A raw alt-rock reeling, Homes at Night’s catchy second single “Tell Emma” dwells in turbulent depths as the Nashville band shed light on anxiety, avoidance, and their emotional toll.
Stream: “Tell Emma” – Homes at Night
The song came about from me being avoidant with a relationship that I knew needed to end, but I just didn’t know how to cut it off.
Avoidance behavior is certainly not the best, and probably never the answer to our problems, but sometimes a little space and time can help give us the perspective we need to move forward from a given situation and do the right thing for ourselves.
Alternatively, avoiding a situation altogether or for too long might result in a fully missed opportunity, such as a relationship fizzling out before it got the chance to go anywhere or become something serious. Your economics-savvy friend will tell you there’s an opportunity cost associated with every action and inaction, and certainly that comes to bear in Homes at Night’s second single. A raw alt-rock reeling, “Tell Emma” dwells in turbulent depths as the Nashville band shed light on anxiety, avoidance, and their emotional toll.
Not all “ghosting” is done out of convenience, narcissism, or spite; sometimes you’re just too paralyzed to pick up the phone.
Hazy head tastin’ toothpaste,
Waking early on a Sunday morning,
Phone is ringing like a migraine, I know…
We were hanging on a Thursday,
Waking up together Friday morning
Didn’t text her on the 3rd day
She’s blowing up my phone, I know…
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the Zach Pigg directed music video for “Tell Emma,” Homes at Night’s second career single (released July 19, 2022 via Hazel Street Records) and the latest tease off their forthcoming debut EP, If You Were a Stranger. Following their June debut single “Bonnaroo,” the emotionally charged “Tell Emma” sees the Nashville-based duo of songwriters Hank Compton and Aksel Coe conveying intimate emotions through a captivating and deeply catchy pop/rock song. With vivid verses detailing both a relationship and the narrator’s psyche, and the refrain, “Tell Emma not to call, my head is in a fog, it’s not her fault, I’m too lost to be involved,” the band paint a story of inner strain and self-doubt, depression and anxiety.
Tell Emma not to call
My head is in a fog
It’s not her fault
I’m too lost to be involved
(I don’t wanna fall in love)
“The creation process of this song felt like one of those moments when an idea kind of falls into your lap out of nowhere and demands its own direction,” Homes at Night’s Hank Compton tells Atwood Magazine. “We wrote this song in August of 2020 with our dear friend Louis Johnson (Lonas), who also ended up co-producing the track as well. There was no premeditated idea or “vibe” going into the session and per usual, we were nervous about coming into a session empty handed. I started talking about a fling I was having at the time that I knew I needed to cut off but was avoiding. From there the song was written in probably two hours, with all three of us sitting around with acoustic guitars, which is funny to think about considering how electric guitar driven the song turned out to be.”
“The production of the song was, for the most part, done within a couple of days. We’ve gotten a lot of questions on the late ’90s / early 2000s sound and to be honest, that wasn’t what we set out to do from the start. Like I said, the song demanded its direction and it was hard not to tip our hats to that era of rock with the call and response chorus. Once we took the demo version to our producer JT, we all agreed that it really just needed Aksel’s drums on it and a fresh set of ears.”
It’s definitely our ode to late 90s-early 2000s rock music and it’s become one of our favorites out of this batch of songs.
Throw my head and push my hair back
Light a cigarette and paint my nails black
Say I’m busy when I know that
I’ll spend the day at home
I’m better off alone
I know I know I know…
Tell Emma not to call
My head is in a fog
It not her fault
I’m too lost to be involved
(I don’t wanna fall in love)
Whilst the song itself burrows deep into relatable raw, vulnerable emotions and a rather fragile state of being, Homes at Night’s accompanying music video tells a different story.
“The Tell Emma video was somewhat of a happy accident,” Aksel Coe explains. “We shot an entire video with a different videographer a month before and we’re planning on using that one. Unfortunately they went MIA and we were forced to shoot a completely new video a day before the deadline. We had met Zach Pigg a few weeks earlier when he did photos and videos for a Nashville show. We called him at the last minute and decided to just start filming during golden hour and see what would happen.”
“The song is about being young and carefree and not being tied down to any obligations or preconceived notions. It made sense for the video to be similarly unplanned and almost casual. It was so special to have Zach come in at the last minute and make it happen; even though we had only met him once, we already felt like he understood our vision. It’s always infinitely easier to make creative work with people that you trust and we are really happy with the way it turned out!”
Director Zach Pigg captures this fresh-faced band’s human element, introducing us to Hank Compton and Aksel Coe and showcasing the friendship and the brotherhood these two men share. It’s an up-close and personal insight into the duo’s dynamic, seeing them fishing off the coast (exactly which coast we’re uncertain), skipping stones, throwing around the frisbee, playing basketball, jamming together on the rooftop, and more. Hence whereas “Tell Emma” the song is one of inner strife and stress, “Tell Emma” the music video is one of companionship and connection. There’s a meaningful duality between these two media – one that, taken together, allows us to delve deep into two stories at once: That of the avoidant narrator and Emma, and that of Compton and Coe. Dark and light, charming and aching all at once, “Tell Emma” is an irresistible addition to any indie and alt-rock lover’s rotation. Stream Homes at Night’s second single wherever you get your music, and watch their new music video exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
Homes at Night’s debut EP If You Were a Stranger is set to release later this year.
Tell Emma it’s my loss
Got drunk and I forgot
It’s all my fault
And I’ll live with what I lost
— —
:: stream/purchase Homes at Night here ::
Stream: “Tell Emma” – Homes at Night
— — — —
Connect to Homes at Night on
TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
? © Zach Pigg
:: Stream Homes at Night ::
