show how we all feel this way and highlight that it is what makes us human. This is all expressed through a lens of little crumbs of Irish lore that I picked up during my travels. Gallán, is a standing stone in the very center of Bere Island. It was erected centuries ago without modern technology and yet it is the center of the island exactly by mere centimeters. The legend is that a giant threw a stone into the sea and that’s where it landed. He was trying to impress the lady giantess. There are also references to a legend about a buried princess on the coast and a legend about how falling asleep under a Hawthorne tree sends you into the land of the fairies. Lots of fascinating stuff.
How do you find that “Equation (Gallán),” compares to previously released bodies of work that you have put forth?
The thing that stands out about this track for me is how easy it was to finish. Even though it took a long time, I really only worked on this track while I was extremely inspired. With some of the previous tracks even on this album, I would be working on them day in and day out trying to make them better, but sometimes I would make them worse. This song never felt that way. It was really nice and refreshing to finally get the final mix and master back and think “cool this is done”. Somehow I think that comes through to the listener and it makes for a more authentic experience.
As a five-piece collective, what is the proudest moment that EMÆL has experienced through your artistic journey?
We’ve had many different members over the years and have gone through a couple of different transformations. That being said playing shows in Europe was amazing. We are definitely going back in the near future. Hearing our song on the radio was amazing. And early on in our career, we played a festival with some big bands on a full production stage. This was also awesome and a glimpse at the future of our project. I think the proudest moment though is when we finish the music and release it and have random people from all over the world message us about how our music inspired them. That’s the best.
What's next for you?
Well, our full-length album 'Three60' drops on March 19. We’ve really just been working up to that for the last year or so. We have another video to drop for this song and have many singles in the bank leading up to another album probably in 2022. We are also planning to hit Europe again soon. Lots of stuff on the horizon.