Back in October here at Roots Music Canada we premiered the debut single from Emily Jean Flack’s debut EP, Throwing Shapes.
Well now, we’re proud to premiere the video for a new song from the same EP – the title track, in fact!
Emily Jean, you might recall, is the daughter of Denise Flack of Leahy, and she earned her Masters in Traditional Irish Music in Limerick, Ireland, where she was encouraged to record by the legendary Karen Casey.
But for her, Irish music is just a foundation from which to chart her own musical course – and it doesn’t sound much like trad music. Instead, it contains nods to her musical heritage while pulling in every pop and roots influence she’s absorbed over the years: Celine Dion, Alison Krauss, James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald – you name it.
This song is a plugged-in affair with a pop arrangement and some subtle nods to jazz, but it also hints at Emily Jean’s musical roots more so than the atmospheric “Another Year Gone By” – starting with the step dancing at the beginning and end.
We get to hear her impressive voice in all its glory on this song, and listeners might note shades of another trad-influenced Canadian singer – Raylene Rankin – in its purity, sweetness and dexterity. Plus, there are some unmistakable Celtic vocal and guitar riffs here.
“Throwing Shapes is about dancing!” Emily Jean told us. “It’s a song about letting go, making your mark, and being real. It’s about knowing where you come from and going places you’ve never been. When it comes down to it, we’re all just dancing in colour.”
She shot the video in Riddel’s Warehous in Belfast, the same city where the music was recorded, which afforded the musicians a chance to reunite.
“We wanted the video to look as natural as possible – musicians just jamming,” she said. “That’s how it all starts – in the round and playing music.”
