For Love of Bad Coffee
I have a special place in my heart for bad coffee. The kind that comes in a paper cup, horribly burnt, with you desperately trying to cover the taste with too much cream. I love this cup of coffee because I only drink it when when I NEED it. Bad coffee is the taste of working hard and pushing through. It is the taste of Holiday Inn hotels, red-eye flights across the country, and skipping lunch because you have to run to a meeting. Bad coffee means you are living so much life that you’ve chosen to run on jet-fuel. I’ve only ever had bad coffee when I’ve been on set, running around music festivals, or squeezing in one more meeting before class. It has some of the happiest memories of my young-adulthood so far.
I bring this to mind because I’ve been lucky enough to start sipping bad coffee again. That second dose of the vaccine was bitter-sweet for me. It promised freedom while recalling all that I’ve lost during the pandemic. There are people I may never see again and precious time I can’t get back. I spent my 24 hours of sick time thinking about how different I imagined the day of my vaccine would look. And yet, we have to take our lessons where we can get them, put down the past, and welcome a new day. I’ve booked a flight to San Francisco and days of my travel blog will return. Hopefully you too will be sipping a cup of bad coffee soon.
“Maybe it’s all gonna turn out alright, and I know that it’s not, but I have to believe that it is.” -Julien Baker
Frozen Girl, Pretty Picture
On one of the coldest, windiest days in April, I was standing on a bridge in New Hampshire, joyfully posing for a photographer. Could I feel my toes? No. Was I clenching my jaw as tightly as possibly so I wouldn’t shiver? Yes. Was I having fun? A resounding yes. I love getting work again and flexing my creative muscle after all this time. In one shot, there are tears rolling down my cheeks and a big smile on my face as I try to ignore the wind. Together with @seedingsophiststudio, we captured some incredible shots and avoided frost bite!
MUSIC
As I spend the spring taking a moment apart from my own songwriting, I’ve been producing and writing with some other artists! Trish Discord will be releasing the first single off of her upcoming album “Strife” next Friday May 21st. Devon Aviles and I have created a sizzling rock soundscape for Trish’s poignant lyrics on the state of America. You can pre-save her single here.
The “Humanity Is The Genre” album is now fully available on all platforms! With the task of writing to inspire, collaborating with producer Greg Zola on "Your Time" forced me into a headspace where I had no choice but to view life from the positive. We imagined an 80's pop soundscape like it was still the Bleacher's album era and just through more energy into every session. HITG's goal was to give back to music education but I truly think it gave every artist on the album a much needed uplift as well. Listen to “Your Time” and every talented track from this charity album here! Every stream donates money to Guitars Over Guns, a music education program on the south side of Chicago.
MUSIC VIDEO UPDATE:
We are in the final stages of post-production for the official “All You’ll Ever Need” music video! Making this premiere as special as possible takes time and I appreciate your attention to this project!
Forest Friends
I started listening to EDM in seventh grade when I was introduced to Late Night Alumni. Since then I’ve been hooked. From keeping quiet about my obsession in those early days to now being an electronic music artist myself, it’s high time I built a community of the L.F.O. wild musicians. Welcome to FOREST FRIENDS. A monthly, chill EDM playlist from underground artists in the Forest Friends community. We are already on our second update for May. This month features artists from my Germany days such as Lucy Dye, ILAYO, Enter Name Here Music, and DJ Nick Fetcher. To submit music for the June update, follow my instagram @emmay6 and look out for weekly submit buttons on my stories. (or just say “Hi” in my DM’s) You can also join the Forest Friends community by entering your email. Forest Friends receive monthly themed newsletters and first access to updates. I’m so excited to build this community with you!