An Interview with Emitter
- BuzzSlayers
- 16 minutes ago
- 6 min read
An album release from Emitter comes through with a bright pop-rock sort of approach that blends in elements of 90s radio rock, along with elements of edginess, loads of storytelling, and at times, a little bit of alternative undertone.
There are plenty of spots throughout the album's course that you can pick up on folk and singer-songwriter influences as well, as there are loads of warm tonalities coming from some of the song's instruments, but all this is a rock record, and it's packed with character.
The album is called Extra Pale, and it doesn't waste a lot of time kicking off the record with its first track, "Carried Away", which certainly works out amazingly as a door opener for the rest of the record.
This track has some outstanding guitar work, and when I say certain tracks are reminiscent of 90s radio rock, this is exactly what I'm talking about.
I think one of the bigger driving points to this song is the drumming. The drummer comes in with this sort of big energy, loads of high hat work, and that snare just cuts through everything.
This is the kind of drama that doesn't just sit in the pocket, but instead it adds a liveliness to the music, and it does feel like a lot of the rest of the band pushes off of that.
Right off the bat, on this first track alone, you have a big, robust chorus that's super catchy and memorable, colorful, and performed with this addictive approach.
There's a lot about this record that makes it feel almost like a live performance, in a sense.
There's a bit of synergy going on between the players to the point where it feels almost like they may have recorded a bulk of this stuff live in a room.
Even if I'm wrong about how they recorded it, listening to the record makes you want to go see them live.
They are really able to capture such a perfect energy and aesthetic on record so well that you know seeing them live would be awesome.
The song has a sense of calmness before the big, more explosive chorus sections, which go into distorted guitar and almost grungy feels.
Again, this is very pop-coated as well, so that chorus is a major hook and again, this is a perfect introduction to the rest of the record.
You are getting some of the great staples you'll hear throughout the album on this track alone.
Having said that, there are plenty of surprises around its corners so listening to the full album is a must come in my opinion.
"Take A Drive" has that bright pop-rock vibe once again, still giving you a little bit of a grunge element with those chords in the way they're performed with a heavy hand, but the anthemic and boisterous chorus really takes the cake.
This is a fun, hands-in-the-air kind of track, and the lyrics can be very descriptive.
I love a song that lets you paint a picture in your head as it unfolds, and this is one of them.
Now, this record does hit plenty of cinematic elements as well, and one of the most filmic tracks on the record is one called "Through", which has already served quite well as a single from the record on its own, and listening to it, you can tell exactly why.
This song has a vast kind of undertone to it. It is emotionally driven, and performed with a lot of soul, but it still has that rock backbone at the same time, so you can see why this is very driving but also pulls you in through the storyline as well.
A lot of this record, including this track, comes from a personal perspective, so there are elements of vulnerability throughout.
By this point in the record, you can tell that listening to a few tracks won't give you the full spectrum of what the whole album has to offer.
"Gone" has some amazing guitar work, layers of clean guitar performing arpeggiated chords with electric guitar performing the full chords on top of that, creating a level of depth and some amazing textures that come together.
It's songs like this that give you the vibe that they're influenced by plenty of classic rock as well.
You can also hear elements of Southern undertone, mostly in the vocal approach because it's very robust.
The vocals are in your face a lot of the time because they are powerful, and what he's singing about has depth.
Again, you have emotion laced into the song, and because of that there's more cinematic underbelly shining through, which is something that does become another staple of the record pretty quickly.
"Ghosts" is a very honest track that certainly lets a lot of inner thought out for all to soak in, which I found quite brave.
This is also a song that focuses more on acoustic or clean guitars and is something of a power ballad.
I liked the way this song pulled me in.
It's got strings in there like violins that really add this beautiful element to the song making it feel even more graceful than it already is.
Quite a gorgeous piece of work and probably one of my favorite songs on the record.
The closing track, "Every Now and Then", follows suit in terms of bringing more strings into play and goes the emotional pull some of the others tend to deliver.
This was a damn near perfect closing to the album. I feel like this whole thing is something you put headphones on and listen to straight through.
Being a fan of rock music that has heart, tells stories, and isn't afraid to be honest, this record hit home for me.
"Through" was the first track I actually listened to, and upon doing so, I already wanted to have a chat with the band.
So, while you listen to not just that single, but the whole record, have a read-through of our interview with Emitter below.
Remember where you heard it first.
Thanks so much for taking the time! Lets jump into "Through"!
Where did this single come from and what is it about? The single is a song that originated in a Nashville songwriting session between Jason our lead singer and another songwriter named Jaymie Thompson.
Killer album! Who are some of your biggest musical influences? U2, Oasis, Jimmy Eat World, Third Eye Blind
Are you performing live right now? We had our album release show in Chicago and currently in the planning stages of some more local dates in Chicago and surrounding areas.
When and how did you guys start as a band exactly? We formed in Nashville when our singer Jason Chappell was offered a production deal with 2 record producers. Jason recruited Dave and Steve into the band to make it a band project. Our first album came out in 2001.
What's next for you? Working on new material? Currently we have almost a whole new album worth of songs that are ready to record. A couple of the songs are demoed and could be released. We’re still planning on what our next release will look like.
Was this recorded at a big studio, or home DAW? This album was recorded in a big studio in Indianapolis called “The Pop Machine.” Some great artists have made records there including Sublime, The Avett Brothers, Mat Kearny, and The Dandy Warhols.
Did you work with a producer on the release, or is this all you? This album was produced by us and ultimately Dave and Steve at the producer helm having the final say.
What would you say people can expect to hear on this record? This is what the band was writing and sounding like almost 20 years when we recorded this project. It’s a time capsule if you will. This record sat on a hard drive on a shelf in Indianapolis for 15 years when it finally was unearthed. We brushed up the tracks and mixed it. It’s a collection of some upbeat fun songs and some thoughtful and more melancholic moody pieces.
Before we go, what would you want to express to fans of the music? It’s hard to believe that our fans waited 20 years for this and are still excited to see this record come out and support it. We had such a great reaction that we actually charted on Apple Music at #29. That’s an achievement for a band that is completely independent and hasn’t released music in 20 years. Thank you!