There’s a great groove to the new single from Louis Emory and The Reckless Few. At the heart of ‘Roma’ is the drums and bass delivering a slow, pulsing rhythm that makes you want to move and sway. Over this strong foundation, Emory’s tuneful vocal and the winding electric guitar combine to create a memorable, melodic song, with catchy hooks and a hummable chorus. Accompanying the song, the video, directed by Raeanne Wright-Emory, takes us on a visual tour of Rome’s historic landmarks, perfectly in keeping with the song’s subject matter. Emory says: “There’s something about walking the ancient streets layered with centuries of history, interwoven with a vibrant, modern city. I wanted to try to capture that feeling.” Indeed, the song bridges time with touches of classic rock and Americana given a fresh sound with warm production, thanks to producer, audio engineer and mixer Shelly Yakus, who worked on ‘Music from Big Pink’ by The Band, one of Emory’s main influences, all those years ago.
Emory shared his thoughts about the song with AUK: “I had a lot of fun writing it. I wanted to pay homage to ancient Rome and all it did for us collectively while trying to capture the energy and wonderment of being there. The skyline at sunset, the ruins at night, the flow of the Tiber and the souls seeking salvation at St. Peter’s. Reading about a place is one thing, experiencing it is another. Walking the Forum, arriving at the Colosseum, the beautiful vibration you get when you’re inside the Pantheon – we are so lucky these monuments still exist. Eternal thanks to the craftspeople who work on these sites year after year. ‘Roma’ went from being a rough acoustic demo and bloomed into this beautiful groove. I remember it coming together and being very happy and inspired; It just had a fantastic feel. Some songs just scream single, and we knew it with ‘Roma’ from the rip.”
Based in Troy, New York, Emory and his band channel the sound of elsewhere on their new record. ‘Roma’ is the second single from forthcoming EP ‘Love Italy’, a collection of songs inspired by the feeling of transporting yourself to some different, special place. The EP, themed around the singer-songwriter’s love for Italy, is due for release on 21st October and will certainly leave you imagining yourself away from autumn days into the warmth of the summer sun on the continent. Due to his Italian-American upbringing, Emory was always fascinated by the culture and history of Italy and always dreamed if visiting. Eventually, back in 2017, he managed to make the trip and it was all he imagined. Subsequently, he got married at the beautiful Querceto di Castellina winery in Tuscany and is currently applying for dual citizenship. It was when he saw the terrible impact of Covid-19 on Italy that he started writing songs inspired by the country. He explains: “Italy was an epiphany. My travels, the art, architecture, food, the wonderful people, and the way they revered their artists were eye-opening. Once Italy shut down I was longing to get back but also wanted to give something back — to show my gratitude for relighting the creative fires within and for making me feel at home.” Multi-instrumentalists Bob Boyer and Tim Lynch offer Emory skilled support throughout the EP, giving the music a rich, full sound. The pre-save link for ‘Love Italy’ is here. Check it out.
