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London Grammar

From Tragedy to Sonic Triumph: A&R Factory Interview with Emilia Christine Russo

Emilia Christine Russo has instantly established herself as an artist who isn’t afraid to express her deepest emotions through her music. In this exclusive interview, she opens up about the personal experiences that have shaped her debut single, “Ghostly,” a track born from the raw pain of losing her older sister. Emilia’s openness in her art invites listeners to connect with her on a profound level, offering a rare glimpse into the healing process that music can foster. As we explore her creative process and the inspiration behind her work, it becomes clear that her authenticity is at the core of her craft. Her debut single will make you shed a tear; this interview will make you fall in love with her soul.

Emilia Christine Russo, welcome to A&R Factory. We’d love to discuss your debut single, Ghostly, what’s the story behind the single? 

Thank you so much for having me! “Ghostly” came to me after a therapy session, as most of my songs did, actually. For years, I have written on my notes app words that I think would make great song titles. “Ghostly” was one word that I thought was cool, and originally, I thought the song would be a break-up song. Like, the idea of someone being left numb and ghost-like after a break-up. I don’t really write love songs, though. Well, at least not until recently.

Anyway, the topic for “Ghostly” came when I was finally opening up to my therapist about the trauma of the death of my older sister. I was literally the last person to find out about her death. We had a good session, and later that night, I wrote “Ghostly” all in one go. I changed the idea of what “Ghostly” would be like to something that was very healing for me personally. Someone should write a break-up song about how the split left a person wandering around all ghost-like. *laughs*

There’s an incredible equilibrium of artfulness and authenticity in Ghostly; could you walk us through how this manifested?

I don’t know, it kind of came out like a stream of consciousness. I’ve heard my lyrics be described like that before–a stream of consciousness. Just thoughts onto paper. Pair that with a piano, and I got a song out of it.

Did you know you always wanted to debut with Ghostly? 

No, definitely not. This was such a personal song. At the time, I had a music therapist who was more like a songwriting teacher, as she reviewed with me the basics of how to write songs–you know, verse, pre-chours, chorus, yadda yadda–and encouraged me to put into words my feelings about my traumas.

My problem is that I tend to put my feelings into boxes–like, “I don’t have the time to deal with that, to feel those feelings, because I have this deadline or whatever, so I’m going to trap them in this little box and put it on a shelf to deal with later.” Pushing through things is how I was raised. But then that mythical “later” never comes, and the feelings manifest in somatic symptoms. That’s why I was going to her, along with my psychologist. I could state the facts of things that happened to me, but I wasn’t facing my feelings about them.

But back to the song. I wrote “Ghostly” and showed it to my music therapist at our next session. She was like, “I wouldn’t change a thing.” I was really proud of it, so I wanted to show it to people first.

Would you say Ghostly exhibits your signature songwriting style or is it always in flux?

I think it would be accurate to say that “Ghostly” exhibits my signature songwriting style. I don’t like my lyrics to be too predictable in the sense that it has a lot of rhyming. In fact, rhyming kind of grinds my gears and was something I had to slowly be more okay with doing for my songs.

I also like to keep my lyrics kind of vague–general enough for people to not know exactly who or what I’m singing about, which people can then take and personalize for themselves, but specific enough for me to get healing out of it.

What can your fans expect from your forthcoming ‘Two Rights Don’t Make a Wrong EP’? 

More songs about real things that happened to me. Well, except for one song that’s a cover. I heard it when I was a kid and loved it. It’s kind of an old song, and I want more people to know it exists. But yeah, more songs that came from therapy sessions, so they’ll have a kind of emo vibe to them. *laughs*

When did your songwriting skills first start to become apparent? 

For songwriting, I guess it was the first time I showed my lyrics to my music therapist/songwriting teacher. It wasn’t “Ghostly”, it was another song that I don’t think will ever see the light of day, because I’d like to think I’m better at songwriting now. But she really liked it. I had written lyrics before, all the way back to middle school, but they were more like poems. They had the structure of a song, but I don’t think they would’ve worked paired to music.

I was a poet first before I turned to songwriting, and I have been writing poems since elementary school. So, if we’re talking about when I noticed I had writing skills, those go back to when I was a child. Side note, one song off my EP is taken mostly from a poem/”lyrics” I wrote many years ago. I could actually pair those lyrics to an instrumental. I hope that makes my younger self happy.

Who do you draw the most inspiration from lyrically and sonically?

For this song, I drew most of my inspiration from Evanescence but circa 1998 to 2017. I also draw from Paramore and The Holy Trinity of Emo Music–Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and My Chemical Romance. You’ll hear that more in my future releases.

What’s your main ambition as a singer-songwriter? 

I just want to see how far I can take this. It’s like one big experiment. Would I like to play a live show someday? Yeah. Would I like my song to get some airplay? Also yes. But really, I’m exploring this one area of writing that I haven’t really delved into and seeing what I can get out of this experience.

One thing I’d really like, though, is to find other female or non-binary musicians in the Seattle area and form a band. I’m an extroverted person and want to make more friends, so I don’t want to go solo with this. *laughs* I have so many songs I could share.

Stream Ghostly on Spotify and connect with Emilia Christine Russo on Instagram.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Tontine releases new alt-pop single “If I Could”

Tontine is a musician based in South East London. Their focus is incredibly diverse, and being an independent artist allows him to explore different ideas and expand their creative portfolio pretty much without restrictions. Tontine’s upcoming release happens to be their debut EP, which stands out as a good indication of what it means to make music with no compromise but still keeping the audience’s flow at the core of its vision. People who enjoy the sound of artists as diverse as The 1975, Francis Moon, London Grammar, Bonobo and Massive Attack should definitely check this out. The UK-based artist is onto great things, and this release is a huge accomplishment and an outstanding debut in its own right.

Find out more about Tontine, and do not miss out on the artist’s debut EP, which is going to be available on some of the best streaming services on the web from December 9th, 2022.

Starleen cinematically exhibited what it means to be human in her debut art-pop LP, To Give In

After making her art-pop debut in 2020 with her beguilingly dark EP, Life is Strange, Starleen came into her cinematically ethereal own through the unveiling of her ceremonially humanistic LP, To Give In.

To Give In explores our desires to succumb to the forces keeping us on our knees while celebrating our unwavering determination to endeavour the myriad of storms that our chaotic world unleashes upon us. With soundscapes that spill a jarring sense of unease around the assuredly celestial vocals that moodily paint the imperfection of the human experience around the pulsating indietronica rhythms, anyone who accepts the idiosyncratic beauty of the human experience will find a wealth of resonance across the seven soundscapes.

All too often, lyricism paints humanity, as a collective, as what we wish we were, what we aim for; an endless series of pretences held up by scarcely anyone for any enduring length of time before perfectionism becomes a crushing weight. Starleen breaks the mould by upholding the truth behind the facades. Paired with the cathartically artful structuring of the soundscapes, her bold daringness to encapsulate the most harrowing facets of the human psyche in To Give In unleashes a wealth of emotion.

For me, the highlight of the LP came in the form of the penultimate single, Out of Touch, which efficaciously reflects the multi-sensory nature of disassociation. Before the album concludes on the tranquility of the reverb-drenched melodies in From Myself. Any fans of London Grammar and Chelsea Wolfe won’t want to skip it. Actually, that goes for the entire LP. It’s officially in my collection of sad girl playlist staples.

“With this project, I knew I wanted to create a dark world. The message I try to convey is that in life, we have choices. Although going back may tempting, we have to move forward. People and their strength to overcome life’s battles always has been an inspiration to me.

Lyrically I have always gravitated towards artists like Nina Simone, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen because they talk about what it truly means to be human. And that is something I try to bring in my music.”

To Give In is available to stream on Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases via TikTok and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Melancholic Pop Meets Nordic Soul in Maren Davidsen’s Sophomore Single, Back to You

After garnering over 50k streams on Spotify with her 2021 debut single, Damage Done, the London-based Norwegian singer-songwriter, Maren Davidsen, has returned to the airwaves with her equally as phenomenal indie-pop sophomore single, Back to You.

Any fans of Big Thief, Daughter, and London Grammar will quickly come to be consumed by the toxic tale of love that is narrated through the melancholic-pop-meets-Nordic-soul arrangement and Davidsen’s vocal vulnerability.

The hypnotically harrowing yet hooky all the same single lays bare on the subject of heartbreak following an equally as soul-crushing relationship. For anyone that is still carrying buried relationship trauma, Back to You will hit bruisingly hard.

If you’re as hooked as we are, you’ll want the singer-songwriter and guitarist on your radar for the release of her debut 5-track EP, which will hit the airwaves this summer.

Back to You is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emma Hunter formidably extended the conversation around domestic violence with ‘Here I Go’

Singer-songwriter, Emma Hunter, has been the voice of popular Oxford-based bands such as AmberState and the Halycons, and since 2019, she’s worked alongside drummer, Tom Bruce, putting her own formidable spin on alt-indie-pop.

With vocals which pull you in with the same strength as Florence Welch’s or Marina and the Diamonds’ coalescing with instrumentals which veer from mainstream archetypes while retaining all of the commercial potential, it’s impossible not to become consumed by her viscerally poignant releases. The single which caught our attention and refused to let go was her latest single, ‘Here I Go’, which demonstrates how seriously Emma Hunter takes her responsibility of creating light from the dark.

Here I Go artfully extended the conversation around domestic violence by a perspective-shifting length. It exhibited the weakness of perpetrators compared to that of survivors who have been psychologically crushed or physically abused by ‘romantic’ partners. For the first time as I watched the nuanced video unfold, I contemplated the unlikelihood of abusers being able to endure what a victim does, concluding that intimidation through power is the ultimate form of weakness.

With lead guitar tones which insidiously creep throughout the soundscape, the trepidation leaves you transfixed from start to finish, it’s a track which keeps your breath bated until long after the prelude. I honestly couldn’t have more respect or admiration for Emma Hunter and her classy controversial sound.

The official video to Here I Go is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MXK feat Olivia Meade – Air: Haunting Humility from The Underground

MXK’s debut single Air featuring Olivia Meade is a hallowing mix of synth pop which captures the contempt of every women ever scorned as the narrative lyrics unravel, gripping you as they lead you through the track demanding that you share in her melancholy.

Along with acts such as Angel Olsen, London Grammar, Big Thief & Heavy Heart, this artist has got some stiff competition but with their first ever single, MXK and Olivia have blown it out of the park by creating this delectably dark ensemble that you can listen to time and time again.

To say that Air is an empowering track is possibly the biggest understatement I could make. The beautifully stunning singer song writer Olivia has been around on the underground with her guitar since 2009, it’s a tragic sign of the times that this track isn’t being blasted by every mainstream radio station.

Along with her staggering vocal ability, Olivia Meade is also a multi-instrumentalist, but her true talent lies in the passion she packs into her sound to create a powerfully transgressive mix with MXK.

Check out the debut single Air via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5LpUpUlFpIzfj3rx6ppxue

Sona – Give Me a Minute – 80’s Indie Synthesised

Traditionally, 80’s singers have always got a bad rap. Luckily, its 2017 and Sona’s debut hit Give Me a Minute hopefully won’t make her cringe when she listens to it 30 years down the line. She offers a melodic spell incarnated by her minimalist back beats and hauntingly apathetic lyrics.

Throughout the duration of the track the melody almost becomes an apparition, a simple mix that is all too easy to forget you’re listening to as you’re lulled by her strong yet subtle vocal ability. Her empowering sound has allowed her to gain notoriety through the Los Angeles electronica scene with a styling is right on the cusp of the modern Indie Pop Rock sound, so it shouldn’t be too long her and her analogue are rising above the underground.

She’s come a long way since her earlier tracks as she sheds the innocence of a choir girl sound to allow melancholy to flow into the mix giving it palpable resonance. Under the right direction, there’s no reason why Sona can’t reach the heights enjoyed by the likes of London Grammar and Honey Blood.

Check out Sona’s latest track Give Me A Minute via SoundCloud using the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/itssona/give-me-a-minute/s-PqymW

Xyno – With You: Come Down with Some Ambient Dubstep

https://youtu.be/x0n94fUOi1g

Xyno’s latest hit With You featuring Nina Sung is the musicians first attempt at the genre smash of Melodic Dubstep. The debut track With You proves to be the perfect medley of sonorous sound. This track is perfect for the introduction of dubstep it follows all of the same pace with a powerful, hard hitting baseline that’s softly muted to resonate under the talented vocals of Nina Sung.

If you’re a fan of M83 and London Grammar, or any other contemporary minimalist Indie Pop sound, this mix is definitely for you. Whilst Xyno is a relatively fresh-faced contender to the world of music production his music wouldn’t have you believe it. His tracks are mixed with a plethora of layers giving the sound ubiquitous complexity that you can fully immerse yourself within. The choice of Nina Sung’s haunting vocals, was undeniably the highlight of the track. If she was given better lyrics to work with this track would become a piece of art, it deserves to be. Nina Sung has all the delivery yet little poetic meaning behind her sound in the rep

Check out With You feat. Nina Sung on the YouTube link below:

Hannah Harper Whets Audiences Appetite

London based Hannah Harper seems to make music which wonderfully captures the city that she is based in. It is at once artistic and slick, pushes pop music into quirky, staccato dance realms, feels wonderfully urban, uptown, classy and shimmers with the pace and edgy energy of the city around her. At a time when pop music seems to have hit a formulaic, production line creative process, where most are content only to make music in the mould of what has already been successful, Hannah’s debut single marks a fascinating departure.

Already picked up by BBC movers and shakers, Appetite is the sound of things moving on, of barriers being pushed aside of new paths being beaten through previously unexplored territory. But the clever thing is that whilst offering something new, it isn’t too radical either. The beats and the structures are still familiar it is just the way they are put together is intriguing. It is, in fact, the best of both worlds, a new sound but one for which there is already a captive audience via popular radio and clubland playlists. It is safe to say that the evolution of pop music just took a very big stride forward.


Dani Miché Proves Romance Isn’t Dead

If you love London Grammar; you’re going to want to check out Dani Miché’s new track off her brand new single Hold Your Head Up. Or #HYHU, for the Twitter happy.

Now I’ll be honest. When I first hit play on this track, the first impression I had was that I was going to be subjected to 4 and a half minutes of melancholic caterwauling. How wrong I was. The rest of the track is pure perfection. Every beat of the track is exactly where it needs to be to pull at your heart strings.

Dani is not your average British singer song writer, she boasts the rare talent of having true connections with love and passion to infuse into her music. If you’re a bit of a romantic, you’re bound to love her unique style.

The lyrics are skilfully haunting, and are intended to serve as an anthem for the hurting. It’s a song of pure uplifting empowerment, the solo artist proves that she’s not one for half-hearted tainted love songs as she captures the shattering experience of heart break. The powerful arrangement and harmony build ups throughout the track aren’t a force to be reckoned with. Through it’s cacophony of pulsation it’s a poignant reminder that your journey is far from over. It is the artists full intention to beguile listeners of her music by enticing them with melody and heavy and immersive instrumentation.

Why not stay connected with Dani & show your support on the links below?

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/danimiche
Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/danimichemusic
Facebook – http://bit.ly/2xkJ2RP
Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/danimichemusic
www.danimichemusic.com