Remember that great track from Get the Knack by The Knack? It was called My Sharona, and had just the catchiest upbeat tempo you wanted in any single. Jeff Symonds seems to have taken notes, because his new single Emily is as catchy as that one, with a whole other mix of effects.
I didn’t just have to listen to this track and crib to you about it, for Symonds helped me out with the idea and concept behind this single. My first question was why he gravitated to this genre of classic rock:
It just kinda happened, to be honest. When I started writing songs, everything was about punk rock for me, and as I got older, I started to be able to hear music that was a little slower, and over time the sound on Riverrun just became what I sound like when I play music. It wasn’t an intentional choice– I just love live, loud, organic instruments, and this is what comes out.
So exactly what you would hope from someone who can churn out great rock numbers. Emily does the same, so naturally my next question was about the special person after whom the track was named:
Ha– “special” is a good term for it. “Emily” is a composite of a bunch of near-miss relationships in my early 20s. It’s partly autobiographical and borrowed from some friends’ misadventures.
There’s a little real anger in there, but I’m also laughing at myself at the same time. I got the guitar riff first, and then the name Emily, and the words came out in about ten minutes. I wrote the whole thing in less than an hour, I think.
Pretty darn good result for an hour of work. But that’s a result of clean flow, the track coming out like an appendage and almost an extension of you. The Petty-ish style is evident, and welcoming honestly, to hear at this stage.
Well, Emily felt like it could stand alone, and I knew I wanted to follow up Riverrun quickly and give people an excuse to rediscover it. Hopefully if people like the single, they’ll check out the album.
And you should. If you think this is good enough an exploration, there is a plethora of styles Symonds has expressed on Riverrun. Jeff Symonds won’t be touring for now, but more singles this year. As for collaborations for fans interested in his music:
I love collaborating, and I play with a lot of other great artists (I’m at a rehearsal right now for a show tomorrow while we’re talking). So, I’m always hearing other players and writers and learning from them. I’m planning on using more friends on the next album, so that’ll change the sound.
Listen to his new single Emily here:
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
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Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
