A talented singer-songwriter, Emma Gale has always had a knack for capturing the essence of a moment. After cutting her teeth and refining her musical talents as a covers singer in Essex, Cambridge, and her home town of Dorset, Emma decided it was time to make her own mark on music, taking herself away from covers and to a songwriting retreat at Bath Spa University. It was a decision that would change the course of her life forever, leading to a master’s degree in songwriting and laying the foundation of her debut album.
In the midst of the Corona Virus spreading across the globe, Emma had to cut the second week of the retreat short, but the lessons she learn stayed with her and spurred on by the energy and talent that she encountered there, she was moved to join the ‘Song a Week’ group. A special internet group run by James Tristian Redding, a songwriter based in Nashville, the ‘Song a Week’ had their first online jam session among the chaos of the pandemic, bringing together songwriters from all over the world.
It was from this session that Emma’s debut single, ‘Let’s See What The Earth Has To Say’ was born. Written, composed, produced, and recorded remotely in just one week, the new single explores Emma’s take on life in lockdown and the rapidly changing reality that we’ve all had to face. Using the crisis to concentrate on creativity, Emma’s debut single arrives as a wonderfully reflective, soothing, and even hopeful new release that contrasts nature and humanity, looking at how the natural world is flourishing now that we’re in retreat.
With uplifting vocals and a serene blend of ukulele, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals by Chris Pepper, Emma’s debut single arrives in pure and pristine style, lingering on the outer realms of contemporary folk and alternative pop. A masterpiece of sentimental writing, Emma’s lyrics breathe reflective life into the melody, blending thoughtful prose with sweetly spun harmonies in all the best ways.
It’s so easy to get carried away by the gentle nature of the song, but Emma makes sure that every listener doesn’t miss the point with a clever use of Caesural breaks to reinforce her point and add emphasis to the more expressive parts of the single. With its sudden stops and rolling melody, the single has you drifting between heavenly wisps of reality and the darker truth of it all, and Emma boldly refuses to sugar-coat things, bringing to the fore some remarkable lines in each chorus like, “and it just goes to show, that we really don't know how much changes in one single day”, and “and we don't really need what we think that we need. Let's see what the world has to say.”
Accompanied by an animated video by Nik Newark which shows the contrast between life now, and life before lockdown, ‘Let’s See What The Earth Has To Say’ is easily one of the most imaginative and impressive COVID-19 related songs that we’re ever likely to hear.
You can stream and download the single today, and be sure to give the video a spin above.
Score: 8.5/10
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