Emily James Sets New EP 'Summer Nostalgia,' Shares First Single

New York-based singer-songwriter Emily James has announced her next project, Summer Nostalgia. Over six songs, she unfolds a coming-of-age tale of two people reconnecting after years of distance, flickering between the present day and the memories of their high school romance. The faded hue of nostalgia seeps into every lyric and every note as the story becomes bigger than just the romance but an exploration of ourselves, our hometowns, and where we come from.

Emily introduces listeners to the story with “Suburbia,” setting the scene with the narrator in present day, running through her memories of the relationship and their time together. She wonders if the time they shared together still has an effect on the other person as much as it does on her(Cause in my mind, it's glorified.... does it have a hold on you?). It’s a dreamy, romanticized version of reality. It’s unclear what actually happened versus how you choose to remember it.

Throughout her career, Emily has found ways to connect to the very essence of what makes us human. Songs like “Brooklyn,” and “Cannonball” capture the euphoric feeling of adventure and new love, while “London” and “Song for Bryan” tackle the nuances of heartbreak. In last year’s double EP, The aLtErNaTeS Part 1 and 2, Emily began exploring the deep complexities of what it means to be in love and the healing journey that comes after loss. Her songwriting took on a larger life of its own as she continued to blossom into one of today’s most honest storytellers. Summer Nostalgia feels like a continuation of that growth, catapulting Emily into a world-building artist in her own right.  

Emily’s inspiration for Summer Nostalgia poured out as she prepared to leave Los Angeles (where she had lived for the past seven years), to spend some time writing and recording in London. She now resides in Brooklyn, New York. “I missed the changing of seasons,” Emily says of her decision to move back to New York, where she’s originally from. “I like to be able to move around on my own. There are a lot of similarities between New York and London, and having that time there made me even more nostalgic for New York. This EP is about reflecting on your past, growing up, and reconnecting with those roots.”

A dreamy six-track collection, Summer Nostalgia is Emily’s most intimate project yet and moves from ruminating slow ballads to euphoric pop jams while telling a story of two people reconnecting after years of distance. “It felt like I was watching a movie,” Emily adds. “You zoom into these little vignettes, and then you'll zoom out a little bit to the present day, and then zoom back in. It felt like something I'd never done before in terms of having this interweaving timeline and flickering between present and the past, with memories coming in and out.”

Photo Credit: Lindsey Byrnes