Emily Shirley’s brand of songwriter pop-rock is finely tuned and brightly colored. Shirley’s latest release, DuoTone, is a genre-bending hybrid of indie-pop melodies woven over thoughtful, grounded lyrics. DuoTone represents the vibrant sonic image of a writer who has come into her own in the Austin, Texas scene.
“Survivors” below is a slow burner led by Shirley’s expressive, finely crafted phrasing and soulful piano progression. The song builds slowly and eventually bubbles into a blistering and anthemic guitar refrain reminiscent of a tranquil Aimee Mann tune.
“I wrote this song during the Texas Freeze last year, when so many people were stuck in their homes, without heat or power, for days. I had a song due for my songwriting group that week, & the subject was something I can’t remember, but all I could write about in that moment was what I, & the people around me, were experiencing. This fall I went into the studio with Brian Douglas Phillips in hopes of capturing the song with a live studio feel. I think we accomplished that.”
