After a four-year introspective hiatus, self-described “cinematic soul” singer-songwriter Emma Cole returns with the release of “HOLLOW,” a track lifted from her upcoming EP, ANALOG GURL.
“HOLLOW” was written when the Texas abortion ban went into effect in September of 2021 before the fateful overturning of Roe v Wade. It is a Feminist Anthem bringing awareness to the injustices women are still facing today and highlighting the ways women continue to be taken advantage of by the system.
Emma explains, “I’ll never forget the pit in my stomach when I first heard the news about S8, the treacherous abortion ban passed to go into effect in Texas, I do remember it happened before they overturned Roe v Wade, and I don’t think it’s ever really gone away since. The immediacy of the wave of grief that came over me rushed me to my piano and this song poured out of me. Being a woman who has had the personal experience of a teenage pregnancy that inevitably turned into losing my firstborn child at 37 ½ weeks pregnant at 17 years old as a junior in high school I know more than some, what living through that experience was like. ‘HOLLOW’ is a feminist statement calling for hands off our bodies. My body, my choice. If you want to own my womb you may as well gut me.”
Simultaneously nostalgic and authentic, Emma’s sound hits listeners at a visceral level, generating an intuitive response. Her debut EP, If You Don’t Holler, No One Will Hear, garnered her the opening slot for fellow East Coast native rocker Lauren Ruth Ward’s Fall EU/UK run in 2019, for which she also sang backgrounds.
Opening on rippling, gently percolating tones, “HOLLOW” flows into a low-slung, rolling melody that blends hints of pop, soul, and R&B into a deliciously alluring soundscape. Emma’s oh-so-evocative vocals reveal velvety, soaring nuances, reflecting a whole panoply of emotional sensations. Soft background harmonies add dreamy depth and dimension to the lyrics.
“There’s a bounty on my head / Sound the alarm, leave me for dead / Hollow / Inside I’m hollow / Inside I’m hollow / Hollow.”
Back in the best possible way, “HOLLOW” unveils the gem-toned retro-luxurious voice of Emma Cole. Good stuff.
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