Last month, we shared the video for ‘Empty’ by Emma Geiger, a contemporary singer songwriter based in Durham, North Carolina. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing her new video and single ‘Reverse Bloom’, also the title track of her forthcoming debut album, due for release on April 26th.
Geiger began writing “Reverse Bloom” in response to a song released by a once close friend about their fallout. Geiger recalls, “When I first heard it, I felt her anger, frustration and bitterness. That friendship meant a lot to me, and losing it really shook me. It brought up a lot of questions about who I am, and who I was in that relationship.”
Reflecting on those memories, Emma adds, “When I sing “Reverse Bloom” now, I don’t feel as weighed down by the feeling of loss. I’m reminded that the story may have more chapters, and I think that’s something worth remembering in relation to all kinds of losses or regrets. When we tell ourselves that a story is over, it’s like we are preventing it from being changed. “Reverse Bloom” reminds me that endings don’t have to be so final.”
The video was again filmed by Archer Boyette and co-directed/edited with Emma. There’s an uplifting, carefree lightness to the warming visuals, and even in Emma’s guitar, there are gentle hints of brightness leading to the final reflection on a fractured relationship:
And how our voices grew
Inside our hands and flew
Like butterflies, I see your eyes
Reverent and wild
I tried
Throughout ‘Reverse Bloom’ there are some notable musical expressions that heighten the song’s feeling, especially from Michael Grigoni’s pedal steel, Emma Kelly’s violin and Joseph Westerlund’s drums – nothing is overdone, there’s an airy spacious tenderness to the music and, once again, Geiger perfectly conveys her inner thoughts and connects with her listener.
Emma said about the album, “The record is about passion and ambivalence, aspects of love and longing and loss—sometimes more raw and uncomfortable emotions—but it’s not focused on the past. I think of it as a place where I was able to wrestle with a lot of things, and ultimately lean towards hope. I want to allow space for things to transform, as people grow and change. I think this is what I’ll take with me from the process of making the album, to refrain from creating expectations or reaching conclusions so that possibilities can unfurl.”
The album features contributions from Justin Morris (Sluice, Fust), Joe Westerlund (Califone, Sylvan Esso), Zack Kardon (Indigo De Souza, The Dead Tongues), Emma Kelly (Happy Axe, Maple Glider), Michael Grigoni (Taylor Deupree, Chihei Hatakeyama), Katie Addada Shlon (mems) and Archer Boyette, among others.