Em Spel Rides “The Tide” with the Premiere of Her New Single

The interesting thing about artists such as Em Spel is the uniqueness of their creations. It’s something near and dear to them, and how they do what they do and get to where they want to get to is rather inexplicable. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything that sounds quite like the singer-songwriter’s new album Bird or Snake.

Today, it’s time to preview some of that album with the premiere of the new single “The Tide.” The release of “The Tide” was preceded by the album’s first single, “Geographic,” last month. Delicate and melodic, “The Tide” draws attention to Em Spel’s (real name Emma Hospelhorn) warm vocals and highly creative and imaginative arrangements. That is where the artist truly excels, combining original vocal harmonies, elegant instrumental parts, and an interesting use of electronics. There is a warmth to her music and a liveliness, with references to nature, the environment, life, the sea, the ocean, and more. Although she received a helping hand here and there, all songs were written, composed, and produced by Em Spel.

Discussing “The Tide,” Em Spel states:

“I have my feet in a lot of different musical worlds, and with ‘The Tide,’ I feel like I’m switching back and forth between them— switching moods, like the sea. I can hear some of my classical background in the verses, some of my punk background in the choruses, some of my love for free jazz in the bridge.

“This song started as a simple skeleton with me on guitar and Eric Ridder on drums; when Katie Ernst (bass), Dustin Laurenzi (saxophone), and Mabel Kwan (synths) added their magic to it, it became one of my favourite songs on the record. I made a bunch of the electronic sounds using a Korg Little Bits synth that I got as a gift. It’s a toy, but it’s an amazingly flexible instrument. There ended up being a ton of elements to work with, almost too many, but Brian Deck is a mixing genius. The ocean is going to swallow us all eventually, but until then, I’ll be in love with it (from a safe distance).”

Bird or Snake is a joyful amalgamation of art-folk and intimate indie rock. Hospelhorn is also a flutist in the avant-classical group Ensemble Dal Niente. That role has offered her a lot of experience working on various instruments. She was able to use that experience to her advantage on this record. Many of these songs were written in 2022 when Hospelhorn was doing a residency with the Eastern Frontier Foundation on Norton Island in Maine. Unfortunately, she came down with a severe illness in 2024.

While recovering, she came back to these songs and found that they had taken on a new meaning for her. They became more about life, and the peculiarity and gloriousness of it. At the point of revisiting these songs, Hospelhorn had also become more relaxed in her approach to recording. This helped in finalizing the songs and learning what they needed in the recording and production process.

A highly inspirational work, Bird or Snake is a fully realized work with an artist who is finding new ways to thrive.

Em Spel ‘Bird or Snake’ album artwork